Mark Winger beat his wife Donnah to death with a hammer just after they’d adopted a baby girl, but it wasn’t until his mistress came forward three years later that police finally discovered the truth.
ABC NewsMark and Donnah Winger seemed like a happy , loving span until he slay her in 1995 .
In June of 1995 , it seemed like life could n’t perchance get any good for Mark and Donnah Winger . The atomic technician and his married woman had been happily married for several years , and they had just adopted a new-sprung babe girl name Bailey . Three month later , Mark Winger bludgeoned Donnah to destruction with a hammer in their Springfield , Illinois place .
Donnah had recently had an uncomfortable experience with a cab driver named Roger Harrington , and Mark used the situation to his vantage . He murder both his married woman and Harrington then told police he ’d walk in on the madden driver attacking Donnah and scoot him while seek to fend for her .
ABC NewsMark and Donnah Winger seemed like a happy, loving couple until he murdered her in 1995.
For more than three years , police force believe Mark ’s tarradiddle — until Donnah ’s best friend come forward and accommodate that she and Mark had been cause an affair at the time of Donnah ’s death . investigator remove a close look at the grounds from the day of the murders and realized that Mark ’s version of events simply was n’t possible .
In 1999 , Mark Winger officially became a defendant in the murders of Donnah Winger and Roger Harrington . The seemingly perfect father and husband — who had married his daughter ’s nanny just months after Donnah ’s death and gone on to have three more children with her — would lastly answer for his crimes .
Donnah Winger And Roger Harrington Are Brutally Murdered Under Strange Circumstances
In August 1995 , Donnah Winger involve baby Bailey on a trip to Florida to visit Donnah ’s family . After the sojourn , the two flew into the St. Louis aerodrome and hopped in a cab drive by Roger Harrington for the two - hour ride back to Springfield .
During the course of the crusade , Harrington reportedly began dally with Donnah and talking about drug and orgy . Detective Charlie Cox , a law officer who investigate Donnah ’s demise , later on toldABC News , “ This gentleman commence opening up to Donnah about issue he was let . He had a voice in his head list Dahm … Dahm would tell him to do bad thing . Recently , Dahm was telling him to hurt hoi polloi . ”
After Donnah safely arrived home with Bailey , she telephone the transit company to make a formal complaint about Harrington ’s behavior , and the gadget driver was suspend .
Forensic FilesMark Winger lured Roger Harrington to his house and shot him twice in the head.
Donnah also told Mark about the experience , and though he play the part of the supportive married man and helped her file the complaint , it change by reversal out he had his own ulterior motives for doing so .
Just days later on , Mark invited Harrington to their home , perhaps under the pretense of helping him get his job back . On Aug. 29 , 1995 , the cab gadget driver wrote Mark ’s name , address , and a prison term on a chip of newspaper publisher in his machine , drive to the Wingers ’ home base and walk inside with a coffee cup and a ring of coffin nail — and was pullulate twice in the head .
Mark Winger then called 911 and enjoin the starter that he ’d just shoot a man who was killing his wife . He inform police that he ’d been take the air on the treadmill in the basement when he heard a commotion on a higher floor . He grabbed his gun , live on to look into , and found Harrington swinging a hammer at Donnah . In an effort to defend his wife , he ’d shoot the man doubly .
TheJJReportMark Winger married Rebecca Simic just 14 months after his wife’s death.
law arrived on the scene to discover that both Donnah and Harrington still had a weak pulse . Mark was in a back sleeping accommodation , rock back and off in entire shock .
Steve Weinhoeft , former Sangamon County assistant land attorney , told ABC News , “ Donnah was clinging to life . She had been hit no less than seven times in the head with a hammer . ”
Forensic FilesMark Winger lure Roger Harrington to his house and shot him twice in the head .
Tragically , both victims shortly succumbed to their injuries . After discover about Donnah ’s former run - in with Harrington and mind to Mark ’s version of consequence , constabulary closed the cause within days , name Roger Harrington as the culprit .
It seemed like Mark Winger was going to get aside with execution .
Mark Winger Quickly Moves On From His Wife’s Death And Starts A New Family
Mark Winger was now a individual father raising his infant daughter on his own . Donnah ’s family initially fly to Illinois to help out , but they could n’t stay , and they advise Mark hire a nursemaid .
In January 1996 , he encounter 23 - twelvemonth - onetime Rebecca Simic , who was explore for a nanny-goat job in the country . Simic toldWHAS11 , “ It just felt like Bailey was the one that really ask me the most … she had been through so much already at the age of three month . ”
Simic was wonderful with Bailey , and even Donnah ’s house concord that she was like an angel sent to help oneself Mark . While she felt a little uncomfortable in the home where two mass had died violently , she was dedicated to yield Bailey a good puerility despite the trauma of losing her female parent .
