Married to a Murderer

The Murder of Donnah Winger

It’s easy to get lost in this case.  And once you know the victims well, it’s hard to not think about them constantly.  In the case of Donnah, I wonder where she’d be now if she was still alive.  In the case of Bailey, I wonder where she’d be if it weren’t for Rebecca.  And in the case of Rebecca, I wonder how she feels, how she reconciles that she was married to a murderer.  It’s been many years since the death of Donnah Winger.  29 years to be precise. 

Donnah & Mark

To anyone looking in from the outside, Mark and Donnah Winger appeared to have the picture-perfect life.  Donnah felt like she had met her match in Mark and Mark was welcomed into Donnah’s close-knit family – they were happy to share their lives with him.  A hard-working Jewish couple, Donnah and Mark married in 1989 and with Mark’s job as a nuclear power plant engineer, the couple moved to Springfield, Illinois.  Springfield felt like the perfect place to move for a young couple looking to expand their family.  Lying on the Sangamon River, it has a small town and suburban feel.  It’s safe and the relatively low cost of living is appealing, so it seemed ideal for the couple.  The Wingers made their home on Westview Drive.  Looking at pictures of the property, it’s leafy with wide avenues and you’d expect young children playing on their front lawns to appear at any moment.  Donnah and Mark soon ingratiated themselves and were popular within the local community and synagogue in Springfield.  Now, with a marriage and a move under their belts, the remaining question loomed.  Children.  And Donnah was desperate for children of her own. She was heartbroken when she learnt that this was not an option for her, she sadly could not have children.

But fate was seemingly on Donnah’s side.  At the hospital where she worked as an operating room technician, Donnah met a pregnant teenager who was keen to give up her baby for adoption. For Donnah, it seemed an impossibility not to bring this child into her home and life; and so, on 1^st June 1995, they welcomed little baby Bailey into their home.  Donnah immediately bonded with her, as if she was her very own flesh and blood. 

Donnah

Donnah is as you might imagine her to be.  Bright and smiling, kind, open and full of life and joy.  She’s exuberant, a breath of fresh air and people love to be around her.  If you look at photos of her, she’s always grinning.  Her dark almond eyes dance in front of you, she looks happy (especially in the photos where she’s with Bailey).  Which is what makes what happens next, even worse. 

The Murder

Tuesday, 29 August 1995, was a warm summer’s day in Springfield.  But the air turned ice cold in the Winger household at 4.27pm.  This was the time of Mark’s phone call to 911.  He was distraught.  Listening in on the call, he sounds hysterical, describing how he’s walked in on the scene of a nightmare.  He says he’s shot a man.  A man who has brutally attacked his wife with a hammer.  He says to the 911 operator that his wife’s ‘brains are everywhere’.    Mark says the intruder is ‘laying on the floor with a bullet in his head’ and ‘making weird sounds’.  He is describing the stuff of horror films.  He abruptly terminates the call at this point saying how his ‘baby is crying’ but that he’ll ‘be right back’.  In the next call we hear Mark saying that ‘my wife is dying’.  The ambulance is on the way.  It’s a tough call to listen to.  Mark keeps saying he wants to be with Donnah.  He sounds pained, out of breath and frantic.  Oddly the conversation reminds me a little of Michael Peterson’s 911 call (Michael Peterson was accused of his murdering his wife Kathleen in 2002). 

When the authorities arrive, they are met with a shocking crime scene.  Donnah is in a critical state.  She had been hit in the head seven times with a hammer.  The intruder had two gunshot wounds to the head and was identified at the scene as 27-year-old Roger Harrington. Roger too is in a critical state.  Both Donnah and Roger were rushed to hospital.  Roger died shortly after arrival at the hospital and Donnah never regained consciousness.  She died at the young age of 31.   

