Naman Shrestha
In the episode titled ‘Don’t Go Home’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Toxic,’ the primary focus is on the horrific killing of a beloved, experienced teacher named Hadas Winnick in Calabasas, California, in September 2007. The swift investigation uncovered a volatile family dynamic, which led them straight to the unlikely perpetrator responsible for the gruesome crime. The documentary also features exclusive and in-depth interviews with Hadas’ loved ones and the officials who worked hard to get to the bottom of the case.
Hadas Winnick Was Found Dead in Her Home by Her Daughter
Born on January 26, 1952, to Sara and Shy Karmeli, Hadas Winnick turned her passion into a career, becoming a mathematics teacher at Canoga Park High School. Before she began her career, she married a lawyer named Sherman, who had dreams of becoming a musician. The couple gave birth to a son named Jesse Winnick and looked forward to welcoming a daughter, Amy Winnick. However, as their marriage deteriorated, Sherman allegedly abandoned the family, leaving Hadas to take care of both children on her own. That’s when she settled in Calabasas, California, and landed a teaching job to raise Jesse and Amy as a single mother.
Being a supportive teacher, Hadas also allowed one of her teenage students to stay at her place when the student was kicked out of her own home after becoming pregnant. Apart from being a doting mother, she was known for her compassion and kindness towards the community. So, when a fatal tragedy befell her on September 25, 2007, it left all her loved ones and acquaintances in a state of shock and grief. That evening, when her daughter, Amy, headed home in the 3800 block of Declaration Avenue near Mulholland Highway after leaving her workplace near Calabasas, she found Hadas dead and called 911. As the police arrived at the scene, they determined that the 55-year-old teacher had died of multiple stab wounds. Without any delay, a homicide investigation was immediately launched by the authorities.
Hadas Winnick’s Killer Warned Her Daughter About the Murder
Hadas Winnick’s daughter, Amy Winnick, told detectives she received a call from her brother, Jesse Winnick, as she was leaving work. According to her, Jesse told her, “Don’t go home. I just killed Mom.” He became the prime suspect in the case and was being hunted down by the authorities. According to reports, he and Hadas shared a volatile relationship, with them getting into altercations every now and then. At 15, he tried to take his own life by overdosing on Advil after one such argument. After recovering from it, he was sent to a mental rehabilitation facility for a couple of weeks and was diagnosed with multiple disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder, bipolar disorder, and Tourette’s.
It is alleged that after abandoning Hadas’ car later that fateful night, he sneaked inside a 2007 Range Rover, which was eventually pulled over by officers near Ventura Boulevard and De Soto Avenue. He was then found hidden in the back seat before being arrested and charged with the murder of his mother. According to investigative reports, Jesse killed Hadas with a large knife in the kitchen of the family home in Calabasas. During his interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed to the crime.
Jesse Winnick is Currently Awaiting His Parole Eligibility Hearing
In March 2010, Jesse Winnick was found mentally incompetent to stand trial for the murder of Hadas Winnick and sent to Patton State Hospital for his treatment. More than a year later, on September 28, 2011, he pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and was immediately sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. He also received an additional one year for using a knife in the commission of a crime. Less than a decade after his sentencing hearing, his first parole hearing took place in 2021.
During the Zoom-based hearing, he reportedly admitted to stabbing multiple people while incarcerated and threatening to kill the rest of his family. In light of his actions, he was not granted parole. By 2023, Jesse had been sentenced for five more charges, including the attempted murder of a correctional officer. This postponed his parole hearing further. As of today, 44-year-old Jesse Bernard Winnick is serving his sentence at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad, California, with his parole eligibility scheduled for September 2026.
