We really ARE morons.

[Jason Pham]

Wife who killed preacher set free - CNN.com

Cliffs:
Mary Winkler, 33, is out of custody
She shot her preacher husband in the back with a shotgun in March 2006
She was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, served less than a year
She now faces a legal battle with her in-laws over children, husband's death

All she had to do with bitch about being verbally and physically abused for a while and she gets away with shooting her husband in the back ?! Spends 7 months in jail ?! That's it ?! And now she's fighting to get her custody of her kids ?! This is just moronic.

How many freaking points do we need, because someone should start accumulating their verbal and physical abuse points so they can go gunning after her and have an 'emotional trial' and get away with it.

 

[NDChatt]

I am ashamed to say that I live in tn.

 

[NDboy15]

Thats messed up.

 

[portlaNDgal]

I've volunteered with domestic violence victims for over 10 years. Day after day, year after year of physical/mental/emotional abuse can drive a person to desperate acts. This woman may have truly felt her life was in danger. He may have threatened her life at another time. If the violence had escalated over the years, she may have only looked a short time into the future and thought she was going to die.

I do not know the particulars of this woman's case; I know it was in the news but didn't follow the details. Maybe this minister had a reputation for being a wonderful person. But, you can't say "well everyone else thought he was the greatest guy so her story can't be true." Domestic abuse is often very secret. Not every abuser is a jerk in public; some put on a great show. Since a big part of the abuse is telling the victm she's worthless, often the victim feels too ashamed to confide in anyone. Especially a minister's wife--If she can't go to her clergyman for help, who is she supposed to go to. If she had children (and already felt horrible about herself due to the abuse) she may have been afraid to leave if he threatened to take her children away.

Again, I'm not saying this woman's story of abuse is true. I'm also not saying she should be out of jail. She did take his life and there should probably be some kind of consequences. But if she is telling the truth, the situation is not necessarily as cut and dried as "she shot the guy and she needs to fry."

 

[Jason Pham]

Perhaps it's my limited experience with domestic abuse victims but I still cannot justify the act of murder in this case. I do feel that we live in a society where we are obliged to place blame on something or someone tangible out of some need to feel in control of the situation, but I also feel that too many pass off the responsibility of their actions due to some circumstance they were in. Frankly, it's dehumanizing, the way I see it, to say she didn't have any other choice. I come from the existential train of thought that one always has a choice but I understand not everyone buys into that.

 

[portlaNDgal]

Perhaps it's my limited experience with domestic abuse victims but I still cannot justify the act of murder in this case. I do feel that we live in a society where we are obliged to place blame on something or someone tangible out of some need to feel in control of the situation, but I also feel that too many pass off the responsibility of their actions due to some circumstance they were in. Frankly, it's dehumanizing, the way I see it, to say she didn't have any other choice. I come from the existential train of thought that one always has a choice but I understand not everyone buys into that.

I see your point(s) and am not saying she shouldn't have some kind of consequence. Like you, I also believe in personal responsibility. I'm saying that it's not black and white, and her circumstances, if true, should mitigate those consequences somewhat.

 

[leprechaun4life]

I believe the law states that the only way you can justify murder as self-defense is if your life is truly threatened and if there is not other option, such as, fleeing the house to stay with family and friends while your spouse etc. calms down. I don't think pointing a shotgun at someone is a very good way to get them to talk about something.

 

[portlaNDgal]

I believe the law states that the only way you can justify murder as self-defense is if your life is truly threatened and if there is not other option, such as, fleeing the house to stay with family and friends while your spouse etc. calms down. I don't think pointing a shotgun at someone is a very good way to get them to talk about something.

A diagnosis of Battered Woman's Syndrome is similar, although not exactly the same as, a self defense argument. Don't know for sure, I'm not a lawyer or law enforcement officer.

 

[onenybrother]

I watch my pop's pound on my mom. Countless time, for know reason. It took her picking up a knife and trying to kill his ass, for him to pick his shyt up and go. Let's not judge this woman, until we know all of the facts.

 

[Jason Pham]

Was she in a shoddy situation ? Undoubtedly, people don't just pick up a shotgun and pull the trigger into someone's back without cause. However, I'm still not buying into justifying murder as the best case scenario to go about doing your business. And while I am all for the treatment of those who need the counsel and I would support some mitigated consequences, I find it a tad strange and a bit much that someone could get off with seven months of time for murder and still be in the mix for getting custody of their children immediately after release.

 

[kjones]

We just always blame someone/something else. That's how our society works now. It's all the liberals fault. (Irony)

 

[SillyIrish]

She was convicted of voluntary manslaughter, served less than a year

She wasnt charged with murder so we don't have the whole story here. I have dealt with and will deal with countless dometic disputes. Most times its bull shit but every now and then u get a time where the woman has actually been abused for years. I would venture to say that most woman who are beaten senseless for years don't contact the police but just let is stew until, BANG!!! they had enough.

 

[Jason Pham]

I didn't say she wasn't a victim. Clearly, you don't pick up a shotgun with the intent to kill without having issue. And regardless of what she was charged with, you don't pick up a gun, point it to someone's back and pull the trigger without malicious aforethought which by definition is murder.

But that is all besides the point which is that I do not understand how someone who clearly has issues, issues that lead to a homicide, is able to be released after serving 7 months and also be seriously considered for custody at this point in time. It just seems to me that everyone is giving her the 'it's okay' because she was in a shoddy situation and it gave her the right to do what she did.