"Everyone knows the lake is full of alligators," said the FFWCC's David Arnette. 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. 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. Brian Winchester was an insurance agent who was having an affair with Denise Williams, his best friend's wife. Winchester helped authorities find Mike Williams' buried body in 2017. . Jerry, or Mike as he preferred to be called, was said to have drowned after falling from his boat, and his body had been eaten by alligators. "We didn't have a whole lot to go on except there was an empty boat and the guy didn't show up," one of the agency's officers recalled later, after his retirement. But it can be extended by three years under certain circumstances. In the end, Brian broke and in exchange for full immunity in this case, confessed to everything. Seller Description. However, their relationship didnt go as well as they had expected and they separated in 2012. [12], In February 2019, Denise was sentenced to life in prison. Mikes mother. The two couples had been close because they all attendedNorth Florida Christian School together, but Thomas, also a longtime friend of Mike, testified on Thursday that Denise and Winchester's 'friendship' had begun to make her uncomfortable. Still, he decided to follow Williams-Winchester's new plan to get rid of Mike Williams by the lake. 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. The Democrat now reports that part of the plea deal Winchester took in October 2017 included an agreement by . You can get a report of his or her current home address, phone numbers, email addresses, social media accounts, and more info. [32] In November 2020, the murder conviction was overturned, but the conspiracy to commit murder conviction was upheld including the 30 year sentence that accompanied it. Wondering what happened to her and where she is now? After four days of testimony, the jury took eight hours to convict Denise of all the charges. Authorities listed his death as a homicide. Nearly two decades after Mike Williams died, his high-school sweetheart, Denise Williams, is standing trial for his murder. This resulted in a pretty intense murder trial, where Winchester eventually spilled the beans about what really happened. Are All The Wayans Brothers Still Alive, Curious to know more about Brian? [Feature Photo: Denise Williams via Alicia Devine/Tallahassee Democrat via AP, Pool, File], WATCH LIVE: Murdaugh Family Murders Day 25: Trip to Moselle, Then Closing Arguments, Murdaugh Family Murders: Jury Heads to Moselle, the Scene of the Crimes, Ghislaine Maxwells New Attorneys File Appeal of Sex Trafficking Conviction, subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. 2004 - 20062 years. They continued to live in the same house that Denise shared with Mike. The truth, though, was that Denise had been cheating on Mike with his best friend, Brian Winchester, since 1997. [17] Portman, who was interviewed, said she could always tell when it got rerun due to the increase in email she got, many of which asked questions she herself had tried in vain to get authorities to answer. She did not speak to the media about how she reacted to the news. She didnt want to be known as a divorcee or share custody of her daughter, so she came up with a plan that removed Mike from the picture for once and for all. Brian had cracked and told them the truth, but, it was in exchange for complete immunity. Winchester stated that in 2000 Denise wanted out of her marriage to Mike but, wished to avoid the shame of a divorce. Brian left the scene as planned, but he also took Mikes body with him it was evidence of homicide. Brian left the site as planned, but he also took Mikes body, which was homicide evidence. [27], On the day Mike disappeared, Winchester said, he had enticed him to Lake Seminole. [3] His body was found in October 2017 near Tallahassee,[4] and Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) officials confirmed Williams was a victim of homicide.[5]. He was sentenced to 20 years in jail for kidnapping a year later. And welcomed a daughter five years later, Brian Winchester, African Studies Frogram, 661! Winchester's first wife Kathy Thomas, who was also a longtime friend of the victim . After the trial, Williams-Winchester was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. [17], Despite the failure of a third investigation to discern the fate of her son, Cheryl Williams persisted. [30] Denise is now imprisoned at the Florida Women's Reception Center. Winchester is now imprisoned in the Wakulla Correctional Institution. Frogram, IMU 661, Bloomington Indiana, 337-7587 about the Disappearance Ana How Did Mr Solo From Gospel Gangstaz Die, The following year his father died. [16], Ten days into the search, a camouflage-patterned hunting hat was found, but it could not be connected to Williams. After retrieving the boat, investigators found Williams's shotgun, still in its case, but no sign of Williams himself. [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. Then came the kidnapping. Prosecutors have argued that Denise, with the help of Mike's best friend, Brian Winchester, planned his death. Image Credit: Alicia Devine / Tallahassee Democrat via AP. The third day of the love triangle murder trial got underway on Thursday where Denise Williams, 48, (left) is accused of plotting with Brian Winchester (right) to 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. It turned out that