00:00:00
when 20 year old Matthew levison failed to return home after a night out clubbing in Sydney his loved ones were
00:00:07
worried sick suspicion soon fell on Matt's partner 45 year old Michael Atkins after it was
00:00:14
revealed that the pair were fighting on the night of Matt's disappearance but was that unfortunate timing or did
00:00:21
Atkins have something to hide Maddie is the latest podcast from casefile presents a 10-part series
00:00:29
narrated by Lauren O'Keefe from the missing persons advocacy Network Maddie from casefile presents is
00:00:37
available to stream for free right now only on Spotify stay tuned until the end of today's
00:00:44
episode to hear the trailer [Music] our episodes deal with serious and often distressing incidents if you feel at any
00:01:05
time you need support please contact your local crisis center for suggested phone numbers for
00:01:10
confidential support please see the show notes for this episode on your app or on
00:01:15
our website foreign [Music] Michael Williams loved two things above all else his family and spending time
00:01:27
Outdoors the 31 year old who went by Mike worked a long hours as a real estate appraiser
00:01:34
to provide for his wife and their 18 month old daughter while his six-figure salary afforded
00:01:41
them a comfortable lifestyle in Florida's capital city of Tallahassee Mike worked hard for his money leaving
00:01:47
him with a very little Leisure Time whenever he did fit in some time for himself he headed to one of the nearby
00:01:54
Lakes to go duck hunting he'd taken on the sport during his teens but afforded Mark the opportunity to
00:02:02
enjoy some fresh air and peace in the surrounding Woods December 2000 was shaping up to be
00:02:10
another busy month for Mike on the evening of Friday December 15 he volunteered to collect money for the
00:02:17
Salvation Army's Christmas appeal outside of his local Walmart store Mike was always willing to lend others a
00:02:25
helping hand it was a byproduct of having been raised by upstanding and selfless working-class
00:02:31
parents who sacrificed a lot to Grant Mike and his brother a quality upbringing the following morning of Saturday
00:02:40
December 16 Micah worked well Before Sunrise later that day he and his wife Denise
00:02:47
would be taking off for a romantic getaway to celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary at a boutique hotel in the
00:02:54
seaside town of appalachicola but first Mark wanted to get in a couple of hours of duck hunting at Lake
00:03:02
Seminole which was roughly 60 miles Northwest of his home the winter hunting season was
00:03:09
short-lived so he wanted to make the most of it while it lasted Mike loaded his gear into his green and
00:03:16
Tan Ford Bronco and attached his small motorized boat to the tow bar he drove away from his spacious
00:03:24
two-story home and into the pre-dawn light [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] Merrell's phone rang around midday on
00:03:55
Saturday December 16. on the other line was his daughter Denise Williams she was worried
00:04:03
her husband Mark was due to return home for their anniversary getaway but there was no sign of him
00:04:10
it wasn't like Mike to be late especially without getting in contact he was an incredibly devoted husband who
00:04:18
went above and beyond for Denise even when he was under the pump at work Mike would leave his office in the
00:04:25
middle of the day to fill Denise's car with petrol or bring her lunch while she cared for their infant daughter at home
00:04:33
here to buy groceries after work and to go home to make dinner only to return to
00:04:37
the office after Denise and their daughter were in bed Mike had been looking forward to his
00:04:44
weekend away so his unexplained absence was highly unusual Denise's father contacted the Florida
00:04:52
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission known as the FWC the organization was the first point of contact when it came
00:05:01
to managing the public Waters and initiating search and rescue missions they also worked closely with various
00:05:09
law enforcement to investigate any critical incidents officers from the FWC arrived at Lake
00:05:16
Seminole within 10 minutes of Warren Merrill's call located on the border of Florida and
00:05:23
Georgia Lake Seminole is a large Reservoir encompassing runoff from the Chattahoochee flint and Apalachicola
00:05:30
Rivers with 10 state parks dotting at Shores it's a popular location for fishing
00:05:36
hunting and bird watching the surrounding Woodlands attract campers hikers and nature lovers but
00:05:44
with over 37 and a half thousand acres to explore feelings of isolation are palpable
00:05:52
unsure where to start the search for Mike Williams a helicopter was ready to sweep over the area but a cold snap in
00:06:00
the weather forced to the aircraft to wait until the conditions improved in the meantime FWC officers set out
00:06:08
into the Wilderness on foot they failed to uncover Mike he's bowed or his car deputies from the Jackson County
00:06:18
Sheriff's Department were also brought in to assist focusing on the areas Mike was known to hunt out in the past
00:06:27
word quickly spread amongst Mike's friends and family that he had failed to return from his hunting trip
00:06:33
they didn't hesitate to head out to Lake Seminole to join in the search as the hours ticked by without any
00:06:41
breakthroughs anxieties heightened that something terrible had happened to Mike at 9pm the helicopter was finally
00:06:51
cleared to fly it was grounded by midnight having found nothing of significance this didn't deter the ground-based
00:07:01
search party nor did the stormy winter night that had arrived they braved the cold and continued to
00:07:09
track the swampy foggy Terrain their only source of warmth was a drum fire that served as the unofficial
00:07:16
search headquarters Brian Winchester had been Mike Williams best friend since ninth grade
00:07:27
the two lived parallel lives each marrying their High School sweethearts buying their first homes and having
00:07:34
children around the same time they remained close into adulthood going on hunting trips together and planning
00:07:43
double dates with their wives who had also been friends since high school so when Brian received a word that Mike
00:07:50
was missing he didn't hesitate to join in the search foreign a.m Brian and his father Marcus ventured
00:08:00
around to the western side of Lake Seminole they reached an area colloquially known
00:08:06
as stump Lake due to the many dead tree stumps that jutted out from the waters they Shone their flashlights through the
00:08:14
Reeds and trees while calling out Mark's name Marcus then noticed something in the
00:08:21
water approximately 70 meters south of a boat ramp it was Mark's boat [Music] nfwc officer was notified and quickly
00:08:33
secured The Vessel it contained all of Mike's hunting equipment including his duck decoys life
00:08:40
jacket and shotgun there was no sign of Maya or any indication that anything untoward had
00:08:48
taken place as Mike's shotgun was still in its case and there was no mud in the boat it
00:08:56
didn't appear as though he had been mid-hunt when he suddenly became separated from his watercraft
00:09:03
Mark's Ford Bronco was found roughly 70 meters away likewise there was nothing in the
00:09:11
vehicle to indicate Mike's whereabouts the only possible clue lay in the boat although the motor was dead the engine
00:09:21
was switched to the on position this suggested it had been in use when it was abandoned
00:09:29
stump Lake was filled with roots weeds and tree stumps some of which weren't visible from the surface
00:09:36
officers speculated that Mike could have been out on his boat when it hit a submerged stump and threw him overboard
00:09:43
[Music] the boots he'd been wearing when he left home were inside the boat meaning he'd
00:09:51
likely been wearing waders at the time he went missing made using waterproof fabric such as
00:09:58
rubber or PVC waders consist of boots that are permanently attached to a pair of overalls
00:10:05
[Music] favored by fishermen and duck Hunters they allow the wearer to stand in waste
00:10:11
high water without getting wet for all their benefits waders are also known to carry some risks
