In August 1995, Mark Winger called 911 from his Springfield, Illinois home. His wife, Donnah, had been brutally attacked by an intruder brandishing a hammer. Mark intervened, shooting the man dead. Police ruled the shooting a justifiable homicide. The case was closed, and Mark was labeled a hero. There was little reason to question what had happened inside that house. But years later, the thoroughness and credibility of that investigation would be called into question.

Listen to Part 2 today on Patreon

Today's snack: Horseshoe sandwich

Sources:

• https://widbroward.org/donate/donnahs-fund/ Donate to Donnah’s Fund
• Zimmerman, Gail Abbott. (2008). Invitation to a Murder: A 48 Hours Mystery. Pocket Books. 
• https://www.disneyplus.com/play/6e97ad69-2376-4080-b67d-d3a5f4b62bc8 20/20
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v36N6KzSTlQ 48 Hours
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/1320398215/?match=5&terms=Mark%20Winger%20Donnah&search-id=64058766-15f5-4a37-a8cc-f9ee0b8bdcbe&search-rank=1
• https://www.timesunion.com/hudsonvalley/realestate/article/FDRs-grandparents-home-for-sale-in-Newburgh-16792142.php Sara Jane’s old home
• https://patents.justia.com/inventor/robert-saul-brown
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167032390/donnah_ellen-winger/photo#view-photo=143000701
• https://medium.com/@grantbjork92/mark-winger-imitation-hero-a2cd12c079a2
• https://abc7.com/post/mark-winger-case-abc-2020-the-perfect-lie-rebecca-simic/10522876/
• https://www.newspapers.com/image/1321518778/?match=14&terms=Mark%20Winger&search-id=c605f23f-5100-45d4-9e65-35edcc85afca&search-rank=1
• https://www.alexander-levittfunerals.com/obituaries/ira-drescher/obituary
• https://www.illinoiscourts.gov/Resources/e703b7f7-994b-456b-96f2-6c90d09bd3ca/4131113_R23.pdf