Shirley Winters
Encyclopedia
Shirley Winters is an upstate New York
resident and convicted murderer and arson
ist. Her victims included her five-month old son, Ronald Winters III, in 1980 and 23-month old Ryan Rivers in 2007. She has also been under investigation for the 1979 deaths of her two older children and the 1979 deaths of three children of a friend.
leak in the family home.
Prior to Ronald's death, Winters lost two other children, Colleen and John Winters, ages three years and 20 months, respectively, in a 1979 fire in the family's cabin on Hyde Lake in Theresa, New York
, near Watertown. The cause of the fire was determined at the time to be an electrical defect. The bodies of those children were exhumed in March 2007 along with Ronald III's; the autopsy
showed that both Colleen and John suffered blunt force head injuries prior to the fire
The previous day, there had been a fire at the home of Winters' friend in nearby Hermon, New York
in which her friend's three children died. St. Lawrence County authorities also re-opened their investigation into that incident in 2007. The three children were cousins of Ryan Rivers' parents.
Winters has been in close proximity to 17 fires since the 1979 fire, nine of which have been determined to be arson
. She pleaded guilty to criminal mischief in 1981 in relation to two of the fires, and in 1997 was convicted of arson in another fire, one that burned her mother's home, for which she spent eight years in prison; she was released in 2005. Her mother was killed in a car accident two months before Winters' prison sentence began.
Another of the fires, on November 12, 1989, occurred in a home in which Winters was staying in Syracuse
with her three children. She rescued her four-year-old daughter and her two-year-old son, but lost track of her oldest living child, a five-year-old daughter, who rescued herself.
was considered to be due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
(SIDS), but after the body was exhumed during the fourth investigation of the death in March 2007, she was charged with second-degree murder
on March 28, 2007.
The latest reopening of the investigation was prompted after Ryan Rivers drowned in a bathtub at his grandparents' home during a visit by Winters on November 28, 2006 in Pierrepont
, New York in St. Lawrence County
. Winters was indicted by a St. Lawrence County grand jury in August 2007 of second-degree murder, first-degree assault
and endangering the welfare of a child in the Ryan Rivers case. Her trial for the second-degree murder of Ronald was initially scheduled to begin on March 31, 2008.
in the Ryan Rivers case. Under the terms of the plea agreement, she also agreed to plead guilty in Onondaga County
Court to first-degree manslaughter in the smothering death of Ronald III in 1980. She was sentenced to approximately 20 years in the Rivers case, and up to 25 years in the Ronald III case; the sentences are to be served concurrently, and she will be eligible for parole
after serving 17 years. She is incarerated at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility If Winters had been convicted of second degree murder on each indictment, she was facing multiple life sentences. The St. Lawrence County plea also allows her to avoid prosecution for the 1979 deaths of Colleen and John Winters.
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
resident and convicted murderer and arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
ist. Her victims included her five-month old son, Ronald Winters III, in 1980 and 23-month old Ryan Rivers in 2007. She has also been under investigation for the 1979 deaths of her two older children and the 1979 deaths of three children of a friend.
Early life
In 1966, at age eight, Winters lost three siblings (a 10-year-old brother and two sisters, ages four and 11) as a result of an apparent carbon monoxideCarbon monoxide
Carbon monoxide , also called carbonous oxide, is a colorless, odorless, and tasteless gas that is slightly lighter than air. It is highly toxic to humans and animals in higher quantities, although it is also produced in normal animal metabolism in low quantities, and is thought to have some normal...
leak in the family home.
Prior to Ronald's death, Winters lost two other children, Colleen and John Winters, ages three years and 20 months, respectively, in a 1979 fire in the family's cabin on Hyde Lake in Theresa, New York
Theresa (town), New York
Theresa is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 2,905 at the 2010 census. The town is named after the daughter of an original landowner, Theresa Le Ray.The town of Theresa contains a village also named Theresa...
, near Watertown. The cause of the fire was determined at the time to be an electrical defect. The bodies of those children were exhumed in March 2007 along with Ronald III's; the autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
showed that both Colleen and John suffered blunt force head injuries prior to the fire
The previous day, there had been a fire at the home of Winters' friend in nearby Hermon, New York
Hermon (town), New York
Hermon is a town in St. Lawrence County, New York, United States. The population was 1,069 at the 2000 census.The Town of Hermon contains a village also called Hermon...
in which her friend's three children died. St. Lawrence County authorities also re-opened their investigation into that incident in 2007. The three children were cousins of Ryan Rivers' parents.
Winters has been in close proximity to 17 fires since the 1979 fire, nine of which have been determined to be arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. She pleaded guilty to criminal mischief in 1981 in relation to two of the fires, and in 1997 was convicted of arson in another fire, one that burned her mother's home, for which she spent eight years in prison; she was released in 2005. Her mother was killed in a car accident two months before Winters' prison sentence began.
Another of the fires, on November 12, 1989, occurred in a home in which Winters was staying in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
with her three children. She rescued her four-year-old daughter and her two-year-old son, but lost track of her oldest living child, a five-year-old daughter, who rescued herself.
Murder charges
Initially, Ronald's death on November 21, 1980 in Otisco, New YorkOtisco, New York
Otisco is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 2,561 at the 2000 census. The Town of Otisco is in the southwest part of the county. Otisco is situated at the northern edge of the Appalacian Highlands, where an escarpment declines to the Lake Ontario plain and the...
was considered to be due to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome
Sudden infant death syndrome is marked by the sudden death of an infant that is unexpected by medical history, and remains unexplained after a thorough forensic autopsy and a detailed death scene investigation. An infant is at the highest risk for SIDS during sleep, which is why it is sometimes...
(SIDS), but after the body was exhumed during the fourth investigation of the death in March 2007, she was charged with second-degree murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
on March 28, 2007.
The latest reopening of the investigation was prompted after Ryan Rivers drowned in a bathtub at his grandparents' home during a visit by Winters on November 28, 2006 in Pierrepont
Pierrepont, New York
Pierrepont is a town and hamlet in St. Lawrence County, New York, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,674. It was named after Hezekiah Pierrepont, the early owner of much of the town's territory. The Town of Pierrepont is centrally located in the county and is...
, New York in St. Lawrence County
St. Lawrence County, New York
St. Lawrence County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 111,944. The county seat is Canton. The county is named for the Saint Lawrence River, which in turn was named for the Catholic saint on whose Feast day the river was discovered by...
. Winters was indicted by a St. Lawrence County grand jury in August 2007 of second-degree murder, first-degree assault
Assault
In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...
and endangering the welfare of a child in the Ryan Rivers case. Her trial for the second-degree murder of Ronald was initially scheduled to begin on March 31, 2008.
Guilty plea
On April 21, 2008, Winters pleaded guilty to manslaughterManslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
in the Ryan Rivers case. Under the terms of the plea agreement, she also agreed to plead guilty in Onondaga County
Onondaga County, New York
Onondaga County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 467,026. The county seat is Syracuse.Onondaga County is part of the Syracuse, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area....
Court to first-degree manslaughter in the smothering death of Ronald III in 1980. She was sentenced to approximately 20 years in the Rivers case, and up to 25 years in the Ronald III case; the sentences are to be served concurrently, and she will be eligible for parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
after serving 17 years. She is incarerated at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility If Winters had been convicted of second degree murder on each indictment, she was facing multiple life sentences. The St. Lawrence County plea also allows her to avoid prosecution for the 1979 deaths of Colleen and John Winters.