Tenn. Pastor Found Killed, Family Missing

[raccoon]

By WOODY BAIRD, Associated Press Writer

SELMER, Tenn. - A church minister was found shot to death in his parsonage, and authorities were searching for his missing wife and three young daughters Thursday.

<snip>

Church members went searching for pastor Matthew Winkler late Wednesday when he didn't show up for an evening service at Fourth Street Church of Christ, Burks said. He said they used a key to enter the parsonage and found him dead in a bedroom.

Winkler, 31, had been shot, and his family was gone, Burks said.

The chief declined to say if Winkler's wife was considered a suspect. Investigators also weren't sure if she had the children or if any outsiders were involved in shooting and disappearance, he said.

According to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Jennifer Johnson, there were no signs of forced entry at the parsonage.

The bureau issued an Amber Alert early Thursday for the couple's daughters, Breanna, 1, Mary Alice, 6, and Patricia, 8. The alert said the girls may be with their mother, Mary Winkler.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060323/ap_on_re_us/pastor_slain

[raccoon]

1. Nobody's responded to this, but just in case somebody might

be interested, there's an update to it.

The wife is a suspect. She and the children were found in AL.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060324/ap_on_re_us/pastor_slain

[flamingyouth]

2. Authorities say she's confessed to killing him:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060324/ap_on_re_us/pastor_slain

[johnnie]

3. Well

It got a lot of responses when I posted it in GD..lol.

I think this will be an interesting case.

[wakemeupwhenitsover]

4. I agree that this one will be interesting.

I'm curious as to what happened. I'm gonna put my money on sex. :rofl:

[XanaDUer]

5. Thank you!

I have not heard of this case. I've been remiss.

[XanaDUer]

6. More as of 3/25/06

http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=nation_world&id=4021350

http://www.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?type=bnews&id=56452&eddate=

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/2518801.html

[frogmarch]

7. a TBI agent

said they know why she killed him and it had nothing to do with infidelity. When asked if she'd said abuse was the reason, the agent had no comment.

I don't recall where I read that.

Thanks for the links. I am going to check them out now.

[raccoon]

8. My guess is either he abused her or sexually abused the children.

They had a snipped about this on DATELINE Sun. night. People who knew them said he was very much the head of the household, and she's been described as quiet and unassuming.

[raccoon]

9. Anybody heard any more on this? In line at the grocery store,

I saw where some magazine--might have been PEOPLE, had an article about Winkler's wife. I didn't buy the magazine, but maybe someone else out there read it?

[raccoon]

10. Slain Minister's Wife Free On Bond

Tennessee Pastor's Wife Is Accused Of Shooting Husband To Death

SELMER, Tenn., Aug. 15, 2006

(AP) A minister's wife accused of shooting her husband to death after the two argued over money was released from jail Tuesday on $750,000 bond.

Mary Winkler, 32, is charged with killing Matthew Winkler on March 22 at their church parsonage in Selmer, Tenn., about 80 miles east of Memphis.

In a statement to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Winkler said she shot her husband after a night of arguing over finances and other family problems.

The couple had gotten tangled up along with her husband (How’s that again?) in a swindle known as an advance-fee fraud, or the "Nigerian scam," in which victims are told that a sweepstakes prize or some other riches are waiting for them if they send in money to cover the processing expenses, her lawyers have said.


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/15/national/main1897849.shtml