00:10:20
if someone falls in the water while wearing waders the weight of the water can pull them down while the pressure of
00:10:27
the water can cause the fabric to suction onto their skin this can make it incredibly difficult to
00:10:34
remove the waders thus dragging the wearer further down although the lake was only eight feet
00:10:42
deep at its deepest point with Mike's waders quickly filling with water officers believed he could have been
00:10:49
dragged under the surface his boat could have then continued on without him until it came to a stop once
00:10:57
hitting the muddy Bank one official remarked when we find the waders we will find
00:11:04
Mike at first lied on the morning of Sunday December 17 FWC officers entered the water in a boat
00:11:17
that was specially designed to navigate the heavily vegetated Waters of stump Lake
00:11:23
a thorough grid search was conducted across the lake with officers tying ropes from one tree stump to another to
00:11:30
Mark each area that had been examined they used poles to poke around the murky Waters every six to eight inches knowing
00:11:39
from experience that it was easy to differentiate the feel of a human body from other underwater debris
00:11:47
underwater cameras capable of monitoring any movement were also mounted along the
00:11:52
grid lines in case anything was missed divers scoured the Waterway and cadaver dogs were brought in while helicopters
00:12:01
and fixed-wing airplanes continued to search from above Mike's family friends and other
00:12:08
volunteers braved the cold weather to Aid the search this continued on for the next week
00:12:18
some were initially optimistic that Mike could have made it to a nearby Island and was waiting to be rescued but this
00:12:25
was quickly deemed highly unlikely the unfortunate truth was that he'd most likely drowned
00:12:34
as FWC officers had learned in previous drowning incidents it could sometimes take up to seven days for a body to rise
00:12:42
to the surface especially in freezing temperatures but a weekend not a single trace of Mike
00:12:50
Williams was uncovered by Christmas day any hopes of finding Mike alive had vanished and it had
00:13:00
become a search for his body the search was scaled back to just one FWC officer patrolling the waters and
00:13:08
one flight a day checking overhead on December 27 the FWC officer noticed a bit of fabric floating in the shallow
00:13:18
water amongst some grass and trees it was a distinctive camouflage hunting hat the Hat was shown to Mike's wife Denise
00:13:29
who confirmed it looked just like one owned by her husband an exhaustive search was conducted of
00:13:37
the shallow Waters where the Hat was found with the expectation that Mike's body would likely be under the surface
00:13:44
but there was nothing in late January Mark's mother Cheryl Williams hired a private search and
00:13:53
rescue team to Cone the area they too failed to find any sign of Mike which supported a theory that had been
00:14:01
gaining traction like Seminole was full of alligators some of them as large as 13 feet long
00:14:09
and weighing a thousand pounds up to 20 of them had been spotted in the area on the very first night of the
00:14:18
search alone [Music] to explain why Mike's body still hadn't surfaced authorities speculated that
00:14:25
alligators had likely gotten to Mark's Body before the search party did [Music] a report prepared for the head of the
00:14:33
private search team stated with the wildlife around I would guess that the alligators have dismembered and
00:14:41
stored the remains in a location that we would not be able to find days and then weeks past with no further
00:14:50
developments on Sunday February 11 2001 the search was finally called off by this point Mike had been missing for
00:15:02
44 days and an area of over five acres had been thoroughly inspected a report written by the Florida boating
00:15:12
accident investigation concluded nothing in investigative or search and rescue efforts has produced any
00:15:19
definitive evidence of a boating accident or a fatality as of this date Mr Williams is still missing
00:15:30
[Music] no clear answer as to what had happened the local Rumor Mill ran Rife in every other drowning incident on Lake
00:15:41
Seminole the victim's body had eventually resurfaced with no body to prove that Mike had
00:15:49
passed away people began to speculate that he could have faked his own death given the bizarre circumstances even
00:15:58
officials working the case thought this was a plausible possibility it just seemed so strange that Mike had
00:16:06
been hunting alone as he was known to almost always hunt with a buddy it was even stranger that he'd gone on a
00:16:14
solo hunting trip with only hours to spare before his romantic weekend away those close to Mike immediately shut the
00:16:24
idea down that he could have staged his own death to them there was no way he would have
00:16:30
intentionally run off he loved his daughter more than anything with one friend noting
00:16:37
his baby girl was the light of his life friends believed Mike would never bail on his responsibilities
00:16:47
Mike's father had also recently passed away and Mike wouldn't leave his widowed mother or intentionally cause her any
00:16:55
more pain furthermore Mike and Denise had some exciting plans for the future that coming spring they were going to
00:17:05
take a cruise to Hawaii and later a business trip to Jamaica they'd also recently told their families
00:17:13
that they intended to start trying for another baby Mike's mother Cheryl wasn't prepared to
00:17:21
accept that her son was really dead on Christmas day she had visited Lake Seminole for the first time since the
00:17:29
search for her son was underway something immediately told Cheryl that Mike wasn't there
00:17:37
he'd recently mentioned to Cheryl that he'd love to get his hands on fifty thousand dollars and take a year off
00:17:45
the nearest Greyhound bus station was only 24 miles away and although it would have been wildly out of character Cheryl
00:17:54
wondered whether Mike could have staged the whole disappearance before fleeing town
00:18:00
but another more grisly thought had also been gnawing away at her what if Mike had been the victim of Foul
00:18:09
Play this possibility hadn't been explored by the officers involved in the search as
00:18:16
there was no evidence to suggest that Mike was anything other than a missing Hunter
00:18:22
Cheryl vowed that she'd uncovered the truth and bring Mike home no matter what a friend of marks later told the New
00:18:32
York Post whoever did something to Mike messed with the wrong woman case File will be back shortly thank you
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the top and type in code case File [Music] at the start of June 2001 just under six
00:22:06
months after Mike Williams disappeared our local fisherman set out on Lake Seminole
00:22:12
as he made his way through the water of stump Lake he spotted something floating
00:22:17
on the surface it was a pair of Waiters aware of the mystery surrounding Mike's disappearance the fisherman contacted
00:22:28
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers arrived on the scene
00:22:34
accompanied by deputies from the Sheriff's Department after retrieving the waiters they
00:22:41
noticed there was a small bag strapped around at the waist inside there were a bunch of shotgun
00:22:48
shells and a hunting license it belonged to Mike Williams a diver was sent underwater
00:23:00
on the muddy bottom of the lake they found a lightweight hunting jacket with a small flashlight in the pocket
00:23:08
this was a major Discovery as it finally solidified the area where Mike had drowned
00:23:15
but the FWC officers were flabbergasted they'd scoured this particular part of the lake as thoroughly as possible
00:23:23
during the search for Mike and had found nothing despite their rigorous prodding of the
00:23:30
bottom of the lake neither the waiters nor the jacket had any poke holes in them nor were there any alligator teeth
00:23:36
marks the waders in particular were in pristine condition with not even any slime on them
00:23:46
the water inside of the waders was forensically examined there was no sign of any human remains
