1 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:12,074 Watch Online Movies and Series for FREE www.osdb.link/lm 2 00:00:18,435 --> 00:00:20,436 While Brian was in jail 3 00:00:20,437 --> 00:00:23,439 waiting for his trial for kidnapping Denise, 4 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,567 I visited about once a week. 5 00:00:26,568 --> 00:00:28,444 He would constantly give me assignments-- 6 00:00:28,445 --> 00:00:30,947 buy this book for Stafford, buy him tickets 7 00:00:30,948 --> 00:00:33,116 to this Christian conference. 8 00:00:34,952 --> 00:00:37,537 And then he started asking me 9 00:00:37,538 --> 00:00:40,998 if I could find someone who would say that Denise 10 00:00:40,999 --> 00:00:44,126 was having an affair. 11 00:00:44,127 --> 00:00:45,254 Mama! 12 00:00:47,297 --> 00:00:49,715 He wanted to discredit anything 13 00:00:49,716 --> 00:00:52,176 that she would say in the court case 14 00:00:52,177 --> 00:00:54,388 that was eventually gonna happen. 15 00:00:57,557 --> 00:01:00,268 You know, he's like, I'll give them $10,000 16 00:01:00,269 --> 00:01:03,312 to say they had an affair with Denise. 17 00:01:03,313 --> 00:01:05,731 And I'm like, I'm not doing that for you. 18 00:01:05,732 --> 00:01:07,650 Like, I got four kids. 19 00:01:07,651 --> 00:01:09,944 If I do that for you, I'm gonna be where you are. 20 00:01:09,945 --> 00:01:13,030 Like, that's--no, we're not doing that. 21 00:01:25,752 --> 00:01:28,671 Presently, we are at the Leon County Courthouse. 22 00:01:28,672 --> 00:01:30,256 Would you please state your full name? 23 00:01:30,257 --> 00:01:31,882 My name is Wade Steven Wilson. 24 00:01:31,883 --> 00:01:35,052 Okay, I am FDLE Special Agent William Mickler. 25 00:01:35,053 --> 00:01:38,306 We got a call one day that said there was someone 26 00:01:38,307 --> 00:01:41,225 who had spent some time in the Leon County Jail 27 00:01:41,226 --> 00:01:43,644 that had come forward with some information 28 00:01:43,645 --> 00:01:46,523 related to Brian Winchester. 29 00:03:20,450 --> 00:03:22,576 I got notified by the prosecutor 30 00:03:22,577 --> 00:03:26,330 that Brian paid Wade Wilson to take care of Denise. 31 00:03:26,331 --> 00:03:28,207 Now, I don't know if that meant kill her, 32 00:03:28,208 --> 00:03:31,502 make her change her mind, or make her go away. 33 00:03:31,503 --> 00:03:33,963 Those were serious allegations. 34 00:03:33,964 --> 00:03:35,923 I'm thinking, we're screwed. We're done. 35 00:03:35,924 --> 00:03:39,093 We can't go to trial, 'cause if the judge sees this, 36 00:03:39,094 --> 00:03:40,719 he's gonna give him life. 37 00:03:46,184 --> 00:03:49,895 Denise, I can tell that she is nervous. 38 00:03:49,896 --> 00:03:52,606 She was very afraid that Brian 39 00:03:52,607 --> 00:03:56,485 was going to come for her if he got out. 40 00:03:56,486 --> 00:04:00,739 But then we heard that Brian was going to do a plea deal 41 00:04:00,740 --> 00:04:02,741 so there wouldn't be a trial. 42 00:04:02,742 --> 00:04:04,952 He would just plead guilty to it. 43 00:04:27,517 --> 00:04:29,226 Start by stating your name, please? 44 00:04:29,227 --> 00:04:30,644 Denise Williams. 45 00:04:30,645 --> 00:04:32,271 All right, do you wish to make a statement 46 00:04:32,272 --> 00:04:34,023 to the court, Ms. Williams? - Yes. 47 00:04:34,024 --> 00:04:35,025 You may. 48 00:04:38,445 --> 00:04:41,280 Your Honor, I'm here today to ask you to sentence 49 00:04:41,281 --> 00:04:44,366 Brian Winchester to the maximum penalty under the law 50 00:04:44,367 --> 00:04:46,577 for the crimes that he committed against me 51 00:04:46,578 --> 00:04:48,538 on August the 5th, 2016. 52 00:04:51,500 --> 00:04:54,293 He took my sense of security 53 00:04:54,294 --> 00:04:55,920 and safety from me. 54 00:04:55,921 --> 00:04:59,048 I live each day with the fear of his retaliation 55 00:04:59,049 --> 00:05:01,468 for my decision to tell. 56 00:05:02,761 --> 00:05:05,012 He will finish what he has started 57 00:05:05,013 --> 00:05:08,599 no matter what age he is when he's released. 