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Donnah Winger was killed in her Springfield, Illinois, home on August 29, 1995. Her husband, Mark Winger, initially reported that he had shot an intruder who was assaulting her. He reported that the assailant was Roger Harrington, a shuttle driver whom Donnah had already reported for inappropriate behavior.
Based on this report and other information available at the time, the police did not suspect Mark of anything. But years later, fresh evidence and witness statements resulted in a re-investigation. The results showed that Mark had orchestrated the murders of Donnah and Roger. Investigators found that Mark had invited Roger to their house under pretenses and murdered both him and Donnah.
In 2002, he was found guilty of two first-degree murders and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. The case of Donnah Winger is the focus of Bad Romance season 2 episode 2, which aired on April 1, 2025, on ABC.
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Five important facts regarding Donnah Winger's homicide
1) Donnah Winger complained about Roger Harrington
According to The Cinemaholic, Donnah Winger had gone to Florida with her young daughter and returned on August 23, 1995. She took a shuttle service from the airport and later complained to her husband that the driver, Roger Harrington, had been making her uncomfortable.
According to her, he discussed inappropriate subject matters, such as drugs and orgies. Mark Winger made a complaint to the shuttle firm, resulting in Roger's suspension. Barely a week later, Roger was discovered dead in the Winger residence together with Donnah.
2) Mark Winger claimed self-defense
According to The Cinemaholic, Mark Winger called 911 on August 29, 1995, and reported shooting an intruder. He said he heard a commotion in his house while working out in his basement. He ran upstairs and got his gun, and Roger was attacking Donnah Winger with a hammer, so he shot Roger in self-defense, according to Mark.
Authorities at first believed Mark. Roger had a prior record of mental problems, and a piece of paper containing the Wingers' address was discovered in his automobile, so it appeared as if he had visited the residence without an invitation. Without any conflicting testimony then, Mark was not charged.
3) A new witness led to the case being reopened
According to The Cinemaholic, DeAnn Schultz, Donnah Winger's best friend, brought the case in a different direction with new evidence in 1999. She confessed to having been involved in an affair with Mark before Donnah's murder. Schultz spoke about how Mark had mentioned wanting to kill Donnah and discussed the means to achieve it.
Her testimony led the investigators to reopen the case. They reviewed forensic evidence, witness testimonies, and blood-spatter evidence that were not thoroughly examined during the original investigation.
4) Forensic evidence contradicted Mark Winger's story
According to The Cinemaholic, an examination of the forensic evidence revealed discrepancies in Mark's version of what had taken place. Experts in blood spatter concluded that the positioning of Donnah Winger and Roger's bodies was not as described by Mark. Analysis indicated Mark had been the one holding both the gun and the hammer.
The investigators also uncovered proof that Mark had invited Roger to the house. A tape-recorded phone call between Roger and Mark attested to the fact that Mark had invited him over. This contradicted what Mark had testified to, saying that Roger dropped by unexpectedly and was the attacker.
5) Roger Harrington was invited to the Winger Home
According to The Cinemaholic, police found that Roger Harrington had not come to the Winger residence uninvited. Rather, Mark Winger had called Roger and asked him to come over, producing a note with his address as evidence. The note was discovered in Roger's car when he died.
A taped telephone conversation between Mark and Roger also corroborated this assertion. Investigators also found that Mark had invited Roger to his home under false pretenses with the intention of making Roger his scapegoat for Donnah's murder. This information was instrumental in establishing that Mark had premeditated the murders.
Donnah Winger's murder was first thought to be the work of an intruder, but subsequent evidence revealed that her husband, Mark Winger, had plotted the crime. He was eventually convicted in 2002 and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Important facts that resulted in his conviction were forensic discrepancies and DeAnn Schultz's witness testimony.