00:23:53
nor anything to conclusively indicate that Mike Williams had ever been wearing them
00:23:58
[Music] it just didn't seem right that the immaculate waiters would suddenly pop to
00:24:04
the surface after six months submerged in eight feet of Muddy weed-ridden Waters
00:24:11
surprisingly the flashlight also still worked a question was raised was it possible
00:24:19
these items had been planted foreign to the Tallahassee Democrat newspaper the diver who founded the jacket and
00:24:28
flashlight didn't think so on the bottom of the lake where these items lay he'd also seen torn weeds and
00:24:36
to Alligator excrement evidence that supported the theory that Mike had drowned and his remains were eaten
00:24:44
the diver remarked I wouldn't say that it seemed planted but that's anybody's guess
00:24:54
contrary to popular belief alligators aren't necessarily the Savage Hunters they're painted to be
00:25:01
when they want to the force of their bike can be quite delicate therefore reptile experts confirmed it
00:25:09
was possible that an alligator could have gently removed Mike's remains from his waders without leaving any teeth
00:25:15
marks the discovery of the waiters served as proof that something life-threatening
00:25:26
had happened to Mike Williams and four weeks later a judge officially declared Mike legally dead
00:25:33
the cause of death was listed as accidental drowning this was a rare move in a case without a
00:25:40
body in Florida it typically took five years for a person to be declared dead when
00:25:47
there was no proof Mike's mother Cheryl wasn't happy with the ruling there were still some aspects of the
00:25:55
case that didn't add up she still couldn't comprehend that Mike had been hunting alone that his body had
00:26:02
never surfaced and that he submerged belongings were undamaged but with Mike declared illegally dead
00:26:10
there was little she could do given that his disappearance had never been considered a criminal matter Cheryl
00:26:18
Williams took it upon herself to look further into the case and cross-check all the details
00:26:26
she researched the weather patterns wind speeds and currents from the time Mike went missing
00:26:33
on the first night of the search for Mark a storm had blown through the area the winds were blowing easterly which
00:26:41
meant Mark's boat should have blown to the eastern shore of stump Lake on the contrary it was found on the
00:26:49
western side the boat which was fitted with a 5 horsepower motor was also found with a
00:26:56
full tank of gasoline if Mike had fallen overboard while out on the water the manufacturer of the
00:27:04
boat said it wouldn't have come to a stop at the bank instead it would have kept a running in circles until it
00:27:11
eventually ran out of gas the location where Mike's Ford Bronco was found also struck Cheryl Lazard
00:27:20
rather than being parked near the concrete boat ramp that Mike was known to use it was near an undeveloped
00:27:27
makeshift Landing this meant Mike would have had to drag his boat through the mud to launch it
00:27:35
why would he go to this unnecessary effort and inconvenience Cheryl also spoke to reptile experts to
00:27:45
learn more about the habits of North Florida alligators at the time of Mike's alleged to
00:27:51
Drowning the Waters of Lake Seminole were a crisp 58 degrees Fahrenheit or 14 degrees Celsius
00:28:00
two days later they dropped further to just 46 degrees Fahrenheit or 7 degrees Celsius and Ice eventually formed on
00:28:08
parts of the lake according to reptile experts in these kinds of temperatures the last thing
00:28:16
alligators are interested in is feeding instead they hibernate with their focus on maintaining their body temperature
00:28:25
they don't need to eat during this time as they're capable of surviving on just one large meal per year
00:28:33
not only did reptile experts think there was no way Mike was eaten by alligators
00:28:39
the ones seen around to the lake at the time of Mike's disappearance were mostly
00:28:44
small ones not the kind capable of eating a five foot ten man who weighed 170 pounds without leaving a Trace
00:28:54
experts were asked if it was possible that Mark's Body could have been held underwater by weeds only to be consumed
00:29:01
by alligators once they came out of hibernation they ruled this out too if Mike's body
00:29:09
had been underwater other creatures such as crayfish catfish and turtles would have found his remains long before the
00:29:17
alligators did on the highly improbable chance that other creatures didn't eat his remains
00:29:24
first it was simply too unusual that not a trace of Mark's Body would be found Cheryl compiled all of the questionable
00:29:34
elements of Mark's disappearance into a 27-page document and contacted various law enforcement agencies urging them to
00:29:42
reopen the case she was tireless in her efforts refusing to take no for an answer
00:29:50
but as the months and then years passed by investigators slowly stopped returning her calls
00:29:58
while they felt for Cheryl there was little they could do [Music] Cheryl had a friend with connections to
00:30:08
the Florida Department of Law Enforcement after seeking their input in 2004 they
00:30:15
finally agreed to open an investigation into Mark's disappearance after examining all of the peculiar
00:30:22
elements of the case they agreed that something didn't seem quite right [Music] investigators changed the status of Mike
00:30:31
Williams case to a suspicious missing person which meant it was officially considered a criminal case
00:30:39
Cheryl was relieved that she was finally being taken seriously for years many had thought her refusal
00:30:47
to let the case go was just the result of her grief but with law enforcement on her side it proved she was right to
00:30:54
question the facts when Mike's Widow Denise found out that a criminal investigation was going ahead
00:31:03
she was firmly against it while she understood Cheryl's grave she wanted to focus on the future instead of
00:31:12
dwelling on the past Denise was moving on with her life and had recently started dating again
00:31:21
Denise warned Cheryl that if she proceeded with the investigation Cheryl would no longer be able to see her
00:31:28
granddaughter the thought of losing access to the young girl devastated Cheryl but finding
00:31:35
Justice for her son was Paramount as a family friend later told CBS News Cheryl took the energy she would have
00:31:46
spent loving on that child and tried to find her daddy investigators examining the case began
00:31:55
questioning Mike's family and friends Denise said that Mike had no enemies and there was no one who would want to harm
00:32:03
him she described her husband as a great guy and family man a sentiment that was
00:32:10
supported by everyone who knew him Mark's boss described him as an unbelievable worker with Incredible
00:32:18
energy who was quote as clean as anyone comes while investigators agreed that the
00:32:27
circumstances of Mike's disappearance were suspicious they were between a rock and a hard place
00:32:34
given that the case had never been treated as a criminal investigation Mark's boat vehicle and waders had never
00:32:42
been preserved as evidence all of his belongings had along since being returned to his family
00:32:50
likewise the area where these items were found was never considered a crime scene
00:32:55
meaning members of the search party had been allowed to freely trample around no Footprints tire marks or other
00:33:03
forensics had ever been examined or preserved with no body and no evidence investigators had their work cut out for
00:33:12
them they attempted to find any Witnesses but came up dry Cheryl Williams continued to do whatever
00:33:22
she could to draw the Public's attention to her son's case she appealed to journalists to cover the
00:33:28
story and used her retirement savings to have Billboards erected around town and
00:33:34
ads published in the local newspaper appealing directly to the readers the ads began with the heartfelt line
00:33:44
I haven't seen my son Mike in over five years will you please take a moment to read this and help me find him
00:33:54
after detailing her plight Cheryl asked were you hunting in Lake Seminole on December 16 2000.
