Donnah Winger
Mark Winger murdered his wife Donnah and a shuttle driver he lured to their home, staging it to look like a break-in. He was a hero until a friend went to police years later.
- Status
- Conviction
- Type
- Homicide
- Date
- August 29, 1995
- Location
- Springfield, Illinois
- Age
- 31
- Gender
- Female
- Decade
- 1990s
- Open
- Partly resolved
- Charges or trial
- ClosedConviction
At least one person was convicted in connection with the case.
Case background and investigation
On August 29, 1995, Mark Winger called 911 claiming that a shuttle driver named Roger Harrington had broken into his Springfield, Illinois home and was beating his wife Donnah with a hammer. Mark said he shot Harrington to save Donnah.
Donnah died from her injuries. Mark was hailed as a hero—a husband who tried to save his wife. He collected insurance money and remarried.
Four years later, Mark's friend DeAnn Schultz went to police. She revealed that Mark had been having an affair with her and had expressed a desire to get rid of Donnah. She also disclosed that Mark had deliberately lured Harrington to the house.
Investigation confirmed the scheme: Mark had killed Donnah himself with the hammer, then lured Harrington to the house and shot him to create a cover story. Winger was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life.
Timeline
-
August 29, 1995Donnah Winger and Roger Harrington killed.
-
May 29, 2002Mark Winger convicted of two counts of first-degree murder; later sentenced to life without parole.
Sources
References used for this entry. ColdCaseIndex is an index of public information. To report an error, email info@coldcaseindex.com.
About this entry
This case is recorded as conviction and is kept in the index for its historical and investigative significance. At least one person was convicted in connection with the case.
To report an error on this page, email info@coldcaseindex.com.
Entry last updated September 29, 2026.
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