Mary Winkler

According to police, Mary Winkler confessed to the March 22, 2006 fatal shooting of her husband, whose body was discovered in their home by church members after he missed that evening's service.

Winkler had become caught up in a swindle known as the "Nigerian scam", which promises riches to victims who send money to cover the processing expenses.

Winkler's lawyers, Leslie Ballin and Steve Farese Sr., also filed motions to throw out her confession on a technicality, to require prosecutors to state whether or not they would seek the death penalty (they did not), to give potential jurors an extensive questionnaire, and other motions relating to voir dire.

However, Winkler was able to post $750,000 bond and was released on August 15, on the stipulation that she live with Rudolf and Kathy Thomsen, friends in McMinnville, Tennessee.

She told a jury of ten women and two men that her husband often "berated" her and forced her to wear "slutty" costumes for sex.

Prosecutors had asked that Winkler be convicted of first-degree murder, but the jury settled on the lesser charge after deliberating for eight hours.

On June 8, 2007, a Tennessee judge sentenced Mary Winkler to 210 days in prison for the conviction of voluntary manslaughter.

She had credit for already serving five months and the judge permitted her to spend up to 60 days in an undisclosed mental health facility in Tennessee.

Mary Winkler's family alleges that she was reacting to a combination of emotional, sexual, and physical spousal abuse.

[7] The song "The Wig He Made Her Wear" from Southern alt-rock band Drive-By Truckers' 2010 album The Big To-Do describes the case and the details surrounding the actions of the Winklers, particularly that of Mary.

The transcript of Mary's police interview was used by Lithuanian artist Ignas Krunglevicius in a piece called "Interrogation" in 2009, in which he changed her last name to show some respect for her privacy.

[8] Mary Winkler's murder trial was the subject of the 2011 TV film The Pastor's Wife starring Rose McGowan.

In April 2020, this case was in a new episode "The Pastor's Secrets" in the Sex and Murder series on HLN cable network.