00:34:03
did you see Mike or his vehicle did you see Mike with anyone with someone else driving his vehicle
00:34:11
did you see anything unusual do you know anything that would help criminal investigators find out what
00:34:18
happened to my son in the lead up to the sixth anniversary of Mike's Disappearance in 2006 the
00:34:27
Tallahassee Democrat published the first ever comprehensive coverage of the Mike
00:34:32
William case the article revealed for the first time that law enforcement were now
00:34:39
considering Mike's disappearance as suspicious and were trying to make up for the fact that it wasn't initially
00:34:45
handled as a criminal case one investigator commented my gut feeling is Mike did not die in
00:34:54
Lake Seminole which is the shared feeling of all law enforcement working this case
00:35:00
we know we are all at a brick wall and are pounding our heads against it the investigation soldiered on slowly
00:35:13
by 2007 there were enough technological advances to Warrant a new search of Lake
00:35:19
Seminole but it was yet another dead end and the case eventually went cold Cheryl Williams refused to Let It Go
00:35:29
there was another major factor that had always bothered her about her son's disappearance
00:35:37
Mike had met Denise Merrill during the ninth grade it had been love at first sight for the quintessential American
00:35:44
couple Mike was a talented footballer and student council president and Denise was a cheerleader and Student Council
00:35:52
secretary After High School they both attended Florida State University the couple married in 1994 and had their
00:36:02
daughter five years later when Mike vanished on the weekend of their sixth wedding anniversary Cheryl
00:36:10
Williams could never understand why Denise was so quick to accept the drowning explanation and to move on
00:36:17
[Music] Denise had kept a low profile throughout the ordeal and had refused to speak to
00:36:23
the Press she wanted to mourn in private and move on with her life yet her hostility
00:36:31
towards pursuing an investigation concerned Cheryl then five years after Mike vanished
00:36:39
Denise remarried the union was a Hot Topic as Denise's new husband was none other than Mike's
00:36:48
best friend Brian Winchester when the couple first went public about their relationship they were adamant
00:36:58
their romantic interest in one another was a recent development regardless people began speculating that
00:37:06
they could have been seeing each other when Mike was still alive giving them a motive to want him out of the picture
00:37:14
Denise and Brian had declined to speak to the Tallahassee Democrat for the write-up about Mike's case stating in an
00:37:22
email we love Mike and to miss him terribly and would ask that our privacy be respected through what continues to be a
00:37:31
very difficult time Denise had previously returned Mike's hunting equipment to his family but when
00:37:41
Mike's brother Nick was going through the weapons in 2007 he noticed that Mike's 22 caliber Ruger pistol was
00:37:49
missing Mike had inherited the gun from his father so it was important to Nick that
00:37:55
they got the gun back Denise claimed she'd lost the gun and had even claimed it on insurance
00:38:03
Nick didn't believe her he contacted the police to report a missing weapon and a court order was
00:38:11
filed Denise eventually returned to the gun to Mike's family while they were relieved to have it back
00:38:20
that raised the question why had she tried to hide this weapon Cheryl Williams had reason to be
00:38:29
suspicious about her daughter-in-law from early on Mike had three life insurance policies
00:38:36
valued at roughly 1.75 million dollars of which Denise was the sole beneficiary having Mike declared illegally dead had
00:38:46
allowed the niece to claim on these within six months of him going missing she'd applied to receive the payout just
00:38:55
19 days after Mike's disappearance law enforcement agreed that these elements were suspicious and in 2008
00:39:05
Cold Case investigators re-examined the case with a focus on these factors Denise's desire to promptly claim on
00:39:14
Mike's life insurance wasn't necessarily dubious after having her baby Denise had quit
00:39:21
her job as an accountant to be a full-time stay-at-home mum Mike was the sole Breadwinner for the
00:39:28
family and after he went missing the bills piled up quickly Denise had been so strapped for cash
00:39:36
that she'd even resorted to enlisting help from Mike's friends to sell some of his belongings
00:39:42
but the timing of which Mike had taken out the policies that did strike investigators as odd
00:39:50
the largest policy valued at one million dollars had only been put in place a few
00:39:55
months before his disappearance the person who sold him the insurance policy was Brian Winchester
00:40:06
[Music] in Florida charges relating to insurance fraud carry a five-year statute of
00:40:16
limitations but in special circumstances that can be extended by three years Mike's case now eight years old was
00:40:26
taken on by state investigators from the insurance fraud division and given a media priority
00:40:34
Brian Winchester was brought in for questioning in the year 2000 Brian worked for his
00:40:41
father's financial planning company he told investigators that Mike had discussed taking out a higher life
00:40:48
insurance policy ever since he'd become apparent [Music] Brian had simply helped him facilitate
00:40:55
this was supported by Mike's boss who said he'd also encouraged Mike to put higher
00:41:02
coverage in place once he had a family to support Brian firmly denied having anything to
00:41:09
do with Mike's disappearance in December 2000 Brian said he was still happily married to his first wife Kathy
00:41:19
on the morning of December 16 he was supposed to join his father-in-law for an early morning hunting trip but he
00:41:27
overslept and had to cancel at the last minute Brian's ex-wife Kathy verified his Alibi
00:41:34
but she said their marriage had been far from happy she voiced her suspicions that Brian and
00:41:42
Denise could have started an affair well before they went public with their relationship in 2004.
