Death Row Death
South Carolina Death Row Inmate Louis Michael Winkler Dies From Illness
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Key Points
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At the time of the 2006 killing, Winkler was out on bond for kidnapping, rape and assault charges involving his estranged wife.
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After the shooting, Winkler hid in a wooded area for about two weeks before police captured him.
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Winkler was convicted and sentenced to death in 2008, and had been on South Carolina’s Death Row since that conviction.
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Kirkland Correctional Institution has both a maximum-security unit and a 24-bed infirmary, where Winkler was pronounced dead.
South Carolina death row inmate Louis Michael Winkler, 66, died Monday morning at Kirkland Correctional Institution after an extended illness, Yahoo News reported. He was pronounced dead at 8:49 a.m. in the prison infirmary. Winkler had spent nearly two decades on death row after being convicted in 2008 of murdering his estranged wife, Rebecca Grainger Winkler, in 2006.
Winkler shot his estranged wife at close range in front of her teenage son after breaking into her home, Fort Mill Sun reported. He was also convicted of first-degree burglary and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
A Criminal Past Before the Fatal 2006 Shooting
At the time Winkler killed his estranged wife, he was out on bond facing serious charges. He had been charged with kidnapping, rape, and assault involving that same woman, WJBF reported. After shooting Rebecca in front of her son, Winkler fled and hid in a wooded area for approximately two weeks before police captured him.
Conviction and Nearly Two Decades on Death Row
Winkler was convicted in 2008 of first-degree murder and multiple other felonies, ArcaMax reported. He was sentenced to death and had been appealing his sentence while housed at Kirkland Correctional Institution. The prison contains both a maximum-security unit and a 24-bed infirmary where inmates can receive medical care.
Death Comes Without Execution
Winkler's death from natural causes ended a nearly 18-year wait on death row. While Yahoo News noted the extended illness that led to his death, prison officials did not disclose the specific illness or medical condition. The state Department of Corrections confirmed the death and ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause.
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