Texas psychologist Lester Winningham sentenced to life in prison for murder

October 12, 2007

On October 12, 2007, Texas psychologist Lester Winningham was sentenced to life in prison for the July 2005 murder of his ex-fiancee. Police stated that Winningham shot Deborah Houchins three times inside her home before dumping her body behind a mechanic’s shop where it was found smoldering on a tarp, burned beyond recognition and identifiable only by dental records. News reports uniformly state that the two had been engaged to marry but that the relationship cooled after Ms. Houchins asked him to sign a prenuptial agreement. ¹