Church of Christ's Preacher's Wife Confesses to His Murder

Police have not yet revealed a motive, but Tennessee Bureau of Investigation have indicated that she clearly had one. And authorities will not comment on whether she has accused him of abuse of some kind.

This is a horrific tragedy. There's no denying it. But... it will be interesting to hear and understand the truth as it is made known.

After shooting her husband in the parsonage in Selmer, Tennessee, Mary Winkler loaded her three daughters into their minivan and drove them to Orange Beach, Alabama, where she rented a condo on the beach. The were found and she was arrested as they left a restaurant.

She agreed to be returned to Tennessee and her daughters, Breanna (1), Mary Alice (6), and Patricia (8) have been remanded to the custody of their paternal grandparents.

I have some personal, deep and long standing experience with the Church of Christ.

I was once told by a Christian who studies these things, that children raised in the Church of Christ were documented to have suffered a much higher instance of emotional, physical and sexual abuse, than other Christian 'denominations'.

I want to make it clear that I suffered no physical or sexual abuse as a result of my upbringing in the Church, however, the emotional consequences have proven, to this point in my life, almost impossible to overcome. I've come to understand and accept that I could never measure up to what is expected in the Church for a child, a girl, a woman, or a wife.

It is the Image of God that I deal with now. Is He loving? Or is He damning? Is He a God that created me as I am and understands me? Or a God that punishes me? My heart says one, my upbringing another.

Irregardless, I have no personal knowledge of this case. It will, however, be interesting to see how this story unfolds. It is just so sad. There are three young children who will suffer, irregardless. I pray for God's blessings and reassurances upon them.

Murderess? Or Protector? Time will tell. And I believe Truth will be told.