Search Results - Williams, Denise
Murder of Mike Williams
On December 16, 2000, Jerry Michael "Mike" Williams, a 31‑year‑old man, disappeared during what was believed to be a solo duck‑hunting trip on Lake Seminole, a reservoir on the Georgia–Florida border. His boat was later found abandoned, prompting an extensive search that failed to recover any remains, an outcome unprecedented for drowning cases on the lake. Investigators initially concluded that Williams had drowned and that his body had likely been consumed by alligators. Six months later, waders and a jacket containing his hunting license were recovered, and he was declared legally dead after a petition by his wife, Denise.Over the following years, concerns emerged about inconsistencies in the alligator‑related explanation. His mother, Cheryl, repeatedly challenged the official findings and urged state authorities to reopen the case. In 2004, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) reopened the investigation, noting that alligators typically do not feed during winter months. However, the lack of a secured crime scene and the absence of new evidence prevented further progress. Additional reviews also failed to produce significant findings, despite continued pressure from the family. The case later gained national attention through a 2012 episode of the Investigation Discovery series ''Disappeared''.
The investigation shifted in 2016 when Brian Winchester — a longtime friend of Williams and later Denise's second husband — was arrested in an unrelated kidnapping incident involving her. He received a 20‑year sentence the day before the FDLE announced that Williams's remains had been located near Tallahassee in October 2017. The FDLE confirmed that Williams had been murdered.
In May 2018, Denise was arrested and charged with first‑degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and accessory. During her 2018 trial, Winchester testified that he had shot Williams at her direction after their initial plan to stage a boating/duck hunting accident failed. She was convicted in December 2018 and sentenced to life in prison in January 2019. In 2020, a Florida appellate court overturned the murder conviction but upheld the conspiracy conviction, for which she is serving a 30‑year sentence. Provided by Wikipedia
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