Mary Winkler, the woman who killed her preacher husband, is now asking the court to grant her custody or, at least, more frequent visits to her three daughters.

A petition filed in Carroll County Chancery Court argues that Mary Winkler’s continued separation from the girls — ages 2, 8 and 10 — is “unconscionable and detrimental” to the children.

Carroll County Chancellor Ron Harmon set a hearing for next week on her motion.

Her former in-laws, Dan and Diane Winkler, who have had custody of the girls since their mother’s arrest, are seeking to terminate her parental rights and adopt the girls.

I believe what Mary Winkler said drove her to shoot her husband. I also believe she should be allowed to raise her daughters as she is their mother and is not a risk to anyone now.

Her father in law is a preacher or former preacher, and it seems maybe he and his wife need to practice a little Christian forgiveness. Yes, it would be hard to do, but that’s the instruction given by the Lord they claim to serve.

It has to be difficult to realize your child was a mean husband and father and that his actions finally put his wife over the edge when he tried to quiet his baby by putting his hand over her mouth.

It has to be difficult to realize you have raised a son who likes kinky sex and forced his wife to perform those acts or he would throw a tantrum and a lamp or two, but realizing and accepting it are what they need to do.