A South Carolina death row inmate convicted of killing his estranged wife nearly two decades ago has died, according to the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Louis Michael Winkler Jr., 66, died Monday morning at Kirkland Correctional Institution following an extended illness. Officials said he was pronounced dead shortly before 9 a.m. in the prison’s infirmary.
Winkler was serving a death sentence for the killing of his estranged wife, Rebecca Grainger Winkler of Loris.
He was convicted of murder, first-degree burglary, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature. Authorities said Winkler was out on bond for kidnapping, rape, and assault charges involving his estranged wife when he forced his way into her home and shot her at close range in front of her teenage son.
Following the shooting, Winkler fled and hid in a wooded area for approximately two weeks before being captured by law enforcement.
He was tried and sentenced to death in 2008.
The South Carolina Department of Corrections said an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
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