00:41:49
possibly when Mark was still alive if this was the case it added further weight to the growing theory that Brian
00:41:59
and Denise could be behind Mike's disappearance the problem was there was nothing to
00:42:06
prove that pair had been romantically involved back in the year 2000. phone and credit card records from the
00:42:14
time were no longer available leaving investigators with no way of linking the two
00:42:20
they were now convinced that Mike had met with Foul Play but they still had no evidence
00:42:28
having exhausted every possible lead with no breakthroughs the case was reluctantly closed
00:42:36
the only way it could be opened again was if fresh and compelling evidence emerged
00:42:44
Cheryl Williams was undeterred she picketed in front of the church that Denise and Brian attended holding up
00:42:51
signs with her son's face on them that read help solve Mark's disappearance and bring Mike home
00:43:01
she continued posting Flyers about Mike around town and in January 2009 she began writing letters daily to the newly
00:43:10
sworning Governor pleading for a special prosecutor to be assigned to Mike's case
00:43:17
all up She Wrote 2 600 letters Mike's story was eventually covered on a segment aired on the Investigation
00:43:27
Discovery Channel leading to renewed public interest in the case but no further leads emerged
00:43:35
Cheryl continued writing to the governor every single day but each request fell on deaf ears
00:43:43
[Music] by 2016 Mike had been missing for almost 16 years the morning of Friday August 5 started
00:43:54
out normally for the Now 46 year old Denise at 9am she got into her Chevrolet Suburban SUV to drive to her accounting
00:44:04
job at Florida State University part of Denise's morning routine was to speak to her sister
00:44:13
she took out her cell phone to dial her sister's number when she glanced in the rearview mirror and noticed a dark
00:44:21
figure in her backseat [Music] case File will be back shortly thank you for supporting us by listening to this
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deliver quality content it took Denise a moment to realize that the figure was her husband Brian
00:47:55
Winchester the past four years hadn't been smooth sailing for the couple a series of Affairs on both behalfs had
00:48:04
led Brian to admit he was a sex addict and the pair had separated in 2012. while Brian hoped they could work things
00:48:13
out Denise had recently filed for divorce citing a reconcilable differences on the morning of August 5 2016 the
00:48:23
couple was scheduled to have an appraisal of their Centennial Oaks home as part of the divorce proceedings
00:48:30
instead after launching at Denise from his hiding place in the back seat of her car Brian grabbed the cell phone from
00:48:37
Denise's hands and demanded that she start driving Denise refused but Brian threatened to
00:48:46
hurt her if she didn't comply that's when Denise realized Brian was holding something in his hands a pistol
00:48:55
he rammed the weapon into Denise's ribs and once again demanded that she start driving
00:49:01
this time she did as she was told but she didn't take the route Brian was telling her to
00:49:10
there was a pharmacy near her home that was under constant video surveillance so
00:49:15
Denise drove there instead parking as close to the door as possible so she could attract help if need be
00:49:23
Brian told Denise he'd been forced to do this because she refused to return any of his calls emails or messages
00:49:31
on top of the impending divorce the past few years had been a struggle for Brian
00:49:37
his mother was suffering from terminal cancer and he'd recently lost shared custody of his son after the teenager
00:49:45
found explicit photos on Brian's phone of Brian engaging with sex workers Brian told Denise that if she went ahead
00:49:54
with the divorce he'd have nothing to live for fearing for her life Denise asked Brian
00:50:02
are you planning on ending both of our lives today he replied just mine Denise did everything she could to calm
00:50:14
Brian down if he let her go she repeatedly promised she wouldn't tell anybody about this
00:50:20
incident she reassured Brian he could turn his life around if he just tried and invited
00:50:27
him to come to her house later on so they could talk properly after about 45 minutes Brian seemed to
00:50:36
snap out of it he told Denise to drop him back at his truck and when they got there he started
00:50:43
apologizing profusely his demeanor changed so much that Denise found it hard to believe this was the
00:50:51
same man who had violently threatened her just a moment earlier Brian got out of the car and went to
00:50:59
retrieve some of his belongings from the back of the SUV Denise watched as he gathered the items
00:51:06
up a large piece of fabric a plastic sheet a spray bottle of bleach and a small hammer-sized tool of some kind
00:51:16
as soon as Brian was out of sight Denise drove straight to the county sheriff's office
00:51:22
[Music] officers took Denise to an interrogation room where she provided a full account
00:51:32
of her ordeal a warrant was immediately issued for Brian Winchester's arrest police believed that the items Brian had
00:51:42
stashed into Denise's car showed that he had intended to kill Denise and dispose
00:51:47
of her body they commended Denise for her brave actions saying that her quick thinking
00:51:53
had saved her life however the police who interviewed Denise were well aware of her connection
00:52:01
to the Mike Williams case and her kidnapping story raised some eyebrows they immediately wondered what reason
00:52:09
Brian had to want Denise dad was it possible that she'd threatened to talk about what happened to Mike
00:52:18
Denise was scared that Brian would come after her again and she immediately requested to file a restraining order
00:52:25
against him realizing just how bad their marriage had become investigators recognized this
00:52:32
as their opportunity to get Denise to turn against Brian at last they took turns grilling Denise
00:52:42
one officer put it to her bluntly saying I know Brian did it and you know exactly
00:52:48
what I'm talking about he held that over your head forever fifteen years ago Brian walked in and
00:52:56
told you he'd done something didn't he he killed mayak and I'm pretty sure the reason he was going to kill you today
00:53:04
was he was afraid you were going to say something Denise strongly disputed this allegation
00:53:12
she said she believed that Mike had drowned in Lake Seminole and she had no reason to think otherwise
00:53:19
when an officer told her this was impossible Denise responded plainly that's just what I believe
00:53:30
as the officers continued to press her about Mark's disappearance Denise said she was starting to feel uncomfortable
00:53:38
she shifted awkwardly in her chair looking down at the papers in front of her she said she only had until the end of
00:53:46
the day to file the restraining order and that was her main priority she acted confused as to why they were
00:53:54
bringing up Mike's death when she'd just been kidnapped the officers pressed on about Brian's
00:54:01
potential involvement with Mark's disappearance but Denise continuously switched the subject back to the events
00:54:08
of the day while Denise was being interrogated Brian Winchester was arrested and
00:54:16
charged with kidnapping domestic assault and armed burglary realizing they weren't about to extract
00:54:23
any information from Denise the interviewing officer told her I was hoping you could fill in some of
00:54:30
the pieces of the puzzle you haven't Brian might think about what I've said [Music]
00:54:43
Brian denied that he had any intention of harming Denise he claimed the so-called spray bottle of
00:54:50
bleach was actually a bottle of water he was using to mist up her car window so she couldn't see he was hiding inside
00:54:58
the hammer-like tool Denise had spotted him carrying was an empty clip for the gun
00:55:05
one week later Brian appeared in court through tears Denise begged that the judge refused him bail for the safety of
00:55:14
herself and her daughter the judge agreed Brian pleaded no contest and his sentencing went ahead 16 months later in
00:55:24
December 2017. in court Denise read an emotional Victim Impact statement your honor I'm here today to ask you to
00:55:36
sentence Ryan Winchester to the maximum penalty under the law for the crimes that he committed against me on August
00:55:43
the 5th 2016. it's been 16 months since he broke into my car hit in the back waiting on me
00:55:53
scared the life out of me jump jumping up while I was driving shoved I got in my ribs
00:56:03
and kidnapped me I have relived it every single day and it is always with me he made the choice to plan and act out
00:56:16
the crimes of August the 5th he is the reason he has been sitting in jail the past 16 months
00:56:23
he's the reason that he lost me and his children since August the 5th 2016 I have been diagnosed with
00:56:36
post-traumatic stress disorder and with extreme anxiety I start each day with the memory of him
00:56:44
jumping out of the back and I end each day feeling the gun shoved in my ribs wouldn't turn on my right side trying to
00:56:52
sleep each day when I get in my car to go to work I look back to check the back seats
00:57:01
this is my life now we all have the right to feel secure and safe and he took my sense of security and
00:57:11
safety for me stole it from me and I will never be what he stole it from me and I will never be
00:57:21
the same I live each day with the fear of his retaliation for my decision to tell
00:57:29
he will finish what he has started no matter what age he is when he is released for all of these reasons
00:57:37
I'm asking you to send it to him to life in prison for the crimes he has committed
00:57:42
it comes down to my life where it is and I'm asking you please choose money thank you
00:57:57
what Denise didn't know is that just two months earlier in October 2017 prosecutors had approached Brian
00:58:06
Florida law dictates that married couples aren't required to testify against one another at court but Denise
00:58:14
and Brian's divorce had officially been finalized in May that year this meant that the two were no longer
00:58:21
protected by spousal privilege recognizing an opportunity the prosecutors presented Brian with an
00:58:30
offer tell the truth about what happened to Mike Williams and Not only would they
00:58:36
provide full immunity for any charges relating to that case they'd also remove the potential life sentence for Denise's
00:58:43
kidnapping by this point almost 17 years had passed since Mike went missing finally Brian started talking
00:58:59
he said it all started during a double date night out between Brian Kathy Mike and Denise in 1997.