Back at the crime scene, the police noted that there was no sign of forced entry.  Mark explained to the police that he had been down in the basement on the treadmill when he’d heard a scuffle upstairs.  Upon walking in on the scene, he shot the man, who, he informed the police, was in the process of killing his wife.  The bloodied hammer used to kill Donnah was found at the crime scene.  It was believed to belong to the family.  Mark had shot Roger with his own handgun. 

Previous encounter with Roger Harrington

When the police revealed who the intruder was, Mark explained that the Wingers had had a previous encounter with Roger Harrington only six days earlier.  Donnah had been to visit her parents in Florida with baby Bailey.  To get back home to Springfield, she would fly to St Louis Missouri, where she would then be picked up by a driver to be driven back to Springfield.  So far, so good.  The drive home would take two hours.  Long enough to strike up a conversation.  And that’s just what Roger Harrington did.  Only problem was, it wasn’t the kind of conversation that a woman travelling on her own with a baby would want to have.  Roger made Donnah feel increasingly uncomfortable as he started opening up about himself.  How he had a voice in his head which told him to do bad things.  Bad things like killing people or setting car bombs.  How the ‘voice’ told him to hurt people.  Things got worse when Roger unashamedly started flirting with Donnah, saying he liked ‘older women’ and inviting her to join in on one of his wild sex parties.  He drove at increasing speeds up to 75mph.  By this point Donnah was horrified and wanting desperately to get home as soon as possible. 

Thankfully, Donnah and Bailey made it home in one piece.  Donnah told Mark about the incident, and he suggested she write this down in a ‘statement’ form lest they need to report it to the police at a later stage.  Mark also contacted the limousine company to report the interaction and file a complaint, whereby Roger was suspended.  Donnah received several strange phone calls at the house following the odd encounter. 

Later, police found Donnah’s handwritten note at the crime scene detailing line by line the frightful two-hour car journey with Roger.   

The Aftermath

At this point, it seemed a clear-cut case of self-defense.  Mark hadn’t done anything wrong, and he was broken by the death of his wife. Plus, Roger Harrington and his erratic character seemed a strong contender for this type of behaviour – he could have just snapped.   The police were keen not to put Mark through any more pain and the case was subsequently closed.  Mark had tried to save his wife and could only be seen as a ‘hero’. On the other hand, Roger’s family kept on insisting that he could not have done this.

In the wake of their daughter’s death, Donnah’s family went back and forth to Springfield to help take care of baby Bailey, who was still only a few months’ old.  They suggested that it might be worthwhile for Mark to employ a nanny to help him with the day-to-day responsibilities of taking care of Bailey. 

Who is Rebecca Simic?

In January 1996 a bright, charismatic young woman joined the Winger household as Bailey’s new nanny.  She was kind and beautiful and doted on Bailey.  She showered her with the affection she so desperately needed at this tender age and after the darkness of the last few months, Rebecca was a welcome new light in the lives of both Bailey and Mark.  During this time, Mark had also gone to the police station to retrieve his handgun that was used to shoot Roger.  He used this moment to enquire about the status of the case and something about this just seemed off to Homicide Detective Charlie Cox. 

In the following months, Mark and Rebecca spent time together raising Bailey and inevitably became close.  Unsurprisingly, they soon developed a romantic relationship. Rebecca was amazed at Mark’s courage, getting through such a difficult time in his life; she admired Mark and thought of him as a hero as he’d tried to save his wife when she was attacked, but was a little surprised that he’d been able to move on so quickly from the incident. 

Rebecca fell pregnant unexpectedly and Mark was elated and determined to marry her.  Following this, Mark converted to Christianity.  The couple had decided to elope and shortly after, Mark and Rebecca married in Hawaii.     

Donnah’s Family

Donnah’s mother Sara Jane and stepfather Ira were understandably heartbroken by the death of Donnah.  Just over a year after Donnah’s death, Mark began to interact less and less with Donnah’s family.  They had tried to maintain a long-distance relationship with both Mark and Bailey following the murders.  Mark told them he would be selling the house and asked Sara Jane that Bailey did not call her ‘Grandma’ any longer.  Donnah’s family were devastated but continued to send a birthday card to Bailey every year. 

