this is a case about todd winkler and how he brutally murdered rachel marie winkler. his wife.al in placerville, california had barely gotten under way when it was brought to a grinding halt by a bizarre outburst from the defendant. >> you will not -- you only want to destroy! >> reporter: and this explosion isn't the only thing that's strange about this case. todd winkler admits he killed his wife on february 27th 2012. he claimed they were arguing when she came at him with a pair of scissors. >> it was a long long long protracted struggle. she's a very strong girl. >> reporter: was it self-defense or murder? either way, how could this marriage end in such violence? rachel married todd winkler within a few weeks of meeting him. he was a former air force fighter pilot and a successful pharmaceutical executive. they settled in cameron park california, one of a handful of communities for pilots, where private planes share the streets with cars. but after seven years of marriage rachel wanted a divorce. her father don hatfield believes winkler may have killed her to protect some o

todd winkler admits he killed his wife on february 27th, 2012.uing when she came at him with a pair of scissors. >> it was a long, long, long protracted struggle. she's a very strong girl. >> reporter: was itself defense or murder? either way, how could this marriage end in such violence? rachel married todd winkler within a few weeks of meeting him. he was a former air force fighter pilot and a successful pharmaceutical executive. they settled in cameron park, california, one of a handful of communities for pilots where private planes share the streets with cars. but after seven years of marriage, rachel wanted a divorce. her father don hatfield believes winkler may have killed her to protect some of his secrets. >> he wanted to shut her up. she could probably make his life very difficult. >> reporter: it turns out this outburst is not the first strange episode in winkler's life. when he was in the military stationed in the far east with a scad ron known as the fighting samurai, he ended up with a psychiatric discharge, and dr. frank lossi, a ps