58 00:05:08,600 --> 00:05:12,353 For all of these reasons, I'm asking you 59 00:05:12,354 --> 00:05:13,813 to sentence him to life in prison 60 00:05:13,814 --> 00:05:15,731 for the crimes he has committed. 61 00:05:15,732 --> 00:05:18,859 It comes down to my life or his. 62 00:05:18,860 --> 00:05:22,655 And I am asking you, please, choose mine. 63 00:05:22,656 --> 00:05:24,281 Thank you. 64 00:05:24,282 --> 00:05:25,574 Thank you, ma'am. 65 00:05:42,384 --> 00:05:45,219 From my perspective, 20 years 66 00:05:45,220 --> 00:05:48,806 and doing something to Denise wasn't what 67 00:05:48,807 --> 00:05:51,976 he should be in prison for. 68 00:05:51,977 --> 00:05:57,690 There was sort of this feeling of dread. 69 00:05:57,691 --> 00:06:00,484 Now I didn't know if we would ever find out 70 00:06:00,485 --> 00:06:02,070 what happened to Mike. 71 00:06:19,004 --> 00:06:21,380 Over half of my career was involved 72 00:06:21,381 --> 00:06:22,965 with the Mike Williams case. 73 00:06:22,966 --> 00:06:24,174 It was a cold case. 74 00:06:24,175 --> 00:06:26,719 It's--sometimes it's just waiting out people. 75 00:06:26,720 --> 00:06:28,554 Sometimes you're just waiting for someone 76 00:06:28,555 --> 00:06:30,556 to finally step up and say, hey, I know something 77 00:06:30,557 --> 00:06:32,224 I've been sitting on for a long time. 78 00:06:34,269 --> 00:06:36,770 With this case, the idea was always, 79 00:06:36,771 --> 00:06:38,314 we're waiting for that one crack, 80 00:06:38,315 --> 00:06:40,400 you know, be it either with Denise or Brian. 81 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:45,613 When all that came out with Wade Wilson 82 00:06:45,614 --> 00:06:47,781 on the kidnapping case, 83 00:06:47,782 --> 00:06:49,909 it would have added other charges, 84 00:06:49,910 --> 00:06:51,660 like tampering with witnesses, 85 00:06:51,661 --> 00:06:54,622 interfering with an investigation. 86 00:06:54,623 --> 00:06:56,916 That really put the pressure on Brian. 87 00:07:00,462 --> 00:07:01,754 One day I went to go 88 00:07:01,755 --> 00:07:04,673 visit Brian in jail, and he told me, 89 00:07:04,674 --> 00:07:09,428 I'll be in big trouble unless I tell him-- 90 00:07:09,429 --> 00:07:12,514 unless I tell him what I know about Mike. 91 00:07:12,515 --> 00:07:16,268 I snapped the minute he said Mike's name, because I'm like, 92 00:07:16,269 --> 00:07:19,688 you fucking know where he is. 93 00:07:19,689 --> 00:07:21,398 You know what happened. 94 00:07:21,399 --> 00:07:24,777 And you have kept it quiet for 17 years. 95 00:07:24,778 --> 00:07:28,323 I said, that mother has every right to know where her son is. 96 00:07:29,949 --> 00:07:32,284 The state was doing everything they could 97 00:07:32,285 --> 00:07:34,870 to get all the evidence they wanted from Brian 98 00:07:34,871 --> 00:07:37,081 about Mike Williams. 99 00:07:37,082 --> 00:07:43,337 And so we started negotiating a deal. 100 00:07:43,338 --> 00:07:46,799 We built up this agreement that anything he gave him 101 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,719 about Mike Williams couldn't be used against him. 102 00:07:51,304 --> 00:07:52,680 We offered immunity on anything 103 00:07:52,681 --> 00:07:54,223 to do with the Mike Williams case, 104 00:07:54,224 --> 00:07:58,060 if he had information leading to a prosecution or to a body. 105 00:08:01,940 --> 00:08:03,440 We received a phone call 106 00:08:03,441 --> 00:08:05,025 from the state attorney's office 107 00:08:05,026 --> 00:08:08,237 asking us if we could be in their office that afternoon. 108 00:08:08,238 --> 00:08:10,698 That's when we were told that Brian 109 00:08:10,699 --> 00:08:11,783 was gonna give a statement. 110 00:08:14,452 --> 00:08:19,415 So 2:12 on October 9th of 2017. 