The Median Sib

(Update, 6/12/06 - for new information on the Winkler case, click here) 

As most bloggers are prone to do, I like to check my site meter to see who’s reading THE MEDIAN SIB and what brought them here.  It amazes me the information one can gain about blog visitors by reviewing the site meter.  It fascinates me to see the search words people have used on Google, MSN or Yahoo that brought them to TMS. 

For the past four weeks, upwards of 50 or more times a day people have visited TMS because of an internet search for “Mary Winkler motive”, “Winkler Love Child”,  ”Church of Christ minister murdered by wife” or other combinations of words/phrases on that topic.

Mary Winkler shot and killed her husband, Matthew Winkler, a month ago, and I wrote several posts about it. (The other posts are listed at the end of this post).  After the last post, I wrote that I was tired of the topic.  It had been discussed up one side and down the other.   However, four weeks later, each time I check ”by search words” on my site meter, I see that the interest in the story hasn’t waned much since it happened. THE MEDIAN SIB is still getting dozens of hits a day from that topic.  And people are still leaving comments on those weeks-old posts.

Such interest begs the questions: What makes that particular story so intriguing to people?  Why are so many people still searching for information about it? 

I think it is a combination of the facts that (1)Matthew Winkler was not only a minister but a Church of Christ minister - not a lot of ministers are murdered by their wives, (2)The Winklers gave the impression of being very happy - everyone who knew them has talked of how shocked they are about it - no warning signs that anyone noticed; (3)Many people speculate about whether or not the beliefs of the Church of Christ had any impact on Mary’s actions; (4)The murder seemed so out of character for a quiet and respectable person like Mary Winkler; (5)There has been little in the news about the case the past few weeks; and (6)Mary Winkler has declined to make public her reasons for shooting her husband. 

I think the most important reason that the story has held people’s interest for so long is item #6 above.  If we knew WHY she did it, then people could let it go.  We’ll learn soon enough.  Until then, people will continue to search through the internet to find more information in order to try to make sense out of the senseless.  And I will continue to check my site meter from time to time to see just how long this interest will continue. 

Previous posts:  Tennessee Church of Christ Minister Murdered by Wife - No wonder?,  Mary Winkler - Motive? Tragedy!, My Cruel, Callous and Mean-Spirited Opinion about the Winkler Murder Case,  Women’s Place in the Church - Is the Church of Christ right? (Winkler post follow-up),