Kriti Mehrotra
It was December 16, 2000, when 31-year-old father of one Jerry Michael “Mike” Williams suddenly disappeared without a trace, and it shattered his family in more ways than one. Not only did they have to grapple with their loss, but there were also differing theories about what transpired until it eventually came to light that his wife, Denise Williams, was responsible for his murder. This much and more has been explored in NBC’s ‘Dateline: Secrets at Lake Seminole,’ yet the one person arguably affected the most by it all is Denise and Mike’s only child, Anslee Williams.
Anslee Williams Was Just a Toddler When She Lost Her Father
Anslee Williams was born on May 8, 1999, in Tallahassee, Florida, to certified public accountant Denise Merrell Williams and property appraiser Jerry Michael Williams AKA Mike as their only child. This was around 4½ years after the couple had blissfully tied the knot on December 16, 1994, long after they first became romantically involved back at North Florida Christian High School. In other words, they were teen sweethearts before they grew into a truly solid unit while attending Florida State University together, and then they took on the real world hand-in-hand. To the outside world, they seemed idyllic.
According to reports, by late 2000, Denise and Mike had settled into a beautiful suburban home in Centennial Oaks Circle alongside Anslee and were even thinking of expanding their little family. However, everything changed on December 16, as the 31-year-old father went missing after going on a duck hunting trip to Lake Seminole – his daughter was merely 18 months old at the time. The fact that this happened on the couple’s sixth wedding anniversary only added to the tragedy, and it was soon presumed he had fallen overboard, drowned, and been consumed by alligators.
By all accounts, in the days, weeks, and months to follow, Denise stood by this narrative while appearing as a grieving widow doing her best to care for young Anslee. In fact, she even petitioned to have Mike declared legally dead within 6 months so as to get access to his life insurance payout and keep providing, but his mother, Cheryl Williams, wasn’t on the same page. Since he was an avid outdoorsman, she never believed in the initial theories and consistently made efforts to have officials further investigate his disappearance, which caused friction with her ex-daughter-in-law. As per records, Denise claimed her efforts were confusing Anslee by making her think her dad was still alive, so she threatened to cut ties with Cheryl if she didn’t stop, and that’s precisely what she did.
Anslee Williams’ Familial Environment Has Never Been Stable
After losing her father at just 18 months old, Anslee Williams seemingly saw instability in her personal relationships. She was always cared for and provided for, but people were in and out of her life. It started with her suddenly becoming estranged from her paternal grandmother and uncle, Nick Williams, shortly after which she had a new father figure in her life in the form of Brian Winchester. Brian was not only Mike’s once-best friend but also the man Denise soon became officially romantically involved with, and they tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in December 2005. According to reports, Brian moved into the Centennial Oaks Circle home Denise and Anslee once shared with Mike, after which he helped raise her until the early 2010s rolled around. That’s when the couple separated due to his alleged sex addiction.
Three years later, in 2015, Denise filed for divorce. Anslee was 16 at the time, unaware that less than a year later, her entire world would begin crumbling apart. In August 2016, Brian was arrested for attempting to kidnap and attack Denise. Brian ultimately pleaded no contest to the charges against him, for which he was sentenced to 20 years in prison despite Denise’s plea to give him the maximum term of life in prison. Merely 24 hours later, on October 18, 2017, Mike’s remains were recovered from a pile of dirt at the dead-end Gardner Road in Leon County. Brian led officials to his once-friend’s remains. On Anslee’s 19th birthday, on May 8, 2018, Denise was taken into custody while leaving work on charges of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, and accessory after the fact.
Anslee Williams Prefers to Lead a Quiet Life These Days
Anslee was 18 months old when she lost her father and 19 years old when her mother, Denise, was tried, convicted, and sentenced for her hand in Mike’s murder by early 2019. What she experienced during this period was understandable heartbreak as she suddenly found herself the head as well as the sole member of her little biological family. After all, despite everything, she has remained estranged from her paternal grandmother and uncle because she has never really known them. Nevertheless, it is evident that there is no animosity between them. We say that because when Mike’s remains were eventually ready to be released from the state’s custody in late 2018, Anslee willingly agreed to let him be directly turned over to her grandmother, Cheryl.
Cheryl subsequently arranged Mike’s funeral, which the then 19-year-old reportedly attended. The family reportedly asked the media to respect their privacy and not show up for church service or the subsequent private burial at Roselawn Cemetery. As if that weren’t enough, in 2019, after Denise signed a deal to avoid prosecution on fraud charges, Cheryl and Nick agreed that Anslee should be awarded her late father’s entire estate and insurance monies. In other words, at age 20, Mike’s daughter was given a significant financial sum and a total of four real estate properties across Tallahassee, Florida, including her home on Centennial Oaks Circle.
Having said that, under the agreement, Anslee can’t use any of this money or assets to help pay her mother’s legal fees or any other costs associated with the murder case. If she does so, she can be penalized $150,000 in damages. On the academic front, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Entrepreneurship from Florida State University and a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from the University of Florida. Coming to her current standing, from what we can tell, at the age of 26, Anslee continues to reside in Tallahassee, where she works as a Business Strategy, Social Media Marketing, and Public Relations specialist.
Read More: Cheryl Williams: Where is Mike Williams’ Mom Now?