111 00:08:19,416 --> 00:08:20,749 This is Tully Sparkman, 112 00:08:20,750 --> 00:08:22,377 Investigator for the State Attorney's Office. 113 00:09:00,123 --> 00:09:02,207 After receiving new information, 114 00:09:02,208 --> 00:09:05,252 FDLE's Crime Scene unit and special agents 115 00:09:05,253 --> 00:09:07,755 spent days conducting an extensive search. 116 00:09:41,498 --> 00:09:44,875 That search led to the recovery of human remains, 117 00:09:44,876 --> 00:09:47,002 and FDLE's crime laboratory analyst 118 00:09:47,003 --> 00:09:49,004 confirmed that the human remains 119 00:09:49,005 --> 00:09:50,465 are those of Mike Williams. 120 00:09:56,304 --> 00:10:00,725 It was in here where we finally found the grave. 121 00:10:03,144 --> 00:10:07,816 Seventeen years did not hide how Mike Williams died. 122 00:10:09,484 --> 00:10:12,528 Forensic analysis concluded that Mike Williams 123 00:10:12,529 --> 00:10:14,072 was, in fact, murdered. 124 00:10:18,576 --> 00:10:20,285 Our focus has shifted to bringing 125 00:10:20,286 --> 00:10:23,163 those responsible for his death to justice. 126 00:10:23,164 --> 00:10:26,292 And we will not stop until that is done. 127 00:10:33,424 --> 00:10:35,175 We can't put a time frame on it, 128 00:10:35,176 --> 00:10:37,261 but we will work diligently to get it done, 129 00:10:37,262 --> 00:10:38,763 to finally bring a conclusion to this. 130 00:10:41,683 --> 00:10:44,810 We--we're not releasing those details as well. 131 00:10:44,811 --> 00:10:46,728 At that point, all the public knew 132 00:10:46,729 --> 00:10:49,648 is that we had recovered Mike Williams' body. 133 00:10:49,649 --> 00:10:51,024 They didn't know how we did it. 134 00:10:51,025 --> 00:10:53,068 They didn't know when we did it. 135 00:10:53,069 --> 00:10:55,654 We didn't wanna tip our hand as to what we had, 136 00:10:55,655 --> 00:10:59,116 because it would greatly impede us 137 00:10:59,117 --> 00:11:01,201 from further investigation 138 00:11:01,202 --> 00:11:05,497 and charging anyone else that was responsible for his death. 139 00:11:05,498 --> 00:11:06,999 Thank you very much. 140 00:11:17,510 --> 00:11:20,889 Finally, we knew something tangible and real. 141 00:11:24,309 --> 00:11:27,311 Special Agent Will Mickler called me. 142 00:11:27,312 --> 00:11:29,606 And I asked him, what happened? 143 00:11:32,025 --> 00:11:37,530 Did he suffer, you know, in those last moments? 144 00:11:39,282 --> 00:11:43,368 I think Will just kind of didn't have the heart 145 00:11:43,369 --> 00:11:46,289 to tell me in that moment. 146 00:11:50,418 --> 00:11:53,003 Mike's body had been found in close proximity 147 00:11:53,004 --> 00:11:56,507 to areas that I had spent a lot of time hunting. 148 00:11:58,426 --> 00:12:02,304 So it was--it was pretty gut-wrenching 149 00:12:02,305 --> 00:12:07,225 to know that for seven or eight years, I sat-- 150 00:12:07,226 --> 00:12:12,481 I sat probably 75 to a hundred yards 151 00:12:12,482 --> 00:12:16,985 from Mike's body, uh, from my best friend. 152 00:12:21,199 --> 00:12:25,410 So it was, um... 153 00:12:25,411 --> 00:12:27,330 that was a tough day. 154 00:12:35,922 --> 00:12:37,839 Prior to the press conference, 155 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:41,177 I was assigned to go speak with Denise. 156 00:12:43,137 --> 00:12:46,683 Her eyes got a little teary, but that was all. 157 00:12:49,477 --> 00:12:51,728 If this was a loved one of mine, 158 00:12:51,729 --> 00:12:55,649 I would wanna know, you know, where and how did you find him? 159 00:12:55,650 --> 00:12:57,235 And how do you know it's Mike? 160 00:12:59,612 --> 00:13:01,697 She didn't ask anything about it. 161 00:13:12,208 --> 00:13:17,796 As the months go on, I started to feel frustration. 