Unanswered Questions  

Just as Roger Harrington’s family had questions about this murder, so did Detective Doug Williamson.  It seemed odd to him.  Why was there no sign of forced entry? He also had doubts about Mark’s account of the events.  Why on earth would Donnah leave her baby alone on her bed and open the door to Roger Harrington (a man she he’d an awful encounter with).  Also, why had Roger parked the other way – against traffic?  Why was a note found on the front seat of Roger’s car with Mark’s name on it, the address and ‘4.30pm’?  None of it made sense.  Detective Doug Williamson just didn’t buy the heroic husband story. 

An Unexpected Development

Three and half years after Donnah’s death, in 1999, DeAnn Schultz could take it no more.  She was so tired of carrying this burden on her own.  She walked into the police station in Springfield and told them what she’d been bottling inside for the longest time.  She’d been having an affair with Mark Winger at the time Donnah was killed and Mark had made some strange and incriminating statements to De Ann before Donnah’s murder.  Things like ‘it would be easier if Donnah just died’.  He had wanted his wife out of the way so he could carry on with his affair which had started just a short month before Donnah was killed.  Mark had even spoken about Roger Harrington saying that he ‘had to find a way of getting him into their house.’ 

DeAnn had been Donnah’s close friend.  This had weighed heavily on her for so long.  After the death of her friend, her life had become a mess.  She had even attempted suicide several times.  Coming forward could be her way of putting things right.    

Following the bombshell admission from DeAnn, police decided the case should be reopened.  There was a snag, however.  The case file was missing.  Police came to discover that the evidence once held on file was released to the Winger attorney who had been in the process of filing a civil lawsuit against BART Transportation (the company that Roger Harrington had worked for), attempting to hold the company liable for Donnah’s death. 

Nevertheless, the police persisted, and several aspects of the case were re-examined including why there was no sign of forced entry and why when Roger had potential weapons in his car, he would use a hammer belonging to the Wingers that just happened to be on the coffee table.  Why the car had been parked the wrong way (they felt this indicated that Roger did not try and hide the fact that he was parked outside the Winger home).  The greatest finding though was the newly discovered Polaroid photos that had been taken of the crime scene. These photos revealed the accurate positions of the bodies before they had been rushed off to hospital.  And they did not match up with Mark’s version of events. The photos showed both Roger and Donnah’s bodies lying in the same direction.  Which could not have been physically possible   - Roger’s head and feet would have had to be the opposite way if Mark’s description had been true.  Mark had said that Roger had fallen backwards of Donnah once he’d been shot.  He was however found in a completely different direction. 

In August 2001, six years after Donnah’s death, a Grand Jury formally indicted Mark Winger.  A warrant for his arrest was issued and he was arrested at work and held in police custody, awaiting trial. 

The Trial

In May 2002, Mark Winger’s trial began.  The prosecution put forward their theory that Mark had let Roger into the Winger household where Mark had shot him, at which point Donnah had rushed to see what had taken place and Mark had then bludgeoned his wife over the head with a hammer.  They believed that he then called 911.  The 911 call is also key because you can hear Roger moaning in the background on this call, but Mark says it’s his baby who he must attend to.  The owner of the limousine company testified at trial, stating how Mark had called the company to complain about Roger Harrington.  He had also wanted to speak to Roger which the owner found odd.  Nevertheless, he gave Mark Roger Harrington’s number.  It was during this conversation, that the 4.30pm appointment was made for the 25^th of August.  It was added that Roger Harrington did not enter the house armed at all, he was carrying cigarettes and a coffee cup.  Not really what you’d expect of a coldblooded killer.    

DeAnn Schultz also testified on behalf of the state, confirming that Mark had said that ‘life would be easier if Donnah were dead’.  DeAnn further testified that Mark had threatened her when she confronted him some years after the murder. 