00:59:08
the conversation took an unusual turn and somehow they started talking about sex
00:59:14
Brian and Denise had known each other since preschool and he'd never thought about her in a romantic way before but
00:59:21
the conversation sparked an attraction that Brian felt was Mutual in October that year the two couples
00:59:29
went to see a concert together while Mike and Kathy went to park the car Denise and Brian kissed for the
00:59:37
first time later that night after the couple's returned home Brian and Denise spoke on
00:59:44
the phone for hours they talked about everything including their desires and it eventually led to
00:59:51
them having phone sex after that a full-blown Affair ensued Brian and Denise began sneaking around
01:00:02
and meeting up regularly for sex sometimes up to 15 times a week they'd rendezvous at hotels in public
01:00:11
places and sometimes that Mike and Denise's place while Mike was at work sometimes when Mike and Denise went out
01:00:20
of town for one of Mike's business trips Brian would follow them and spend time with Denise while Mike was busy with
01:00:27
conferences things continued this way for years and Brian felt he had it pretty good
01:00:35
he said I had a good wife I had a kid and I had Denise on the side in contrast Denise was unhappy in her
01:00:46
marriage to Mike the two fought constantly and hadn't had sex since Denise was pregnant
01:00:55
regardless divorce wasn't an option for Denise not only did it go against her religious
01:01:01
beliefs she was worried that she'd Lose full custody of her daughter Denise also liked to present herself a
01:01:09
certain way and she was worried that leaving Mike would affect her Public Image as Brian would later remark
01:01:19
better to be a rich Widow than a poor divorcee Brian and Denise wanted to be together
01:01:29
full time although Brian couldn't pinpoint exactly who brought it up first they started
01:01:36
discussing ways they could get Mike out of the picture they considered staging a robbery at
01:01:42
Mike's office while he was working late but ruled that out knowing that a full investigation would ensue
01:01:50
another option was for both couples to go on a boating trip which ended in a fatal accident that only Brian and
01:01:56
Denise would survive although Brian didn't tell Denise at the time he was against this idea because he
01:02:04
didn't want anything to happen to Kathy while he no longer wanted to be married to her he didn't wish her any harm
01:02:14
given that Mike was making good money and had a family to support in early 2000 Brian encouraged him to apply for a
01:02:22
new life insurance policy through his father's financial planning company Mike already had a five hundred thousand
01:02:30
dollar policy with another provider but he figured he could let that one lapse in exchange for a one million dollar
01:02:36
policy set up by the Winchesters what he didn't know was that Denise planned on continuing to pay the
01:02:43
premiums on the existing 500 000 policy so that too would remain active Brian told investigators the plan was
01:02:52
quote we would be together and to live happily ever after and as a side note we'd have
01:02:59
all this money and enjoy a wonderful life together during this time Mike and Brian remained
01:03:08
close France one day they were on a hunting trip when Mike suddenly walked into some deep mud
01:03:15
it sucked him up like quicksand Brian had to use great force to pull Mike out of the mud which seemingly had
01:03:24
no bottom had Mike been alone there was a high chance he could have drowned that's when it occurred to Brian this
01:03:33
could be a great way to make Mike disappear [Music] he could lower Mark to an isolated spot
01:03:40
on a lake making sure he was wearing his waders all Brian had to do was push him
01:03:46
overboard and as soon as Mike hit the water his waders would fill up and drag him down to the Muddy Bottom
01:03:54
Denise liked this idea Brian said it sat well with her because she could almost justify her to herself
01:04:02
that it was a tragic accident they started discussing ways to make it happen but time was of the essence
01:04:11
Mike was getting increasingly unhappy with his life and wanted to make some changes
01:04:17
he talked about getting a new job relocating out west with his family or him and Denise trying for another baby
01:04:27
while Mike had no idea about the affair he suspected that something was going on
01:04:32
with Denise during an interstate hunting trip Mike confided him Brian that cash had been
01:04:39
disappearing from his account he was worried that Denise might have a problem with the drugs
01:04:46
Brian had to bite his tongue knowing that Denise had actually used the money to fund out of town trips for the two of
01:04:53
them Mike also voiced his frustration to Brian about their lack of sex life he hoped their upcoming wedding anniversary
01:05:03
would be a chance to rekindle the spark Denise wanted to act fast she didn't want to go on the anniversary trip let
01:05:13
alone get into another fight with Mike when she rejected his advances it was also a matter of time before Mike
01:05:21
noticed the premiums for his old life insurance policy being deducted from his checking account
01:05:29
the problem was duck hunting season only ran from around mid-november to late January and only on selected days
01:05:38
furthermore the lakes around Tallahassee were mostly shallow and not suited to a
01:05:44
drowning accident [Music] Brian would have to lure Mark to a further location without anyone else
01:05:51
knowing that Brian was with him all he and Denise needed were solid alibis slowly the plan fell into place
01:06:05
Brian invited Mike to join him on an early morning hunting trip to Lake Seminole on Saturday December 9 2000.