162 00:13:17,797 --> 00:13:21,967 I had expected someone to be arrested 163 00:13:21,968 --> 00:13:23,761 for what happened to Mike. 164 00:13:26,806 --> 00:13:30,809 I knew it was either Brian or Denise, I'll say that. 165 00:13:30,810 --> 00:13:32,644 I didn't think it was anybody else. 166 00:13:32,645 --> 00:13:38,651 But I just didn't know which one of them had done it. 167 00:13:41,362 --> 00:13:44,990 I felt they were both capable of it. 168 00:13:44,991 --> 00:13:47,075 She knew how to shoot a shotgun, 169 00:13:47,076 --> 00:13:48,411 and there was a shotgun in the home. 170 00:13:51,456 --> 00:13:56,877 Whatever it was, I knew that Denise knew what happened. 171 00:14:02,091 --> 00:14:06,179 And so one day, I called Will Mickler. 172 00:14:08,890 --> 00:14:11,641 Kathy disclosed to us 173 00:14:11,642 --> 00:14:15,145 that shortly after Brian's arrest for the kidnapping, 174 00:14:15,146 --> 00:14:17,606 Denise had called Kathy 175 00:14:17,607 --> 00:14:21,234 and told Kathy to relay a message. 176 00:14:21,235 --> 00:14:23,987 She says, Kathy, are you still going out 177 00:14:23,988 --> 00:14:25,489 to talk to Marcus tonight? 178 00:14:25,490 --> 00:14:27,449 And I said, yeah, I'm on my way there now. 179 00:14:27,450 --> 00:14:33,580 And she says, well, I need you to tell Marcus 180 00:14:33,581 --> 00:14:38,293 to tell Brian that I'm not talking. 181 00:14:38,294 --> 00:14:42,005 There's only one reason you need to get a message 182 00:14:42,006 --> 00:14:45,133 to someone in jail that you're not talking. 183 00:14:45,134 --> 00:14:49,679 And that is, I'm keeping our secret. 184 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:51,515 This was huge. 185 00:14:51,516 --> 00:14:54,142 Kathy had given us a breadcrumb there 186 00:14:54,143 --> 00:14:57,354 that we could pick up and run with. 187 00:14:57,355 --> 00:15:01,149 And so now we needed to do something 188 00:15:01,150 --> 00:15:07,531 to elicit some type of criminal liability from Denise. 189 00:15:07,532 --> 00:15:11,619 So I had to record her saying that. 190 00:15:13,621 --> 00:15:16,957 She knew me as well as I knew her. 191 00:15:16,958 --> 00:15:19,919 So I had to be very careful. 192 00:15:21,712 --> 00:15:23,798 I knew I would have one shot. 193 00:15:36,477 --> 00:15:38,770 Denise's mother passed away, 194 00:15:38,771 --> 00:15:43,358 and I came to Tallahassee to go to the service. 195 00:15:43,359 --> 00:15:45,652 I'm driving home, 196 00:15:45,653 --> 00:15:51,575 and my plan was to call her from my cell phone. 197 00:15:51,576 --> 00:15:53,660 We came up with a scenario 198 00:15:53,661 --> 00:15:58,039 that Kathy was served with an investigative subpoena 199 00:15:58,040 --> 00:16:03,296 to provide testimony regarding the Mike Williams murder. 200 00:16:05,798 --> 00:16:09,009 My heart is just racing. 201 00:16:09,010 --> 00:16:12,179 I can still remember that feeling right now 202 00:16:12,180 --> 00:16:15,056 of just my heart just thumping out of my chest. 203 00:17:52,071 --> 00:17:54,072 Kathy did a wonderful job. 204 00:17:54,073 --> 00:17:56,783 That recording confirmed that there 205 00:17:56,784 --> 00:17:59,369 was some type of pact or agreement 206 00:17:59,370 --> 00:18:02,706 between Denise and Brian. 207 00:18:02,707 --> 00:18:05,334 It was a major breaking moment for us. 208 00:18:17,179 --> 00:18:19,432 It was Anslee's birthday. 209 00:18:23,978 --> 00:18:26,146 Me and Denise had been texting 210 00:18:26,147 --> 00:18:29,065 about what their plans were. 211 00:18:29,066 --> 00:18:32,694 Denise was planning to take her to a nice dinner. 212 00:18:37,700 --> 00:18:39,492 My phone rings, and it's one 213 00:18:39,493 --> 00:18:42,287 of my law enforcement sources. 214 00:18:42,288 --> 00:18:45,332 And they say, hey, there's gonna be, like, 215 00:18:45,333 --> 00:18:49,170 a law enforcement rodeo down at FSU this afternoon. 216 00:18:53,215 --> 00:18:57,928 I was like, oh, okay, is this what I think it's gonna be? 217 00:19:03,601 --> 00:19:05,101 Denise sent me a picture 218 00:19:05,102 --> 00:19:08,230 of Anslee's birthday cake, and it was beautiful. 