El Dorado County custody battle rages on after mom's death

Penne Usher, Telegraph Correspondent, May. 10, 2012

  Murder suspect's mom, victim's dad fight in court for grandchildren.  While the family of alleged murder victim Rachel Winkler fight for custody of her three children, court records show Winkler appointed her mother in law temporary “guardianship” of her children.

Rachel Winkler was found dead in her Cameron Park home Feb. 27.

Her husband, Todd Winkler, 45, remains in custody in El Dorado County Jail, charged with her murder.

The victim’s father, Don Hatfield, and her mother-in-law, Janeth Winkler, have been hashing it out in court to gain custody of the three Winkler children.

Hatfield, who has temporary custody of the Winkler children, is attempting to gain full custody as is Janeth Winkler, the suspect’s mother.

In court documents, murder suspect Todd Winkler claims he would like his mother to have custody of his children, as did his wife at one point.

“On many occasions, the children’s mother, Rachel, also executed nominations for my mother to act as the children’ guardian, rather than her father,” according to document filed in El Dorado Superior Court on March 23.

According to the court record, Todd Winkler was in London on business (in 2011) where Rachel joined him.

Rachel signed a letter on Jan. 28, 2011, indicating that Janeth Winkler was to have “temporary guardian(ship)” of her two

children. Rachel would have been pregnant with her youngest at the time.

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In court documents, Hatfield, who retains temporary custody of the children, disputes Todd Winkler’s

assertion that Rachel nominated Janeth Winkler for guardianship and that the document in question merely allows her the right to make medical decisions for the children.

According to court documents, “a court investigator reports that either the maternal grandfather or the paternal grandmother would be an ...

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UPDATE: Cameron Park murder case delayed. The Cameron Park man accused of killing his wife made a brief appearance in El Dorado County Superior Court Monday. Todd Winkler, 45, shackled and wearing a jail-issued orange jumpsuit, appeared before Judge Douglas C. Phimister along with his attorney David Weiner. Weiner and Prosecutor Lisette Suder agreed to continue the case until next month for further proceedings. ---------------------------------------------- UPDATE: Rachel Winkler’s father, Don Hatfield, a longtime Napa artist, on Friday said his daughter leaves behind three children — Eva, 4, Ariel, 2, and Alex, 9 months, and is also by three brothers — Caleb, David and Matthew. “There has been a tremendous outpouring of love and sympathy,” said Hatfield, who is caring for the three children. “I have a team of friends and family currently looking for a large house where I can paint and raise the children with the help of nanny,” he wrote on his blog. His daughter, who attended Browns Valley Elementary School and Vintage High School, was the general manager at Cameron Park Airport District, Hatfield said. A Sonoma State University graduate, Rachel Winkler, was a talented artist who graduated early from high school and always wanted to have her own business, he said. -------------------------------------- UPDATE: Winkler, accused of murdering his wife plead not guilty at his arraignment Wednesday. Todd Winkler, 45, was charged for murder with special allegations. Winkler was arrested Monday after police found his wife, Rachel Winkler, 37, dead inside of their home on the 3100 block of Aeronca Way. According to El Dorado County Sheriff's investigators, the couple had a domestic dispute earlier that day. Winkler's next court appearance is scheduled for Friday at 1:30 p.m.

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--------------------------- Todd A. Winkler, 45, is being held in the El Dorado County jail without bail according to jail records. A Cameron Park man was arrested this evening after El Dorado County sheriff's detectives determined that a suspicious death at a Cameron Park residence was a homicide. Todd Alan Winkler (pictured), 45, was arrested at 6 p.m. in connection with the death of a female at a home in the 3100 block of Aeronca Way. Winkler was booked into El Dorado County Jail, where he is being held without bail, according to a Sheriff's Department news release. Sheriff's deputies were dispatched to the home at 10:35 a.m. today after receiving a report that an individual was dead inside the residence. Upon arriving at the home, deputies contacted a man near the front porch and detained him for questioning. Inside, they found the body of a female. Because of what officials characterized as suspicious circumstances surrounding the incident, detectives and crime scene investigators were called to assist with the investigation. The name of the deceased female has not been released pending notification of family. UPDATE: Woman found dead in her Cameron Park home Monday identified Authorities have identified the woman found dead in her Cameron Park home Monday as 37-year-old Rachel Winkler. El Dorado County sheriff's deputies found Winkler after responding to a request for a welfare check. At the home on the 3100 block of Aeronca Way they also found the victim's husband, 45-year-old Todd Winkler. Detectives learned that the couple had been experiencing marital problems and had a dispute earlier in the day, according to a news release from the Sheriff's Department. Initially detectives treated Rachel Winkler's death as suspicious, but later ruled it a homicide. Todd Winkler was arrested on suspicion of murder, authorities said. Rachel Winkler's cause of death has not been released, pending results of an autopsy, the release states. Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/crime/archives/2012/02/woman-found-dead-in-her-c... VIA Sheriff Press Release: Suspicious Death in Cameron Park Department: Sheriff Lt. Bryan Golmitz Contact: Date: February 28, 2012 530-642-4705 Phone#: February 27, 2012 Today at 10:35 am, the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Dispatch Center received a phone call reporting that there was a deceased subject in a residence on the 3100 Block of Aeronca Way, Cameron Park. Deputies responded to the residence and contacted a male subject near the front porch. Deputies detained the subject for further questioning. Deputies then entered the residence and began searching for the reportedly deceased female. Deputies located one deceased female in the residence. Based on the circumstances of the incident, Sheriff’s Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators (CSI) were requested to assist in the investigation. Detectives detained male subject for further questioning. The deceased female’s identity is not being released until proper identification and next of kin notification. The investigation is ongoing at this time.