The Minister's "Quiet, Unassuming" Murderer Wife

AP reporter Woody Baird tells readers that Mary Winkler confessed to the murder of her husband Reverend Matthew Winkler.  True to the script on such spousal murders in small towns, members of the late Reverend Winkler's congregation described Mrs. Winkler as "quiet, unassuming."  But beneath these stock details there could be titillating noir dynamics between these two "seemed-to-be-very-happy" people that would make the movie "Chicago" seem tame.

In "Chicago," starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere, the female murderers of their men had all sorts of "reasons" for the dastardly deed.  They ranged from one's man refusal to stop snapping his gum after being asked to another man's bigamy.  All the women felt that they had made the right decision at the time.  No regrets.

So, what at the time caused Mrs. Winkler to pop the Reverend? 

The two had met at the Church of Christ-affiliated Freed-Hardeman University.  Could this background in fundamentalist Christianity have presented, over the years, difficulty to Mrs. Winkler or the marriage?  Was the difficulty sexual as is so often the case among "seemed-to-very-happy-people?" I remember in our closely knit parish in downtown Jersey City, New Jersey, the husband of a very happy couple was reported to don female attire during the night, every night.

Or was the strain financial? Ministers make peanuts.  I know because I investigated that career path in the late 1990s.  After graduating with mucho student loans from divinity school, I could anticipate earning in the 30s.  The Winklers had three daughters, ranging in age from one through eight.  That means three college educations and three weddings. 

But my gut tells me what annoyed Mrs. Winkler enough to whack her man was unbearable boredom.   According to the news coming out, they did what normal folks in a small southern town always do.  They, as Baird reports former Selmer Mayor Jimmy Whittington observed, "blended in." I get Mrs. Winkler didn't like doing that one bit.  The last time I felt forced to blend in was at pre-Gerstner IBM.  It made Dilbert and the cubicle crowd seem wild and daring.  One smug male IBM manager, I heard through the grapevine, feared that I was going to kill him.

Side Note: Of course, I am looking into doing more writing on women who kill men.    

Comments

[anonymous]

I don't think you kill someone because you are stressed, bored, etc. that is far from a normal reaction. I , as what I consider , "normal", have to ask myself. "For what would I kill?' My answer was- to protect my children.And, that is probably the only thing that would provoke such an act, for me

[Mike]

People.

THis isnt a evangelical church. This is a Church of Christ. THe only church mind you that is going to heaven thus the name Church of (Christ). MY blog denotes several things.. www.mikesdelirium.blogspot.com about the Church of Christ that are too lengthy to go into here. If I had my guess The Church, being married to a C of C minister husband was the catalyst that led Mary to the breaking point. You have to understand that church .. I do I was brought up there for 19 years and yess attended a C of C college.

[Carol]

My guess it was a lifetime of being a woman in an anti-woman church (Church of Christ) - perfect breeding ground for psychosis and spousal abuse.

[meathead]

Boredom? Strain? No. You make it sound like she's the victim.

FYI - he wasn't a reverend. Just a simple gospel preacher.

[Eddie]

Fabulous piece of speculation; probably was boredom.