Bad Romance: A Special Edition of 20/20 is all set to delve into the 1995 murder of Donnah Winger at the hands of her husband, Mark Winger, who almost got away with the perfect crime. This case became a sensation at the time because the real murderer had almost convinced the authorities that he was also a victim in an attack where his wife was murdered.
The second episode of this season’s Bad Romance: A Special Edition of 20/20 will go over this case in detail when it airs on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, at 10 pm EST. 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.”
Ahead of this episode, let us go over what happened to Donnah Winger and who was behind it.
Who was Donnah Winger and what happened to her?
Born on November 10, 1963, to Sara Jane and Cash Brown in Florida, Donnah Ellen Brown was a co-worker of Mark Winger’s brother during the late 1980s. After his brother set up a blind date for him with Donnah, Mark started an affair with her and, within months, proposed marriage.
Donnah accepted this, and the two soon began their life together in Springfield, Illinois. The two soon decided to adopt a baby girl on June 1, 1995.
Shortly after this, tragedy struck the Wingers as Mark Winger called 911 on August 29, 1995, claiming that an intruder had broken into their home and killed his wife. He had shot the assailant dead after finding him beating Donnah with a claw hammer.
It turned out that the man who had allegedly killed Donnah was a shuttle driver named Roger Harrington, who had dropped Donnah home a few days before. Donnah Winger allegedly told her husband that Harrington had talked to her about inappropriate things, and Mark went on to complain about Harrington to the company.
As the police heard the testimony, it seemed like a clear case of a disgruntled employee who sought revenge from the ones who had complained against him. However, this was far from the truth.
Who killed Donnah Winger?
Years after the case was shut, a new development shook the foundation of Mark Winger’s perfectly crafted story. Though police had some suspicion about Mark, who was overly eager to get updates about the case and moved on pretty quickly with another woman and started a different family, they did not have a concrete reason to doubt him till a testimony from DeAnn Shultz, Donnah’s best friend.
She revealed that she had an affair with Mark Winger when Donnah Winger was killed. This new information probed the authorities to reopen the case and re-examine some clues. It turned out the positions of Donnah’s and Harrington’s bodies were inconsistent with Mark’s version of the events.
There were several other pieces of clues that also hinted that Mark was the one behind the murder. It was eventually revealed that Mark Winger had perfectly arranged a story and framed an innocent victim to get away himself.
He was ultimately found guilty of the murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The upcoming episode of Bad Romance: A Special Edition of 20/20 will cover this case in more detail. Stay tuned.
Edited by Sourav Chakraborty
