She now attends Florida State University and she also competes in pageants. Derrick Wester, an investigator with the Jackson County sheriff's office, agreed that they were "trying to make up for" not having considered the possibility that things might not have been what they seemed in 2000. [16], In those conditions, "it [i]s highly unlikely an alligator would have been active" said Matt Aresco, a local herpetologist authorities had consulted. She did not speak to the media about how she reacted to the news. He got Mikes body into his car, pushed the boat back into the lake, and drove 60 miles to Carr Lake to bury him in the mud. Assistant State Attorney Jon Fuchs had no comment on the total dollar figure, though Cheryl Williams said it was about $1.4 million. They did say that they would seek to have her denied bail. [9] In 2016, Winchester was arrested on charges stemming from an incident where he allegedly kidnapped Denise, the missing man's widow, who was now divorcing him;[10] he was sentenced to 20 years in prison on the day before the FDLE announced that Williams's body had been found. She said: "I don't like having to ask the judge to put her in jail for the rest of her life, but what she did to Mike, she deserves, and I think God gave us justice. Both sides weigh in on Williams family video - WCTV All Rights Reserved. Prosecutors countered that Winchester's actions that day indicated he planned a murder-suicide that was only averted by Denise's quick thinking, and asked the court for the 45-year maximum. "[8], In 2012, Denise and Brian Winchester separated, reportedly due to his sex addiction; she filed for divorce in 2015. But it did not produce any new evidence, as the potential crime scene had not been secured during the search for Williams. "Our job was extremely difficult, and we were simply unable to develop enough evidence to proceed with the investigation," Schlein said. And by chance, a local Tallahassee TV station, WCTV, was at the hospital: DENISE WILLIAMS : We're just totally. Denise Williams stands trial in Leon County, Florida for the December 16, 2000 murder of her husband, who went by Mike. However, there were no teeth marks or any other damage on the waders, none of the recovered items showed signs of having been in the water for anything like the period Williams had been missing, and there was no DNA evidence found to link the clothing to him. When did Stephanie Grisham resign as Melania Trump's chief of staff? The only person to address the court besides the lawyers was Cheryl Williams, who said that justice had finally been served, and that Denise had taken not only her son but also her granddaughter from her. But police would later discover he was shot dead by Brian, who confessed to the crime 17 years later. She competed for Miss Florida USA and she actually won Miss Tallahassee Teen USA in 2017. Patrick Shiflett, a boyhood friend of the subject, remarked that everyone simply liked him because he was just a very honest guy.. Heres all that we know. Brian and Denises marriage was plagued with poison and physical assault, according to Anslee. I was married to a wonderful woman, I was raising a child, and I was also seeing Denise in the meantime. The one-hour special broadcast implicates the true criminal, Mikes high school sweetheart, and shows us who she really is. Just days before Christmas, Michelle Williams is left mourning the loss of her father, Dennis Williams. He and Denise took it slow after Mike's "accident", both to let the insurance money earn further interest and to allay any suspicion. Denise and her then-lover Brian Winchester were both accused of working together to kill her husband Mike Williams, a 31-year-old real estate appraiser. The following year his father died. She testified in court, pleading for leniency for her mother, Denise, and insisting that her stepfather, Brian, and not Denise, was the mastermind behind her father's murder in December 2000. The court upheld Williams . Image Credit: Alicia Devine / Tallahassee Democrat via AP. "All I know is I can't stop looking for him until I find him." Mike Williams's death, prosecutors say, was the product of a poisonous love triangle involving two sets of high school sweethearts that spiraled from infidelity to murder. TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - An appellate panel dismissed first-degree murder charges against Denise Williams on Wednesday, overturning her sentence of life in prison. He did not want the divorce and felt he had nothing to live for if it went through. He explained that he was the one who lured Mike Williams to Lake Seminole and attempted to kill him by pushing him off the boat. [23], On October 18, the team of search dogs and officers finally found Mike Williams's remains in the piles of dirt stacked on plywood sheets. It was sent to a state forensics laboratory for DNA testing: the results have not been reported. Mike married his high school sweetheart Denise in 1994 and welcomed a daughter with her five years later. Investigators assured the Williams family that his body would surface, like other drowning victims, within three to seven days, or perhaps slightly longer due to the cold front that had moved in after the first night's storm. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Cheryl Williams: Denise Williams Made Ultimatum | Law & Crime Denise Williams, Convicted Of Conspiring To Kill Her First Husband, Is WCTV.tv - Denise Williams sentencing 9/9/21 - Facebook That's all I can do for Anslee is love her, and I do love her.". Since Mike's death could no longer be passed off as a boating accident, Winchester buried the body where it was later found, then cleaned out his truck and went to a family Christmas party, where he learned that a search was underway. A day after his sentence was announced, the law members found Mikes body. [5], Subsequently, the FDLE revealed they had found Mike Williams's remains at the end of dead-end Gardner Road in northern Leon County, five miles (8.0km) from where he grew up; they were confirmed as his following a match to his mother's DNA. Each time she brought it up, Denise attempted to change the subject,[12] but at one point asked "What do you know? In 2001, she said, they were planning to go on a cruise in Hawaii that spring; later in the year he expected to travel to Jamaica for work as well. That allowed her to claim Mike's insurance policies worth $1.75 million. I will honor Mikes memory by fulfilling my purpose.. It has since been suggested that the search might have been continued had Denise Williams indicated an interest in such. Florida woman Denise Williams gets life in prison for masterminding her "As much as he preached that to me," the friend said, "why would he be wearing his waders while driving the boat? NurPhoto via Getty Images, FILE. The Crime Junkie podcast featured the case in an episode that was released in early 2019. Cheryl Williams, who never believed her son accidentally drownedand long suspected her daughter-in-law was involved in his death, said she was at peace with the agreement. However, their relationship didnt go as well as they had expected and they separated in 2012. [3], The cove is locally believed to have been an orchard before the Chattahoochee and Flint rivers and Spring Creek were dammed to create the lake. So, months later she petitioned in court to have her husband be declared legally dead and collected the $1.75 million from the three separate life insurance policies that were in Mikes name. In December, a jury found Denise guilty of all three charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder, and accessory after the fact. Denise Williams herself took the stand as well. Florida Supreme Court refuses to review Denise Williams murder - WCTV Anslee Williams, the only daughter of the late Mike Williams, was open to media and gave interviews on her father's murder case. But instead, he managed to get to a tree stump, so Winchester fired a single shotgun blast to the face. It was noted that Denise Williams's court petition to have her husband declared legally dead mentioned only the Kansas City Life Insurance Company policies Winchester had sold him, omitting policies through other companies that Michael Williams had obtained through other sources. [21] Later it was reported that he had reached an agreement with prosecutors before the sentencing that they would neither seek a life sentence on the kidnapping charge nor introduce certain evidence at the hearing. While she was talking on her phone to her sister, she saw someone climb over the back seat of her car. By then, officers had learned that alligators do not, in fact, eat during the winter months, as the water is too cold, and as such, it was suspected that foul play might have occurred. [17] She supported it with an eponymous Facebook page, where she regularly publishes whatever updates she can and news about other, similar cases. Throughout their time in high school, both of them participated in a variety of extracurricular activities. A chromosomal disorder "has caused a lot of developmental delays for her," explains Richards . In December 2017, Brian was sentenced to 20 years in prison for Denises kidnapping, but the whole incident led to the focus to be on their relationship and their potential connection to Mikes sudden disappearance and death. Efforts continued until the search was called off in early February. Murder trial: Denise Williams and Brian Winchester accused of having Denise was arrested for the murder of Jerry Michael Williams in May 2018 and was charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder and accessory after the fact. The accessory charge suggested that sometime between August 2014 and the day Winchester was sentenced, Denise had allegedly helped Winchester avoid prosecution or arrest for the crime. 1973). Our Privacy Policy Creator includes several compliance verification tools to help you effectively protect your customers privacy. [27] The kidnapping that had led to his present imprisonment, he explained, was his reaction to fear that Denise would reveal the truth about what had happened to her first husband now that she and Brian were divorcing. Early searchers had reported seeing many of them, and some of the officials were willing to accept the possibility. In 2006, after the closure of the first FDLE investigation, she wrote a lengthy story about the case. Denise Williams, 48, was convicted in December for the murder of her husband, Mike Williams, 18 years after the young father disappeared while on a fishing trip in 2000. The chilling disappearance and murder of Jerry Michael Williams, or Mike as he preferred to go by, has been covered by CBSs 48 Hours. And with it, we have gotten to know a lot more information about the parties that were involved and how they got away with being criminals for almost two decades. [3], A possible new lead emerged in October 2007, when Michael Williams's older brother found a photograph and the serial number of a .22-caliber Ruger pistol that had once belonged to their father. She did not comply until he showed her a gun. [11], The three-page indictment was released two days later. She held her stepfather responsible for her fathers death and her mothers unhappy marriage. Jerry Michael "Mike" Williams (October 16, 1969[2] December 16, 2000) was an American murder victim. Mother hopes for break in 16-year-old