Winkler granted child visitation – First visit with daughters scheduled next Saturday

That was the ruling issued Wednesday in Huntingdon by Carroll County Chancellor Ron Harmon, who granted Winkler limited supervised visitation with the girls.

His decision came after a day of court filled with conflicting testimony from psychologists about the safety and prudence of having Winkler visit her girls, Patricia, 9, Mary Alice, 8, and Brianna, 2.

‘I don’t consider her a significant risk of hurting herself or others, including the children,’ said Lynne Zager, a forensic psychologist. Zager also testified on Winkler’s behalf during her trial.

But the opinion expressed by Dr. Robert Kennon was far different. Kennon testified that he evaluated Patricia just five days ago and said the girl expressed fear of seeing her mother again.

Kennon said Patricia told him, ‘She killed my father. I don’t know if she will kill me.’

Winkler was convicted of voluntary manslaughter in April for killing her preacher husband, Matthew Winkler, with a shotgun while he slept. She was charged with first-degree murder.

The polarized testimony during the child custody battle mirrors the extreme emotions surrounding Winkler. On one side, there is outrage Winkler received such a soft sentence. On the other side, there are people who sympathize with her and are supporting her financially.

Winkler said in court she’s renting a home in McMinnville from a friend for $150 a month. She also said she does not have to pay for food, medicine and other expenses because of friends who are helping her.

‘We can begin healing together and let God guide us,’ Winkler said in her testimony.

In issuing his ruling, Harmon said Tennessee law gives parents ‘paramount rights to children.’ Only a threat to their safety could prevent that, and it would have to be a real threat, Harmon said.

He granted Winkler phone contact every other day and said she could have supervised visitation for ‘a limited time under limited conditions.’ The attorneys will now work on proposals for visitation that will determine the time, place, dates, and duration of visits.

The judge asked to have the proposals by Monday. Harmon said the visitation will occur in or around Carroll County.

Dan and Diane Winkler, Mary’s former in-laws, have custody of the girls. They still have a pending suit seeking to terminate Mary Winkler’s parental rights and to adopt the children.

Mary Winkler first took the stand and spoke of her treatment in what she called a ‘group home’ to satisfy a portion of her sentence.

Dan Winkler testified that he still loves Mary, but is fearful of warnings from psychologists about her mental state. He said he also has noticed drastic changes in the children when they have visited their mother.

Zager testified she diagnosed Mary Winkler with having mild depression and post traumatic stress disorder. Winkler had a break with reality at the time she shot her husband, Zager testified.

That ailment stemmed from Winkler’s loss of her younger sister when she was 13. The illness had gone untreated until after Matthew Winkler’s death, Zager said.

Dr. Kennon expressed concern because of the longevity of Winkler’s disorder and because it resulted in someone’s death. He said only 30 percent of patients with the illness get better with medicine and treatment.

The Associated Press and Jackson Sun contributed to this report.