The Wanglers seem to live a peaceful existence. However, their life was shattered by the events of 2006, when Kathy Wangler was found unresponsive by her husband, Mark. The investigation about three years ended with Mark’s arrest for what authorities believed was murder. Investigation Discovery’s “Til the Day You Do Us Part: While You Were Slumbering” details the case, which was a complicated one requiring abundant circumstantial evidence that ultimately led to the conviction. So, let’s discover the details of what transpired, will we?
How Did Kathy Wangler Die?
Kathleen was born in May 1958, the youngest of five siblings from Mercer County, Ohio. As a child, she was close to her family and always looked out for her family and friends. Kathy was wed to Mark Wangler when they were in their 20s, with her helping to pay tuition for his medical degree. The couple had twins: Nathan and Aaron, and in her 30s, Kathy went back to college to pursue an MBA. The family settled down to the comforts of Lima, Ohio, then.
Around 5:17 AM on September 4, 2006, Mark phoned the emergency services to tell them that his wife, who was 48 years old, was having an epileptic seizure. She was asleep in the upstairs room while Mark had been in his downstairs master bedroom and was awakened when the carbon monoxide alarm started sounding. The police arrived to find Kathy not breathing, and she passed away at some point later. The cause of death was carbon monoxide poisoning. The police concluded their investigation, concluding that it was a homicide.
Also, read Where Is Jesse Eging Now? Every Insider News!
Who was responsible for the murder of Kathy Wangler?
Mark Anesthesiologist Mark informed investigators that he was able to wake up and experience the typical symptoms of CO poisoning: confusion and nausea. He said the water heater was malfunctioning and caused CO to enter the air ducts in the house. Mark was forced to leave early for work, and Kathy was up all night, sleeping in different rooms that night. It appeared to be an accidental death. However, the authorities were not certain that this was the incident. They needed further evidence to establish otherwise.
After Kathy’s death, Mark began to date Esther Erkman, a friend who had been a friend of his, and they got married around 14 months after the accident. Afterward, Mark admitted that his relationship with Kathy was difficult through the times. According to Mark, they had not talked about divorce, but they were in contact with a counselor for marriage. Mark added that Kathy was in debt with credit cards and a bank account that was secret. Her sister Diane said that the mom of two had admitted to having a bad time during her relationship.
A friend of Kathy’s, Sherry, said “She was adamant the husband of her was trying to take her down emotionally, financially, psychologically as well as in her church. It was believed that he was creating a path to ruin her.” Authorities were concerned about Mark’s behavior generally. They believed it was easy to believe that Mark was asleep in a separate room with the windows opened in the event that Kathy passed away. In addition, she was confirmed to have died about an hour or so prior to an emergency call being made.
In the course of the investigation, company employees inspected the water heater as well as the furnace but found nothing that was wrong. There were no high levels of CO that came out of the appliances. This put doubt on Mark’s account of the heater failing. The prosecution claimed that he killed Kathy to avoid divorce because this was not the best choice for a person who is a part of an orthodox religious group.
They also considered the possibility of exhaust from cars being deliberately pumped into air ducts, causing CO poisoning. The evidence also came in Mark’s journal, in which he wrote about issues with his wife, Kathy. A portion of the journal read, “Thoughts of suicide seem somewhat stronger than they were. Satan has attacked in a brand new manner and this time it’s using the exhaust of a car.” Although there was no specific solution to the cause of CO’s attack, the matter was taken to trial.
Also, read 14 Sexiest Horror Movies of All Time
What is the status of Dr. Mark Wangler Now?
The trial was a saga of Mark’s attorneys arguing that his actions after the police found the oxygen level could explain Kathy was low. They claimed that Kathy’s death was an unfortunate accident. However, in March of 2011, Mark was found guilty of aggravated murder and given a sentence of 25 years of the death penalty.
The mother of Kathy, Sarah, told Mark in the courtroom, “Mark, you senselessly have deprived Kathy of the most precious moments. Her 2 sons Nathan Aaron and Nathan Aaron. They were her most precious possessions, and she was a complete and total devoted mother to be there for their sake.” The prison records show that Mark is still in prison at Marion Correctional Institution. Marion Correctional Institution in Ohio. He is expected to be eligible to be paroled in 2036.