01:06:14
Brian also arranged to go hunting with his father-in-law later that morning so that someone could verify his
01:06:21
whereabouts Denise would make a few calls from her landline so she could prove she'd been
01:06:27
at home all morning Brian and Denise would have very little contact both before and after the
01:06:34
incident so as to not raise anyone's suspicions several hours before things were
01:06:42
supposed to kick off Denise panicked and made Mike cancel his trip Brian was equal parts relieved and
01:06:50
concerned while he dreaded putting the plan into action this was something they couldn't
01:06:56
afford to be indecisive about with Mike and Denise's anniversary trip looming the following weekend Denise was
01:07:05
motivated to try again straight away on the night of Friday December 15 Brian took his wife Kathy to a concert in
01:07:15
downtown Tallahassee he encouraged her to drink as much as possible hoping that she'd sleep soundly
01:07:22
when they got home and wake up late the next morning Brian woke Before Dawn with Kathy still fast asleep he quickly
01:07:34
snuck off to meet Mike at a gas station near the I-10 highway Brian had simply told Mike they were
01:07:42
going to a special hunting spot where they denied their waders to ensure nothing could link the two of
01:07:49
them together Brian told Mike that his phone was dead and not to bother calling him for any reason
01:07:56
Mike was none the wiser he met Brian as planned just like they'd done on countless other hunting trips
01:08:05
and the two friends headed out to Lake Seminole in their respective vehicles once they reached stump Lake and headed
01:08:13
out on the water Brian waited until they were in the deepest part to put the plan
01:08:18
into action when Mike stood up Brian pushed him overboard but things quickly went awry
01:08:28
Mike managed to remove his hunting jacket and waders leaving Brian in a state of panic
01:08:34
not knowing what else to do he picked up his 12-gauge shotgun and shot Mike directly in the head
01:08:45
everything from that point on was a bit of a blur in a State of Shock Brian dragged Mike's
01:08:53
body to the shore and loaded it into the back of his vehicle he then pushed to Mike's boat back out
01:08:59
onto the water Brian sped home dismantling his shotgun as he drove and scattering the pieces
01:09:07
out the window at one point a highway patrol officer parked next to him at a red light but
01:09:14
didn't suspect a thing when Brian arrived home Kathy was still asleep so he snuck into bed beside her
01:09:24
he then pretended he'd overslept and missed the hunting trip with her father he called his father-in-law to explain
01:09:33
what had happened and canceled the trip hoping that phone records would further solidify his alibi
01:09:41
with Mike's body still in the back of his vehicle Brian drove to Walmart where he purchased a tarp and travel
01:09:49
he drove to a quiet location in car Lake 10 miles from his home dug a shallow hole and buried Mike's body
01:09:59
while he was there he ran into a deer hunter but was able to make small talk without raising any suspicion
01:10:07
after that he thoroughly washed his car and then assumed the role of worried a friend when his father called to say
01:10:15
that Mike was missing as for the accusation that the waders had been planted in the water six months
01:10:22
later Brian denied this he couldn't explain why they'd taken so long to rise to the surface
01:10:33
Brian said he'd never told Denise the full truth about what happened and she never asked
01:10:40
they laid low for as long as possible waiting for an appropriate amount of time before Brian ended his marriage
01:10:47
with Kathy only years later when they felt things had well and truly died down Brian and
01:10:54
Denise finally went public with what they pretended to be their new relationship
01:11:00
they agreed to never tell another Soul about what happened to Mike no matter how much pressure they were ever put
01:11:07
under once Denise and Brian were married he felt somewhat safe in the LIE they were
01:11:15
living given they'd be protected by spouse or privilege that all changed when their relationship
01:11:21
started to fall apart in 2012. Brian said they both became increasingly paranoid and would often Pat one another
01:11:31
down before they talked about anything serious in case the other was wearing a wire
01:11:37
they started to fear they were being watched by the time Denise filed for divorce
01:11:45
four years later Brian was convinced she was going to talk his paranoia at its peak he broke into
01:11:53
Denise's car in the early hours of August 5 2016 and waited until she climbed behind the wheel
01:12:06
after making his confession Brian LED police down a remote heavily vegetated stretch of road to an overgrown area off
01:12:14
car Lake in the north of Leon County the site had changed significantly since Brian last visited there and he
01:12:24
struggled to identify the exact location he was looking for pointing to one of the trees Brian said
01:12:33
the best I can tell you is I remember digging a hole near this type of tree her Specialist Team was brought in to
01:12:42
excavate the area as delicately as possible which was no easy feat but eventually near the muddy dirt slope
01:12:50
that acted as a makeshift boat ramp they found Mike Williams remains just as Brian had described
01:12:59
Brian Winchester was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the armed kidnapping of his ex-wife
01:13:06
Mike Williams mother Cheryl was disappointed by the result later telling reporters
01:13:13
20 years is not much for my son's life considering they've been free for 17 years but we did not want Denise getting
01:13:21
away I guess we have to take what we can get she may not have pulled the trigger but
01:13:28
she killed Mike and I want her to pay for that [Music] meanwhile investigators behind the
01:13:36
scenes continued building their case against Denise although Brian's confession was damning
01:13:43
prosecutors had to convince a grander jury that Denise had been in on the murder plot all along
01:13:50
their best chance of doing this was to uncover proof that Denise and Brian had started seeing each other long before
01:13:56
they went public with their relationship police records revealed that when Mike Williams was still alive Brian's car had
01:14:07
been reported as abandoned in a church parking lot not far from the Williams home
01:14:13
when asked about this Brian admitted he used to park his car there before walking the back streets to visit Denise
01:14:20
so that no one would see him coming or going from her house at the time police had contacted the
01:14:28
Winchester House to inquire about the seemingly abandoned vehicle Brian's wife Kathy had answered
01:14:37
Brian had told her he was out of town on a hunting trip so she was immediately suspicious that he'd gone to see Denise
01:14:47
Kathy had always suspected that Brian and Denise had started their affair while she and Brian were still married
01:14:54
regardless she had maintained a close friendship with Denise over the years but an odd phone call she received from
01:15:03
Denise one week after Brian's arrest for kidnapping raised some red flags Denise told Kathy
01:15:12
tell Brian's father to get a message to Brian that I'm not talking suspicious as to what this meant Kathy
01:15:23
agreed with police to covertly record her phone conversations with Denise in one call Kathy pretended that she'd
01:15:32
been subpoenaed in relation to the charges against Brian she said she was worried that Mark's
01:15:38
disappearance would be brought up she told Denise I've always just pretended like I don't
01:15:45
know anything and I do know Denise Cut Her Off quickly what do you know Kathy told Denise she knew about the
01:15:58
affair and that she regretted not saying anything to Mike in case it meant he'd still be alive
01:16:05
Denise pressed Kathy to elaborate but she didn't deny or confess to anything to investigators her emotionless
01:16:14
response further served as proof that she'd been in on the murder plan on Tuesday May 8 2018 six Law
01:16:25
Enforcement Officers gathered outside Denise's office at Florida State University and placed the 48 year old
01:16:31
under arrest a grand jury had indicted her for first-degree murder conspiracy to commit
01:16:39
first degree murder and accessory after the fact Denise said nothing and stared Straight
01:16:46
Ahead as she was let out in handcuffs and into a waiting patrol car unbeknownst to investigators it was
01:16:55
Denise and Mike's daughter's 19th birthday when Cheryl Williams heard the news she
01:17:03
told reporters I'm thankful she is arrested but I have a granddaughter and that's her mother
01:17:11
my heart goes out to my granddaughter I cannot imagine where that baby's head is at
01:17:18
I've got her in my heart Denise Williams pleaded not guilty to all charges her trial commenced in December 2018
01:17:31
almost 18 years to the day since Mike was killed [Laughter] the defense maintained that Denise had
01:17:40
never known the truth about what happened to Mike and that she had nothing to do with Brian Winchester's
01:17:45
murder plot they argued that Brian was bitter about the failed marriage and was essentially
01:17:52
trying to take Denise down with him the jury was urged not to believe the word of a self-confessed murderer and
01:18:01
kidnapper with Denise's lawyer stating there is no tangible evidence or physical evidence tying Denise Williams
01:18:10
to this crime all you will have to go on is the word of the man who actually committed the
01:18:16
murder the issue you're going to have to decide is whether you believe him for the prosecution the challenge lay in
01:18:28
proving that Brian and Denise had started their Affair prior to going public about their relationship in 2005.
