Where is Mark Winger now? Details explored ahead of Bad Romance: A Special Edition of 20/20
The upcoming episode of Bad Romance: A Special Edition of 20/20 is all set to bring the puzzling murder of Donnah Winger at the hands of her husband, Mark Winger, to the fore. The case dates back to 1995 but has remained relevant for the many twists it saw till the case's ultimate resolution.
This case will be the subject of Bad Romance: A Special Edition of 20/20 season 2 episode 2, which premieres at 10 pm EST on April 1, 2025, on ABC. The synopsis for the episode reads:
"Soon after adopting a baby girl, a young mother is found brutally murdered; three crime scene photos hold the key to unmasking the killer."
Mark Winger almost got away with the murder of his wife after he managed to immaculately organize a story that would have gotten him off the hook. But a twist in the story four years after the murder ultimately led to his arrest and eventual punishment.
Who is Mark Winger and what did he do?
Mark Winger was born on November 26, 1962, in Elyria, Ohio. He attended Elyria High School and grew up alongside two siblings. He later went on to study physics at the Virginia Military Institute.
He also served in the US Army and was later hired by a laboratory instrument manufacturing firm in Florida. In the late 1980s, his brother set him on a blind date with Donnah Ellen Brown. The two hit it off immediately and decided to get married six months later. They adopted a baby daughter on June 1, 1995.
Shortly after, on August 29, 1995, Mark Winger called 911. The authorities arrived to find Donna Winger dead from being bludgeoned with a claw hammer. There was also the dead body of Roger Harrington, who, as Mark claimed, killed his wife. He allegedly killed Roger in self-defense. He managed to weave a near-perfect story, which gives an insight into how meticulous the plan really was.
But it all came crashing down four years later when DeAnn Schultz, Donnah's best friend, finally opened her mouth.
Where is Mark Winger now?
Something seemed off with Mark from the very start. For one, he kept asking about the case even after it was declared shut. He also married his young daughter's new nanny, Rebecca Simic, within months of the murder and moved on with her. But there was no tangible proof that he had done anything, that is until the authorities decided to look again.
Four years after the murder, DeAnn Shultz came forward and informed the police that she was having an affair with Mark at the time Donnah died. She also claimed that he had allegedly told her he wanted Donnah out of the picture.
This new information prompted authorities to look again. They found clues that Mark Winger was behind the murder. The position of the dead bodies, for instance, was not in line with Mark's accounts of the events. Moreover, Harrington's car revealed evidence that Mark had invited him to the house, contrary to the story he had told the authorities about Harrington wanting revenge.
All this finally culminated in his arrest. In 2002, Mark was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He also tried to arrange two murders from inside the prison, which included DeAnn Shultz. He was sentenced to an additional 35 years for this.
He remains incarcerated at the Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mount Sterling.
The upcoming episode of Bad Romance: A Special Edition of 20/20 will shed light on this case in detail.