cold case", "Insurance investigators take new look at Mike Williams' disappearance", "Mike Williams mystery gets national exposure", "Eight years later, still no trace of missing hunter Mike Williams", "Devastated Florida mother suspects wife, not alligators, is behind son's 2000 disappearance", "Brian Winchester sentenced to 20 years in prison", "Read the grand jury's indictment of Denise Williams", "Lawyer: Mike Williams was killed by Brian Winchester; Denise Williams is innocent", "Judge has ordered Denise Williams be held without bond and has set a trial date for September 24", "Denise Williams trial: Brian Winchester testifies affair 'snowballed' into plot to kill", "Secret recordings of Denise Williams reveal conversation about husband's murder", "Denise Williams insurance fraud case dropped, daughter gets all assets", "Denise Williams appeals murder conviction and life sentence", "Murder conviction for Denise Williams reversed by appeals court, conspiracy charge affirmed", Episode 11 Denise Williams Fri, Nov 13, 2020, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Murder_of_Mike_Williams&oldid=1138116187, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using embedded infobox templates with the title parameter, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, First-degree murder conviction overturned; remaining charges upheld (2020). Her arrest Tuesday coincided with their daughter's birthday. [12] In 2020, a Florida appellate court overturned her murder conviction but upheld her murder conspiracy conviction, for which she will serve 30 years. "Nothing in investigative or search and rescue efforts has produced any definitive evidence of a boating accident or a fatality as of this date," read the final report, issued in late February 2001. The story behind this killing is bit convoluted. Mike Williams' daughter awarded all assets - Tallahassee Democrat He also confessed that he and Williams-Winchester were having an affair since high school. Denise Huxtable - Wikipedia "Michael would have wanted her to be taken care of for the rest of her life.". [8], At noon, Denise called her father to tell him that Mike had not returned; Brian Winchester's (Mike's best friend) father drove with Winchester to the areas of the lake where they knew Mike Williams frequently went duck hunting. After investigators with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) were called, a search began, but soon had to be called off after a storm blew in. Cadaver dogs were brought to the area and sniffed it out, but found nothing. I never once saw him consult with her about anything," said Anslee Williams, who was only 18 months when her father went missing. Denise Eger, Jewel Thais-Williams, Maxine Waters, Irwin Rappaport, Phill Wilson, Sharon Stone and Jeanne White-Ginder are seen at the AIDS Monument. According to an audio clip that The Post was able to obtain, Winchester is heard telling investigators, In my view, I had it pretty good. This line of reasoning is problematic. [3], Investigators suspicions' were further raised by the waders' conditionundamaged, without any tooth marks, and lacking any of the residues that would be expected to accumulate on an object submerged in the lake for as long as the waders had supposedly been. Denise suggested staging a boating accident on the Gulf of Mexico where they could throw both Mike and Kathy Thomas overboard, but Winchester did not want to kill his children's mother. They remain estranged. Philips had told her early on in the search that Michael had probably been eaten by alligators, so she had assumed he had been involved in the investigation at that point. Williams was 5feet 10inches (1.78m) and 170 pounds (77kg). Copyright 2021 WCTV. [15], The private search team that surmised the alligator theory had been hired near the end of the original search by Williams's mother, Cheryl. Nevertheless, a week later, a Leon County judge granted Denise Williams's petition to have Mike declared legally dead on the basis of those recovered items and an assumption that alligators and other water life had consumed the body in its entirety. TPD pulls over car near FSU and finds gunshot victim, TPD responds to questions about recently terminated officer, Car crashes into R. Frank Nims Middle School causing damages, Josh's First Alert Forecast - Saturday, March 4, Cleaver and Cork hosts chef Michael Symon, publicfile@live5news.com - (843) 402-5555. Before he went to it, he took a tan sheet, a different-colored plastic sheet, a spray bottle of bleach, and a tool from Denise's car. Before the judge handed down the sentence, the victim's mother, Cheryl Williams . Mike Williams Daughter Anslee Williams Interview on Fathers Murder Case. Dateline: Secrets Uncovered - Why did Denise kill and conspire against By the time investigators began to realize that they should have asked some more questions, the opportunity was gone. All rights reserved. She has since continued to use her first husband's surname professionally.Together they had two sons, Kendrick Jr. (b. Denise Williams Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Winchester is alleged to have killed Michael with a gun. Michael had inherited it after his father's death, and after Michael was declared legally dead it was the only one of his firearms that Denise Williams had not returned to her former in-laws. 5 years after that, they even happily welcomed their daughter into the world. Her attorney argued before the Florida First District Court of Appeals that there was no evidence she was involved in the commission of the murder. Perry, the FFWCC officer who had been heavily involved in the original search, added at the time that if he or any other