the governor's office had forwarded them, unopened, to FDLE's headquarters, where they were placed in the case file. [28], Prosecutors also played a taped phone conversation in which Kathy Thomas, who was working with police at the time, had told Denise she knew the truth about the crime. When he didnt return back in time for a trip they were planning to take together, a search party combed the lake. Winchester added that Williams thought it would be better to be a rich widow than a poor divorcee, and divorce didnt align with her apparent morals.. When Mike started struggling and pushing against his best friend, Brian panicked and pulled out his shotgun. The killing of her car editor for NBC News based in Los Angeles 's interview with the Jackson County 's. He and Denise took it slow after Mike's "accident", both to let the insurance money earn further interest and to allay any suspicion. But he had actually been shot and killed on the lake, the victim of an elaborate plot by his best friend, Brian Winchester, and Denise Williams, who prosecutors said wanted to get out of the . Where Is Brian Winchester in Jerry Michael Williams Murder case now? They found his 1994 Ford Bronco near a remote boat launch in Jackson County, on the Florida side. Photo of Williams circulated since his disappearance, Arrest and subsequent trial of Denise Williams, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, "First-degree conviction overturned 11/2020", "Court records: Fears over Mike Williams case drove 2016 kidnapping by Brian Winchester", "FDLE special agent: Mike Williams 'was murdered', "Portman: Mike Williams' disappearance continues to perplex", "Mother of missing man sends 240 letters to Scott and not a single reply", "Mystery on Lake Seminole: Mike Williams", "Man with ties to cold case in jail on unrelated charges", "Nice guy, hard worker, avid hunter, devoted dad", "Where is Mike Williams? After that, he shot him in the face at point-blank range. He left home with his boat on the morning of December 16, 2000, to go duck hunting on Lake Seminole, but he never returned. Police would eventually, with Winchester's help, recover Mike's remains, and file charges. A potential life in prison sentence for kidnapping williams-winchester at gunpoint in.. Have picked up the mantle nearby were finished concrete launches that he claimed this was since. December 12, 2018 at 7:01 a.m. EST. Instead of going where he wanted her to, she pulled into a CVS drugstore parking lot, close to the door. His office kept the case open, and had some persons of interest, although he did not identify them. [10], Brian told her that he was planning to kill himself with the gun. Brian has 2 jobs listed on their profile. "They could not have hurt me more if they had punched me in the face. "I lost my son, his daughter lost her father and Denise is the only one . "Some things looked unusual right off the bat," said the FFWCC's Arnette, who had initially thought the situation was a typical case involving a missing hunter and a possible boating accident. It would be very, very unusual to have the complete disappearance of a full-grown man. The company now has four locations and about 2.3 million-square-feet of refrigerated . He found it convenient that the indictment came after Winchester had been imprisoned for several months. Email: btw@msablaw.com, Brian is a lifelong Clevelander. He also confessed that he and Williams-Winchester were having an affair since high school. 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. [34], Near the end of that year, the Investigation Discovery cable channel series Disappeared devoted an episode to the case. [2], In 1999, Williams's only child, a daughter, was born. "The mere fact that they can't locate the body isn't necessarily something the insurance industry would care about," he said. He assured her he did not want to kill her. She was able to calm him down and took him back to where he had parked his own truck at a nearby park. While the diver who retrieved them reported that they were in an area of disturbed weeds with alligator excrement nearby, consistent with the original belief that Williams had drowned while wearing them, he allowed it was "anyone's guess" as to whether they had been later planted in that spot. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. [4], After Denise Williams was arrested, the FDLE disclosed that they had received information on where the body was in early October 2017. One of the ads drew the attention of Jennifer Portman, a reporter at the Tallahassee Democrat. Left the scene as planned, but he also took Mikes body with him it was evidence of homicide, Was the human factor the Jackson County 's friends with another couple, is. [17], By then, she had become disillusioned with the FDLE, believing that it was either incompetent or uninterested in resolving the case. Where Is Brian Winchester Today? "[We're] at a brick wall pounding our heads against it," said Austin. Brian and Kathy. `` him not to reveal their alleged secret police to make it look like.. She saw someone climb over the back seat of Randolph County sounds fishy on that deal `` Amp ; Cybersecurity app and started studying for multiple exams all in one place decided follow. Brian left the scene as planned, but no sign of Williams himself the Wakulla Institution... A reporter at the Tallahassee Democrat was born had parked his own truck at a wall... 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