The trial lasted almost a month and in June 2002 the verdict in the Winger trial was returned after the jury deliberated for 13 hours.  Mark was found guilty of two counts of murder in the first degree and was sentenced to life in prison without parole.  Donnah’s family were shocked and devastated that he could have done this to their beloved daughter.  To this day Mark Winger maintains his innocence.      

Further Accusations

In the spring of 2005, an inmate at the Pontiac Illinois prison came forward. The inmate alleged that Mark Winger had tried to involve him in a murder-for-hire plot.  It was claimed that Mark Winger had tried to arrange an elaborate plot to both kidnap and kill DeAnn Schultz, his former lover.  In this complex scheme, DeAnn would be forced to write statements saying that she had lied about Mark Winger’s involvement in the murder of Donnah and Roger.  Later that year, Mark was convicted in the murder-for-hire plot and was sentenced to an additional 35 years in prison.  Mark is currently serving his sentence at the Western Illinois Correctional Facility in Brown County. 

The effect on Rebecca Simic

Rebecca and Mark had married in 1996 and for a while life had been peaceful.  They had three children together apart from Bailey who was growing up to be a smart little girl.  All was well in their world.   

In an interview with 20/20, Rebecca recounts the stomach-churning turn of events on August 23 of 2001.  She recalls that she had been at the McDonalds Playland with the children and received a call from Mark’s secretary telling her that Mark had just been arrested. She had a visceral reaction to the news, she felt numb and sick. 

The news of Mark’s indictment in the murder of his first wife, Donnah, came completely out of the blue.  She had not expected this at all and had never suspected her husband could do this.  After all, he was the hero who had tried to save Donnah.  It rocked Rebecca’s world.  How could this possibly be happening?  The only thing to do, she felt, was to stand by her husband.  She felt she owed it to him.  The world around them was now crumbling and Rebecca felt isolated, lonely, and frightened.  She also felt increasingly judged as if she too was being accused of murdering Donnah and Roger.  People wanted to know – ‘how could she have not known?’  Bailey who by this time was six years’ old, was terrified. 

Rebecca remembers that she believed Mark would be coming home when the trial was over and tried to remain upbeat for the children.  When the guilty verdict came in, it was like the bottom had fallen out of her world for a second time. When Mark was sentenced, she too felt like she and the children were being sentenced.  She was losing her husband.  They were losing their father. 

The only thing left to do was to try and pick up the pieces.  Rebecca changed her and the children’s names and moved to Louisville, Kentucky to start a new life. 

Baby Bailey

In my mind’s eye, I still see Bailey as a little girl.  I still think of her as the terrified six-year-old whose father was jailed for the murder of her mother.  The little girl who consequently grew up without a father.  But now, she is very much a grown woman.  And this story has probably been her most difficult to tell.  She is undoubtedly so grateful to the woman who became her mother, Rebecca.  The woman who took care of her as her own, despite so much tragedy and pain.  It’s also a great source of comfort to know that Bailey has reunited with Donnah’s family.  There is light at the end of this very dark tunnel. Even murderous Mark Winger could not eliminate the love and connectedness of family. 

Case Analysis

This case reeks of an escalated domestic violence scenario.  The classic wolf in sheep’s clothing.  The man who presents himself as a superhero – a loving husband and father when in fact he is a killer hiding behind a mask.  A coward who won’t even properly disentangle himself from his marriage in a bid to start a new life.  And we have a kind, loving woman who died as a result and two other strong, caring women who paid the price for loving a man who was nothing but a killer.  A man who was cold and calculating in his motivations, who duped everyone around him and even sought to gain financially from the incident. 

Going Forward

Donnah’s family has set up ‘Donnah’s Fund’ in her memory which aims to assist abused women by providing shelter for them. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please contact your nearest shelter or abuse help centre ASAP. 

We hold space for Donnah Winger in our thoughts.   

Sources:         48 Hours news article – ‘Invitation to Murder’ – 2009

                        ABC news article – 2021

                        Crime Library. Org – Murder by the Book, Murder by Deception

                        State Journal Register article – 2021