Winkler ‘ Will she kill again? – Local experts weigh in on controversial question

Will convicted killer Mary Winkler be violent again? That’s been a topic of local and national debate after she was released last week from a mental health facility following 60 days of treatment.

The question has provided coffee shop conversation here in Warren County where it appears Winkler is making her home. It also made ‘The Today Show’ on Thursday with host Meredith Vieira talking to mental health experts about Winkler.

‘We can’t give Mary Winkler, in my opinion, any kind of clean bill of health that she won’t be violent in the future,’ psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow said on the show.

With that statement in mind, the Standard asked three local mental health experts with over 85 years of combined experience about Winkler and the likelihood or her being violent ‘ or even killing ‘ again. The counselors all stressed they haven’t evaluated Winkler personally, but spoke in general terms about people who commit violent acts.

‘You have to look at her history. If she went 30 or so years as being non-violent, I don’t know if it will happen again,’ said Eben Gilbert, who spent 22 years at Taft Youth Center counseling the most violent teen offenders in the state. ‘If there’s no history of her hurting her children, no history of hurting her husband before this, I don’t know if there’s cause for concern.

‘Obviously there was some deep-seated conflict within her that moved from her mind into her actions. It doesn’t mean that’s going to happen again. It would be interesting to know if she typically has violent thoughts about people who frustrate her.’

Randy Johnson, who has spent 25 years in psychiatry and works locally at Generations, expressed similar sentiments. Johnson says human behavior is habitual and it’s key to look at history.

‘Anyone with a history of violence is considered more at risk for future acts of violence,’ said Johnson. ‘You could take the whole universe of people who have committed violent acts and group them together and statistically they are more likely to commit another violent act than the group who hasn’t. I don’t know if it requires an advanced degree to reach that conclusion.’

Judith Roney has spent 40 years as a mental health counselor and believes Winkler’s actions are isolated.

‘She doesn’t look or act the part,’ said Roney. ‘I wouldn’t be afraid of her one bit. And I don’t think she’ll be an unfit mother.’

Roney says people can exhibit uncharacteristic behavior, especially when tension builds over many years. She said feelings of desperation can develop after years of verbal or physical abuse. And she added that some of the worst cases she has dealt with involve preachers.

‘A minister’s household doesn’t have an outlet,’ said Roney. ‘They always have to present themselves to look like everything is fine. But they have problems just like everybody else, sometimes worse.’

Roney said her years of experience have taught her to treat every case individually. ‘I don’t think in black and white anymore,’ she said. ‘Obviously most people in her situation don’t kill.’

In ‘The Today Show’ interview, Ablow raised the question of Winkler’s mental health treatment, saying 60 days is not enough to get to the root of her problems.

‘What I would hope is next for her is some sort of insight and healing that would help her understand that this violence is still somewhere potentially inside her,’ Ablow said. ‘We don’t have a good explanation for why Mary Winkler killed her husband.’