Dateline: Deadly Twist – 5 harrowing details about Rachel Winkler’s homicide, explored

The 2012 homicide of Rachel Winkler in Cameron Park, California, shocked the community and captured national attention. The case also got featured on Dateline, the popular true crime show. Todd Winkler, her husband and former Air Force pilot, was convicted of the deadly attack. He further claimed that the attack was done in self-defence, which raises a crucial question of whether it was an accident, suicide or murder. This forms the spine of the Dateline episodes exploring the case in depth.

Read on to know the five harrowing details about the case of Rachel Winkler, as shown in Dateline.

Here are the 5 harrowing details about Rachel Winkler’s homicide, as shown in Dateline

Rachel was 37 at the time of the murder and was a mother of three kids. She got married to Todd, but was not leading a happy life. She further found a companion in James While, another man she met in her office. She wanted to divorce Todd and start a new life with James. But a day after, when she finalised the divorce papers, she was brutally murdered. Here are the five harrowing details about the case.

Rachel was brutally stabbed

It was Todd who called the neighbours and informed them that the couple had got into a deadly fight involving their divorce. On the morning of February 27, 2012, Rachel was found in the nursery, surrounded by blood. She was brutally stabbed with wounds on her neck and defensive wounds on her arms and hands. A blood-covered covered of scissors was also covered from the crime scene.

Todd Winkler's Inconsistent Behaviour

Todd's actions after the murder raised suspicions for the investigators. They found evidence of an attempt to destroy the crime evidence. According to reports, he spent over six hours cleaning the crime scene and feeding the children before calling a neighbour to report the incident. Moreover, he claimed that the attack happened in self-defence while he bore minimal injuries, and his statement acknowledges Rachel pleading for life.

Rachel's affair and divorce plan

Rachel had been having an affair with James White, a handyman at the Cameron Airpark, for over a year. The day before her death, she finalised divorce papers and planned to marry White. The couple were not living together. Todd also asserted that he went to her house to mend his relationship, while Rachel threatened him that if he tried to keep the children, she would get him hurt by telling James.

The Mysterious Death of Todd's First Wife

Todd's first wife, Catherine, died in a fiery car crash in Georgia in 1999. According to reports, her car crashed into he woods. Todd received a $1.2 million life insurance payout, which raised questions about the circumstances of her death. Rachel discovered her ashes hidden under their bed, leading her to fear Todd's obsession with the incident. Prosecutors suggested that Todd had a violent pattern indeed.

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The Trial and Conviction

During the trial, as shown in Dateline, Todd's defence claimed he suffered from dissociative identity disorder and acted in a psychotic state. However, the jury found this argument unconvincing, especially after Todd's own testimony revealed that Rachel was pleading for her life during the attack. He was convicted of first-degree murder with a deadly weapon and sentenced to 26 years to life in prison, as per Dateline.

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