The return of Texas Murder Trial of the Week.

[Dooby]

As Special Ed on Crank Yankers would say, "Yeaaaaahhh!"

While not a trial, just an arrest, this case is interesting. And one of these threads is long overdue.

Celina man indicted in wife's murder
08/09/2002

By MANOLO BARCO / The Dallas Morning News


A former Allen firefighter accused of fatally shooting his wife at a McKinney hospital parking lot has been indicted on a murder charge.

Celina resident Raymond Wingfield, 31, is charged in the May 16 killing of his wife, Amy Wingfield, at a parking lot near North Central Medical Center. Ms. Wingfield, a nurse, was shot once in the head.

Her friend, Alisa Stewart of Plano, was wounded in the attack. Mr. Wingfield was indicted on an attempted murder charge in connection with that shooting.

Mr. Wingfield remained in the Collin County Jail on Friday with bail set at $800,000, officials with the Collin County Sheriff’s Office said. His attorney, Greg Brewer, said he was not surprised by the grand jury’s decision, which was made public Friday.

“We knew it was coming,” Mr. Brewer said. “The McKinney Police Department thinks they have their man.”

Prosecutors declined to comment on the case. Police officials could not be reached. The case was assigned to the 199th State District Court presided by District Judge Robert Dry, court officials said. No court date has been set.

The shooting occurred on May 16 as the women, both nurses, were returning from lunch to their jobs at a doctor’s office next to North Central Medical Center.

McKinney police arrested Mr. Wingfield on May 23. Officers said he had staged a shooting attack on himself at his wife’s gravesite in an effort to deflect suspicion. That shooting came a day before he was scheduled to take a polygraph test, police said.

During questioning, Mr. Wingfield provided investigators with a written statement about the shooting and took officers to a rural field near his wife’s gravesite where a rifle was found, police said. That rifle is believed to be the one used in the May 16 shooting. McKinney police are still awaiting ballistic tests on the weapon.

Mr. Wingfield’s parents, Raymond and Willadean Wingfield of Celina, and his sisters, Lahoma Looper and Angela Gore, have said they do not think he committed the shooting. They have added that they are waiting for police to show them some evidence that Mr. Wingfield committed the crime.

In June, State District Judge Curt Henderson granted custody of Amy and Raymond Wingfield’s 8-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son to their maternal grandparents, John and Eleanor Skelton of Celina

The Skeltons have allowed Mr. Wingfield’s family to see the children during supervised visits at the Skelton’s home. The visits were not judge ordered. However, Mr. Wingfield’s family has said that the visits are restrictive and that the children don’t seem their usual “ lively selves.”

Mr. Wingfield’s family is trying to get Judge Henderson to grant them visitation rights that would allow the children to visit their home unsupervised. A court hearing on the matter was postponed on July 24 after the Skelton’s attorney, John Roach Jr., objected to having a visiting judge hear the case.

The hearing has not been rescheduled.

Meanwhile, Mr. Brewer said Friday that he talked to his client last week and he seems to be in good spirits.

“He’s doing as well as can be expected,” said Mr. Brewer, who declined to say what he and his client had discussed. “He’s always asking about his kids.”