Invitation to a Murder 48 Hours

by Zimmerman, Gail Abbott

• ISBN13: 9781416546597
• ISBN10: 1416546596
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-10-28
• Publisher: Pocket Books

Summary

WAS HE A LOVING, PROTECTIVE HUSBAND? OR A COLD, CALCULATING KILLER?TV's48 Hours Mysteryunravels the lethal secrets inside a seemingly perfect marriage -- and behind a chilling double homicide."My wife is dying on the floor! Please, please come help!" The frantic 911 call sent emergency units racing to a tidy brick home in suburban Springfield, Illinois. Beautiful, vivacious Donnah Winger had been bludgeoned to death by a male intruder; her attacker was fatally shot by Donnah's husband, Mark. In the aftermath of the horrific home invasion, family and friends rallied around Mark, a wellliked and respected nuclear scientist, and the infant daughter he and Donnah had just adopted; some even called him a hero.But one rookie detective didn't buy Mark Winger's version of the grisly events of that August afternoon. After four years of relentless investigation, a closed case is reopened, and fragments of truth -- including shocking new witness testimony -- come together to reveal how Mark Winger turned a chance meeting with a troubled young man into the almost seamless killing of his own wife, with anInvitation To A Murder.

Table of Contents

Introduction

A Cry for Help

A Model Couple

A New Arrival

Photo Op

Intruder

Friends and Family

Glorious Days

Ceremonies

Case Closed

Decisions

Discrepancies

Healing

Changes

New Home

Civil Matters

Something Stinks

Lucky Breaks

Coming Clean

A New Theory

Blood Trail

Sad Anniversary

In Full Color

Elusive Witness

Probable Cause

Countdown to Trial

Presumed Innocent

The Other Woman

State of Mind

Speaking Out

An Intricate Plot

Insurance

Author's Note

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

1 A Model CoupleMark and Donnah Winger were newlyweds when they left Hollywood, Florida, for Illinois in 1989. Donnah knew she'd be homesick for her family, but Mark, a nuclear engineer, had a job offer that was too good to pass up. They eventually settled into a modest four-bedroom redbrick ranch house on a tree-lined street a few miles west of the sites famously associated with Abraham Lincoln. Donnah loved hearing the sounds of children playing in nearby yards. Both she and Mark were eager to have a family of their own.Donnah had an unshakable commitment to family. She was close to her two younger sisters. Her best friend was her mother, Sara Jane Drescher, whom Donnah included in every aspect of her life."She would tell meeverything,"Sara Jane told48 Hourscorrespondent Richard Schlesinger.Back when Donnah was single, the men she dated may have found her a little more old-fashioned than they expected her to be. A striking beauty with thick, dark wavy hair, she dressed in the latest fashions. Her disarming smile and slim, athletic build all but guaranteed an active social life. But her vivacious spirit and willingness to have a good time belied her traditional nature."She did not have a history of appropriate young men in her life," Sara Jane said.Donnah did not consider any of the men she dated to be worthy of becoming part of her family, until, at age twenty-four, she met Mark Winger.At the time, Donnah was a surgical assistant in a busy hospital. The training had been rigorous, requiring an ability to concentrate throughout lengthy, tedious procedures. Donnah persevered, overcoming a learning disability that made it hard for her to study written material. Her heart was set on having a job that would have a positive impact on peoples' lives. She had developed a strong passion -- and stomach -- for the medical profession."Mom, I had the most incredible morning," Donnah once enthusiastically told Sara Jane during a break. "I did an amputation. It was fabulous!" She hung up, saying it was time for her lunch."If she didn't have the learning disability, she would have been a physician, because she just had that instinct to know the right thing to do at the right time," Sara Jane said.One day at work, Greg Winger, a nurse anesthetist, told Donnah that his brother, Mark, had just returned from a year in Korea. Mark had been an army lieutenant and had a degree in physics from the Virginia Military Institute. He thought Donnah would like Mark and offered to fix them up. Donnah had reservations and, as always, turned to her mother for advice."How bad could it be? Just go."Mark Winger exceeded all of Donnah's expectations. He was soft-spoken and polite. His round glasses and bushy eyebrows gave him a bit of a goofy look, but, like Donnah, he kept himself fit. He was five foot ten, but his broad shoulders and soldier's posture gave him a taller appearance. Donnah was struck by his intelligence and wry sense of humor. Even that first night he easily made her laugh.Mark did not expect his blind date to be so attractive. He was drawn to Donnah's large brown eyes and the way they made him feel important. He also liked Donnah's lack of guile. The party was a blast, he thought, but the best moment came when he walked her to her car. There was the inevitable awkward silence when she turned to him before leaving. What should he say? Should he kiss her? Wave good-bye? Before he could do anything, Donnah spoke up."I had a great time," she said, adding bluntly, "I knew I'd like you from the moment we met."Mark stumbled his way through a response but let Donnah know that the feeling was mutual."We kissed good-bye," Mark said, seemingly savoring the moment. "It seemed to linger long after it was done." There was no turning back.He told his family she was a breath of fresh air. He had never met anyone like her."You could tel