Wife of State Lottery Winner Found Slain in North County Home

The wife of the winner of more than $700,000 in the California Lottery last month was found dead in her San Marcos home Thursday, her throat slashed, authorities said.

The body of Ann Marie Jenkins, 30, the mother of six, was discovered by her husband, Gary, when he returned home from work.

The couple’s 10-month-old son, Andrew, was found unharmed in a rear bedroom of the home, said Lt. Bill Baxter, of the Sheriff’s Department’s homicide detail. Five other children were not at home when the slaying occurred.

Deputy coroner Max Murphy said an autopsy performed Thursday showed the cause of death was strangulation and a wound to the neck.

Gary Jenkins, a construction worker, told authorities he returned home about 4:30 p.m. and found his wife’s fully clothed body lying face down on a hallway floor of the ranch-style home in the 1400 block of Leslie Court, Baxter said. The husband contacted the Vista sheriff’s station.

Authorities said they have no motive and no suspects in connection with the death.

“There were no real signs that the place was ransacked or that there was a struggle,” Baxter said.

Gary Jenkins was one of three local winners in the Jan. 13 drawing of the Lotto 6/49 game, California Lottery spokesman John Schade said from Sacramento.

Schade said the winning ticket, purchased at a 7-Eleven store in Escondido, brought Jenkins $727,165. After taxes, Jenkins’ prize was worth $581,732.

“It was interesting the way they picked the winning numbers,” Schade said. “He and his wife cut up numbers, 1 to 49, put them on a table and three of his children each picked a number, he picked two and his wife picked one.”

Charlie Rich, the lottery’s San Diego district manager, handed Jenkins a check for the winning amount Feb. 9 at the 7-Eleven store on El Norte Parkway. The presentation, covered on local television newscasts, was attended by Jenkins’ wife and five of their children.

“He wanted to invest . . . and, hopefully, double the money,” Rich said. “He said he had an adviser who was going to invest the money for him.”

According to Rich, the couple planned to spend some of the money this year, and Jenkins talked about buying a new pickup truck. Rich also said that Mrs. Jenkins indicated that she was going to quit her job. Rich said he did not know what type of work she did.

“They were a very nice couple . . . nice children, and a nice family,” Rich said. “We are really saddened here.”