Mark helped Simic find at ease in her fresh role . After a few months , the two found themselves sharing conversation and a drinking glass of wine at the end of a long day .
Within the year , Simic was significant with Mark Winger ’s baby . The couple elope in Hawaii in October 1996 , just 14 months after Donnah ’s demise .
“ I retrieve asking him how he could move on so quickly , ” Simic afterwards recall , “ and he explained to me that when you have a good marriage it ’s natural for you just to require that again . ”
Mark sold the house where Donnah had died and moved his new married woman to the suburbs outside of Springfield . They had three children together , and Simic raised Bailey as her own girl . Though chaotic , their animation seemed almost stark . Mark was a loving partner and a very involved forefather .
That would all shortly change .
Mark Winger’s Former Mistress Comes Forward And Police Reopen Their Investigation
One daytime in other 1999 , Mark was feeling sick , and Simic took him to the pinch way in the hospital where Donnah had work before her dying . There , they visualize Donnah ’s best friend and cobalt - worker , DeAnn Schultz .
She seemed upset to see Mark , and Simic recalled that Schultz had acted funnily when she first come on as Bailey ’s nanny — as if she were pushing to abide involved in Bailey ’s living .
After they generate home , Mark noted that may not be the last they heard from her .
He was correct . In February 1999 , Schultz dropped a thunderclap on the constabulary — she and Mark had been make an affair before Donnah ’s death . At one point , he ’d remark to her that thing would be easy for them if Donnah was bushed . She told them that after Donnah ’s fateful drive with Roger Harrington , Mark said that he needed to get that driver to the house .
“ All you ’d necessitate to do is encounter the body ” , he told her .
Schultz never remember Mark Winger was serious , but when Donnah turn up dead shortly after , she knew he had done it . Mark had imperil her not to say anyone about the things he ’d aver , and she assay suicide several prison term while struggling with her guilt . After seeing him in the hospital , she decide she could n’t keep quiet any longer .
TheJJReportMark Winger married Rebecca Simic just 14 calendar month after his wife ’s death .
After pick up Schultz ’s story , police force determine to take a closer spirit at the grounds from the 24-hour interval of the murders . The more they think about what they ’d once assumed was an heart-to-heart - and - shut cause , the more questions they had .
Why were there no signs of thrust entry into the Winger home that August day ? Why would Roger Harrington convey his coffee cup and cigarettes into the star sign with him if his plan was to attack Donnah ? And why would he use the winger ’ hammer as a weapon when he had a tire iron and a knife in his cable car ?
Then , police detective came upon three never - before - seen Polaroid photos ask the twenty-four hour period of the murder . They ’d been with the evidence collected in a civic courtship Mark Winger had file against the transportation company that had engage Harrington . The place of the bodies in the exposure showed that Mark ’s version of events was not potential .
“ Mark Winger had say that Roger Harrington was kneeling down properly next to Donnah Winger ’s oral sex , and he was beating her with a pounding , ” Weinhoeft explain . “ He stated that he blast him and that the man fell back , so that his substructure remained near Donnah ’s head . In reality , the Polaroids photographs show the exact opposite . ” line spatter experts agreed .
Cox told ABC , “ I was ashamed of the way of life the probe went . I hurt Roger Harrington ’s family . I ran his name through hell for no reason . I mean , he was an impeccant victim . ”
On Aug. 23 , 2001 , Mark Winger was indicted for the slaying of Donnah Winger and Roger Harrington .
At trial in May 2002 , a visibly wonky DeAnn Schultz testify against Mark . concord toCBS News , the royal court granted her immunity in exchange for her testimony , though there was no evidence link her to anything other than keeping Mark ’s awful secret .
Mark Winger was sentenced to life in prison house without the possibility of watchword .
Four years later , he was sentence to an extra 35 years in prison house when he tried to hire a gunman to kill DeAnn Schultz for testifying against him . He also attempted to put out a collision against a puerility booster who had refused to pay his bond .
Rebecca Simic was pass on to make sense of the tragedy . She ’d had no idea what Mark was capable of , and after the trial run she actuate her four children out of Springfield in social club to feel safe . While Mark had tried to keep Bailey off from Donnah ’s family , Simic encourage them to be reunited .
“ We ’d been hurt a sight by the same individual , ” Simic said . “ But it did n’t break us . ”
After learning how Mark Winger almost got away with two-fold execution , read aboutRichard Klinkhamer , the man who vote out his wife and wrote a book about it . Then , discover howJohn List , murder his category in insensate blood and then disappeared .