01:18:36
all they had to go by was the testimony of a few Witnesses Brian's ex-wife Kathy testified that
01:18:44
while she was still married to Brian she'd once found a receipt for an item of jewelry adorned with Denise's
01:18:50
nickname a friend of the group named Angela recalled that when Mike was still alive
01:18:56
he started drinking heavily during a night out because of how affectionate Brian and Denise were to one another
01:19:05
Angela told the court that in 2004 about a year before Brian and Denise publicly
01:19:10
became a couple she and Brian had a one-night stand while Brian and Angela were in bed
01:19:18
together at Brian's house a woman suddenly burst into the room before running off
01:19:24
Brian apologized to Angela saying it was his ex-wife Kathy but Angela knew without a doubt that the
01:19:33
woman who'd burst in was Denise Williams Brian Winchester took the stand as the star Witness
01:19:43
he spared no detail as he provided a full account of his affair with Denise and to their eventual plot to kill her
01:19:50
husband he broke down in tears on multiple occasions as he spoke about the foiled
01:19:56
drowning attempt saying Mike started to yell and I didn't know how to get out of that situation I had
01:20:05
my gun in the boat and so I loaded my gun and I just made one or two circles around and I ended up circling closer
01:20:13
towards him as I passed by I shot him Brian said he never wanted to be the one who found Mike's boat but his dad
01:20:25
insisted on searching the area through strained tears Brian said my dad didn't want to give up
01:20:34
he loved Mike during cross-examination the defense tried to cast doubt on the duration of
01:20:43
Brian and Denise's Affair questioning how they could go so long without anyone knowing
01:20:50
Brian said Denise was a very smart the defense put it to Bryant that he was actually obsessed with Denise
01:21:00
he responded Denise and I were best friends we were Bonnie and Clyde we were partners in
01:21:08
crime were we obsessed with each other you could say that the defense asked when you shot Mike Williams at Lake
01:21:20
Seminole with a 12-gauge shotgun was Denise Williams standing there with you Brian Shrugged as he admitted
01:21:29
no she wasn't but he added she was in my head behind me after four days of testimony the jury
01:21:44
deliberated for eight hours before returning their verdict guilty on all counts Denise stared straight ahead in the
01:21:54
mostly silent courtroom as Mike's mother and brother shared a quiet emotional embrace
01:22:02
at the subsequent sentencing Cheryl Williams delivered a powerful Victim Impact statement about her 17-year
01:22:09
campaign to solve her son's disappearance through tease she said there is no manual to tell a mother what
01:22:19
to do when her child goes missing I am Mike's mother and I did what God told my heart to do
01:22:29
she urged the judge to give Denise the maximum sentence saying she has already lived 18 years longer
01:22:38
than my son she got to watch Mike's daughter grow up we didn't for the rest of my life when I try to
01:22:47
sleep at night I will see my son clinging to a tree stump in Lake Seminole in the dark knowing that his
01:22:54
best friend was trying to kill him I hear his voice screaming for help I wasn't there to help him
01:23:03
it will haunt me forever for her involvement in the murder plot Denise Williams was sentenced to life in
01:23:13
prison in 2020 Denise appealed her conviction on the grounds that there was no evidence to prove she was involved in
01:23:22
Mike's murder the judge overturned the conviction for first-degree murder and accessory after
01:23:29
the fact but maintained their conviction for conspiracy to commit murder and the
01:23:35
30-year sentence that went along with it Denise appealed the sentencing and a hearing went ahead in September 2021
01:23:46
Mike and Denise's daughter claimed that Brian Winchester was solely responsible for her father's death saying he was
01:23:54
physically abusive towards her mother and that she never once saw him consult with Denise about anything
01:24:02
she asked the judge to consider the minimum sentence of just two years but Cheryl Williams asked that the
01:24:10
maximum sentence be upheld saying if you will make Denise serve every minute of her 30-year sentence for
01:24:18
conspiracy to commit murder then and only then will I believe justice has been done for my son
01:24:27
the judge agreed with Cheryl and Denise was race sentenced to 30 years including
01:24:34
time already served [Music] Denise also faced charges for insurance fraud but these were eventually dropped
01:24:47
after she agreed to sign all of her assets including the remaining payouts from Mike's life insurance over to their
01:24:54
daughter as part of the conditions their daughter agreed that she wouldn't use any of the
01:25:01
funds to pay her mother's legal fees Cheryl always maintained that losing her granddaughter was one of the most
01:25:11
painful aspects of the whole ordeal Cheryl had posted a birthday message for her in the local newspaper every year in
01:25:19
the hopes she knew her grandmother was thinking of her at Denise's sentencing Cheryl told the
01:25:27
judge not only did Denise kill my son she stole my granddaughter for her entire life my granddaughter was
01:25:36
raised in a house with the murderers of her father while being denied the love of her father's family
01:25:43
she was told that Grandma Cheryl was crazy and would hurt her there is no amount of prison time that
01:25:51
will bring Mike back to me I don't know if I'll ever have my granddaughter in my life again because
01:25:57
of the damage her mother has done whether the two were able to rekindle their relationship after Denise's
01:26:06
conviction is unknown however after Mike's remains were recovered his daughter agreed to hand
01:26:14
them over to Cheryl so that she could finally organize a proper burial for her son
01:26:20
Cheryl welcomed any of Brian and Denise's friends and family to attend the funeral saying
01:26:28
I want everyone to come Who Loved Michael even after the convictions it was important for Cheryl that Mike's memory
01:26:37
be kept alive on the 20-year anniversary of Mike's death she held a remembrance service for
01:26:45
all those who helped to bring her son's Killers to Justice including members of the press and to law enforcement
01:26:53
speaking about her tireless commitment to uncovering the truth Cheryl said I just did what any mother would do
01:27:15
[Music] casefile presents a new Spotify exclusive podcast Maddie no one is ever prepared for a loved one to suddenly
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disappear that's the thing about missingness when someone you love vanishes into thin air
01:27:41
every family that experiences it has to figure it out for themselves we started running around match friends what the
01:27:48
hell is not doing at work and why hasn't even called them I just sat there going
01:27:52
oh my God oh my God something wasn't right the leversons grew more worried by the minute he's walking up and down like
01:27:59
a cage line and he's sweating and he's clammy the man has no emotions at all towards the end he wouldn't let Matt out
01:28:05
of his sight narrated by Lauren O'Keefe the founder of the missing persons advocacy Network and host of casefile
01:28:12
presents podcast what's missing the police informed Mark and Faye levison that they're no longer considered Matt a
01:28:19
missing person I told I know that the case had been transferred to homicide and he said I've called the police I've
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found a grave there's a medic in the bush the receipt showed that two items had been purchased duct tape and a
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garden Master brand Matic I think we were in shock for ages after that the world just seemed to stand still hear
01:28:39
how her family took on the system to try and find Justice for their son for the very first time made us feel like the
01:28:47
police and us were no longer on the same side and then he sat there and said to me it was Matt's lifestyle that had him
01:28:54
murdered no I just said the [ __ ] stops now that's that's ridiculous some people in this world never take no for
01:28:59
an answer as especially when they're fighting for someone they love nothing's perfect and we thought you know with a
01:29:04
chance of finding mats by one in a million one in 10 million but it wasn't zero so we've got to give it a go he was
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