The case of the missing Tallahassee man | Forensic Files

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

Case 227: Mike Williams

The weekend of December 16 2000 was shaping up to be a good one for Tallahassee man Mike Williams. With a romantic getaway planned to celebrate his sixth wedding anniversary to his wife Denise, Mike got up early to sneak in a couple hours of duck hunting on Lake Seminole. When he failed to return home, Denise quickly raised the alarm.

CREDITS

Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Elsha McGill Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas Music – Andrew D.B. Joslyn

SOCIAL LINKS

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RESOURCES

For all credits and sources please visit https://casefilepodcast.com/case-227-mike-williams

Brief Summary

Mike Williams vanished during a hunting trip; his wife and best friend were later implicated in his murder.

Key points

Mike Williams: A Family Man. Mike Williams, a devoted husband and father, goes missing during a hunting trip.
Search for Mike Williams. The search for Mike Williams intensifies as family and friends join the effort.
Discovery of Mike's Waders. Months later, a fisherman finds Mike's waders, reigniting the investigation.
Cheryl's Relentless Pursuit. Cheryl Williams tirelessly advocates for her son Mike's case, refusing to let it go.
Investigation Reopened. After years of neglect, law enforcement finally agrees to investigate Mike's disappearance.
Suspicion on Denise. Denise's quick acceptance of the drowning explanation raises eyebrows, especially after her remarriage.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

He loved his daughter more than anything.

Mike's friends emphasize his dedication to family.

16:34WatchOct 15, 2022

Tension

85/ 100High tension

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