Opposing Viewpoints – It?s hard for a man to be intimidating in his sleep

On two separate occasions, Mary Winkler confessed to murdering her husband ? and she was found with the murder weapon in her possession. This makes for a challenging defense to say the least.

About the only option defense attorneys have at their disposal is to paint murder victim Matthew Winkler in the worst possible light. Matthew Winkler has to appear like an ogre, like a man filled with rage who pushed his innocent wife over the edge, for Mary Winkler to have any chance at a sentence other than first or second-degree murder.

Thus, that?s exactly what the defense is doing, even going so far as to say Matthew Winkler had previously pointed a gun at his loving wife. In essence, the defense wants members of the jury to believe Matthew Winkler had it coming, that he deserved to be killed.

It?s true that there are extenuating or mitigating circumstances to every crime. A father who kills a home burglar is not the same as an armed robber who kills a convenience store clerk.

However, there are three facts which make it impossible to justify Mary Winkler?s actions: 1) she shot her husband in the back, 2) while he was sleeping, 3) in his very own bed.

Until the defense can find a way to overcome those three obstacles, I don?t see any way Winkler can be convicted of anything less than first-degree murder. There are thousands and thousands of spouses ? both men and women ? who feel trapped in bad relationships. That?s not an open invitation to kill.