person investigating had known that there was a large life insurance policy on Williams, and who the beneficiary was, that search might have been handled differently. What is the current location of Anslee Williams? Sami Sheenthe 18-year-old daughter of exes Charlie Sheen and Denise Richardsdropped several bikini photos on Instagram nearly a year after first launching her OnlyFans account. Williams defense attorney, Phil Padavano, said the court considered her murder conviction in previously imposing the 30-year maximum sentence on the conspiracy charge. Creator of Brooke's Butterfly Bash LLC . Denise Williams on trial for 2000 murder of husband Brian, who Florida [17] In retrospect, many officers agreed with her that the circumstances surrounding Michael Williams' apparent drowning four years before were unusual, and were strongly at odds with that conclusion: Investigators also learned that Williams didn't usually hunt alone. Normally, under Florida law, the statute of limitations on that crime is five years, meaning it would have expired in 2005. [30] Denise is now imprisoned at the Florida Women's Reception Center. Mikes best friend and an insurance agent was Brian. She didnt want to be known as a divorcee or share custody of their daughter, so she got Brian to help her in getting rid of her husband for once and for all. But things took a horrifying turn - nine . "[3], "My gut feeling is Mike did not die in Lake Seminole", Austin said in 2006, after leaving the state's attorney's office for the FDLE. Her fate, in which she could have been. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. After subsequent investigations, he was presumed to have drowned in Lake Seminole, a large reservoir located in the southwest corner of Georgia along its border with Florida; investigators later came to suspect he had been the victim of foul play, possibly at another location. "I don't find that [Williams] was a relatively minor participant" Carroll said. [11], Denise's attorney declined to comment at that time, saying he had not had time to review the case. Also Read:Where Are Survivors Brandon Lafferty and Marty Thomas Now? After the trial, Williams-Winchester was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. "[16], The waders, discovered almost six months after Williams's disappearance, further undermined the alligator theory. Mike was a promising football player and was voted best personality, while Denise Merrell, who would later become Mikes wife but was known by her maiden name at the time, cheered for the North Florida Eagles and won the title of best dressed. Mike won the title of best personality, while Denise won the title of best dressed., According to Mikes former classmates, he was well regarded at the exclusive private school, where he not only excelled academically but also held the position of student council president. She spoke in court, asking leniency for her mother, Denise, and insisted that it was her step-father, Brian, and not Denise who plotted the December 2000 murder of her father. Her daughter Brooke succumbed to complications of Lupus in 2017 at the age of 18, and the event is . [3], Two days before his disappearance, Mike and Denise told his mother, as well as his brother Nick, that they were planning to have another child soon. The couple went on to live in the same house where Denise and Mike had lived prior. [3], Without any of that evidence or Williams's body, it was impossible for police to make a case. He made it look like Mike was the only one who was ever there. Mike Williams murder: Mother a driving force as jury finds answers to In 2019, Anslee Williams got $877,000 in assets, increasing her net worth. Before we get into the meat of uncovering whatever happened to Deniece Williams, we will take a short look at her life and career. According to what Shiflett shared with The Post, If he believed somebody was picking on you, he would speak up for you. Its possible for things to go wrong on the school bus, but he didnt let it bother him. WireImage "Dinner with the TEAM!" she captioned a video of herself posing for paparazzi outside the restaurant, sharing the clip on . "They could not have hurt me more if they had punched me in the face. She testified about her time in prison, including starting GED prep courses and participating in seminars for incarcerated women. But it can be extended by three years under certain circumstances. Not knowing that just two years later, he'd be the one to crack. She said later that he claimed this was necessary since she was not taking his calls and was blocking his text messages. He and Denise had bought a home in a small upscale subdivision on the east side of the city. Meanwhile, Winchester is serving a 20-year prison sentence for kidnapping Williams-Winchester at gunpoint in 2016. Want to get an all access pass to the latest tallahassee.com news, analysis, commentary, photos and video?Become a digital subscriber to support our investigative journalism. At the time of the trial investigators said Denise's motives were to get out of the marriage and collect nearly $2million from life insurance. The second-born child of Cliff and Clair Huxtable, Denise is known for her eccentric clothing and free-spirited, rebellious nature, earning her a reputation as . The immunity deal followed a plea and sentencing agreement with prosecutors after Winchester kidnapped Denise in the final days of their marriage because he was afraid she would pin the murder on him alone. Meanwhile, more information about her life is now unavailable. The indictment states that Denise Williams and Brian Winchester, her husband's best friend, plotted for nearly nine months to kill the 31-year-old.