Kriti Mehrotra
When Jerry Michael “Mike” Williams suddenly disappeared after a duck hunting trip to Lake Seminole on December 16, 2000, it left the entire state of Florida utterly perplexed. His boat was soon found abandoned in the lake, as profiled in NBC’s ‘Dateline: Secrets of Lake Seminole,’ so the initial theory was that he had fallen overboard and drowned, only for a lot of the subsequent evidence not to support the same. He was legally declared dead 6 months later, but his body was found near another lake, on the dead-end Gardner Road, all the way near Leon County, in October 2017. Shortly following this, his widow, Denise Williams, was arrested for murder.
Denise and Mike Williams Seemed Like an Idyllic Couple
It was back when Mike Williams was attending North Florida Christian High School that he first came across Denise Merrell (later Williams), shortly after which they became a power couple. While he was active in the Key Club, on the football team, and the student council president, she was a cheerleader as well as the homecoming queen. After graduation, both individuals decided to attend Florida State University together, but while he majored in political science and urban planning, she studied finance. Eventually, he became a property appraiser, whereas she kickstarted a career as a Certified Public Accountant, leading them to have a good life.
Denise and Mike tied the knot on December 16, 1994, shortly after graduating from college, and they welcomed their only child into this world, Anslee, on May 8, 1999. They honestly seemed like an idyllic family, residing in a rather upscale home in the suburbs, with both parents being rather prominent members of society. Therefore, when Mike vanished, the entire community was baffled, especially as it happened on the couple’s 6th wedding anniversary. They had plans to celebrate their anniversary that night in Apalachicola, and Mike had even told his family that they were thinking of having another child soon. It was evident Mike was not suicidal, especially because he loved his life, had already planned a cruise in Hawaii with his wife for spring 2001, and was reportedly scheduling a trip to Jamaica too.
Suspicions About Denise’s Possible Involvement Arose in the Mid-2000s
According to records, with the help of Mike’s childhood best friend and insurance officer, Brian Winchester, he and Denise had bought a $1 million life insurance policy on him in 1999. Since they had just welcomed their daughter, this step made sense to all his loved ones, even if it was an added third policy on the 2 he already had. In other words, he had life insurance worth a total of $1.75 million. In the months to follow Mike’s sudden disappearance, though, his mother, Cheryl Williams, grew suspicious because the evidence didn’t make sense to her, and when she tried to raise awareness about it, the widow intervened. As per Cheryl’s accounts in the ‘Dateline’ episode, Denise told her that her efforts were confusing their daughter and threatened to keep her away if she continued, which she eventually did.
However, despite the fact that Denise petitioned to have her husband legally declared dead within 6 months so as to collect his insurance, it wasn’t until a few years later that suspicions really mounted. After all, that’s when she began dating her late husband’s best friend, Brian Winchester, only to tie the knot with him in December 2005. He had divorced his high school sweetheart for her. This couple then went on to live in the same house Denise once shared with Mike, where they continued raising Anslee and refused to talk about Mike’s case publicly. When officers did approach them for an interview, they immediately lawyered up, making them think there was more to the story.
However, things only turned around in 2016, by which point Brian had moved out. He and Denise separated in 2012 owing to his alleged sex addiction, but she didn’t file for divorce until 3 years later, in 2015, because she was worried about the stigma of it. Little did she know that while Brian had seemingly complied after a bit of reluctance, he had actually decided to take matters into his own hands. On August 5, 2016, after he filed some financial documents in court, he climbed into his estranged wife’s car while she was on her way to work and immediately took her phone away.
Brian Winchester’s Kidnapping of Denise Broke Mike Williams’ Case Open
According to records, Denise did not comply with the directions Brian was shouting at her until he pulled out a gun, asserting she had left him with no choice because she kept on ignoring his calls and texts. However, instead of adhering to his demands, she soon pulled into a CVS drugstore parking lot, where she begged him to let her go. She had parked close to the door so as to have witnesses for her own safety, and she then stated that she just wanted him to let her go, adding that if he did, she wouldn’t even go to the police. But, of course, she did call 911.
As per Denise’s statements, Brian had told her he was only planning to kill himself, but when officers searched his own vehicle parked nearby, they found evidence suggesting otherwise. Even though he had assured her he did not want to harm her, there were bleach, tarps, and sheets in his possession, leading detectives to believe he likely intended to murder her before cleaning the scene and then turning the gun on himself. Nevertheless, when they subsequently tried to ask her about Mike in an attempt to get her to turn on Brian, stating he could “finish the job” one way or another, she shut the conversation down, and the case again fizzled out.
Brian was arrested for kidnapping, domestic assault, and armed burglary, to which he pleaded no contest for a sentence of 20 years in prison plus an additional 15 years of probation following release. During his sentencing, Denise made it clear that she did not know this version of her ex-husband at all and that she is so traumatized as well as scared that she will forever fear the day he is released from prison. She wanted him to receive life in prison. There was no mention of Mike at any point during Brian’s case, but merely a day later, investigators announced the recovery of his remains. Then, on their daughter’s 19th birthday on May 8, 2018, Denise was arrested and charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and accessory.
Denise Williams is Currently Incarcerated for Murder
When Denise Williams stood trial for the charges against her, the star witness for the prosecutors was her ex-husband, Brian Winchester. He claimed that while he and Denise knew each other in high school and continued their friendship, their relationship “snowballed” in 1997, and they became much more serious about each other. As per his statements, they had been having an affair for a few years by the time 2000 rolled around. Brian further testified that the duo conspired to kill Mike because Denise did not want a divorce, and while the idea was for him to make his friend fall overboard and drown, he ended up fatally shooting him as he fought for his life. However, because of his cooperation, his help in locating Mike’s remains, and his testimony, he was never charged for his actions in connection with this matter. Even Brian’s first wife told the jury that she had suspected the affair.
In the end, while Brian was only sentenced to 20 years for Denise’s kidnapping, she was found guilty of all charges after four days of testimony and 8 hours of deliberations. Later on, in February 2019, she was sentenced to life in prison, following which she appealed her conviction. Ultimately, in November 2020, her murder conviction was overturned, but the conspiracy to commit murder conviction was upheld, resulting in her sentence also being reduced to 30 years without parole, with credit for time served. Florida’s Attorney General did try to appeal this change, but the matter was dismissed. So, today, at the age of 55, Denise remains incarcerated at the Florida Women’s Reception Center in Ocala, Marion County, where she is expected to remain until her release date of March 31, 2046.
Read More: Brian Winchester: Where is Mike Williams’ Killer Now?