219 00:19:15,988 --> 00:19:20,950 And within just moments of her sending me that picture, 220 00:19:20,951 --> 00:19:23,244 Will Mickler calls me. 221 00:19:23,245 --> 00:19:25,997 And he said, Kathy, I just wanted to let you know 222 00:19:25,998 --> 00:19:28,541 that Denise has been arrested. 223 00:19:48,688 --> 00:19:50,480 After all of these years, 224 00:19:50,481 --> 00:19:53,358 that was the first time I'd ever, like, 225 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:55,985 put a question to Denise. 226 00:19:55,986 --> 00:20:00,448 I wanted Denise to be thinking about Cheryl Williams 227 00:20:00,449 --> 00:20:03,952 when she got in the police car. 228 00:20:06,789 --> 00:20:10,166 Authorities arrested a widow, Denise Williams, 229 00:20:10,167 --> 00:20:13,586 for her husband's murder nearly 20 years ago. 230 00:20:13,587 --> 00:20:17,465 Authorities only found his remains five months ago. 231 00:20:23,556 --> 00:20:25,974 We were downtown. 232 00:20:25,975 --> 00:20:30,061 And all of the sudden, my kids come running to me, 233 00:20:30,062 --> 00:20:37,110 and they're like, Mom, no, they just arrested Denise. 234 00:20:37,111 --> 00:20:39,529 Sorry. 235 00:20:39,530 --> 00:20:44,617 God, even after all this, it's just so surreal. 236 00:20:44,618 --> 00:20:47,036 It just made no sense. 237 00:20:52,877 --> 00:20:56,337 It was unbelievable. 238 00:20:56,338 --> 00:21:00,550 I hated it for being Anslee's birthday. 239 00:21:00,551 --> 00:21:03,094 I hated that. 240 00:21:03,095 --> 00:21:07,432 But at the same time, she doesn't realize 241 00:21:07,433 --> 00:21:11,311 what's been taken from her and her father. 242 00:21:11,312 --> 00:21:16,317 So for Mike, I felt relief. 243 00:21:25,868 --> 00:21:27,786 It's such a relief. 244 00:21:38,005 --> 00:21:39,464 A trial has started 245 00:21:39,465 --> 00:21:40,799 involving a Tallahassee woman 246 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:42,342 accused of plotting her husband's death 247 00:21:42,343 --> 00:21:44,344 in order to claim his insurance... 248 00:21:44,345 --> 00:21:45,929 48-year-old Denise Williams faces life in prison 249 00:21:45,930 --> 00:21:47,555 for her former husband's murder 250 00:21:47,556 --> 00:21:48,974 and an 18-year-long cover-up. 251 00:21:51,227 --> 00:21:54,854 Ms. Williams is charged with conspiracy 252 00:21:54,855 --> 00:21:56,815 to commit first-degree murder-- 253 00:21:56,816 --> 00:22:00,735 uh, first-degree murder and accessory after the fact 254 00:22:00,736 --> 00:22:02,362 to first-degree murder. 255 00:22:02,363 --> 00:22:03,821 Your Honor, at this time, the State 256 00:22:03,822 --> 00:22:05,949 would call Brian Winchester. 257 00:22:26,428 --> 00:22:27,513 Yes, sir. 258 00:22:29,723 --> 00:22:34,061 The date that we used was October 13, 1997. 259 00:22:37,189 --> 00:22:40,233 Then it snowballed really fast. 260 00:22:40,234 --> 00:22:43,570 We started meeting whenever we had the opportunity 261 00:22:43,571 --> 00:22:46,198 and having sex very regularly. 262 00:22:49,577 --> 00:22:51,495 We spent a lot of time together. 263 00:23:04,592 --> 00:23:06,217 Yes, sir. 264 00:23:06,218 --> 00:23:09,512 We eventually started talking about options and ways 265 00:23:09,513 --> 00:23:11,180 that we could be together. 266 00:23:11,181 --> 00:23:17,729 And Denise, because of the way she was raised, 267 00:23:17,730 --> 00:23:21,025 she did not want to get divorced... 268 00:23:23,694 --> 00:23:26,530 Which narrowed the options. 269 00:23:31,243 --> 00:23:32,827 I instigated a lot of it. 270 00:23:32,828 --> 00:23:34,537 I helped come up with ideas. 271 00:23:34,538 --> 00:23:37,040 But overall, it was very mutual. 272 00:23:37,041 --> 00:23:40,001 We wanted to be together. 273 00:23:40,002 --> 00:23:43,880 And we weren't gonna let anything stop that. 274 00:23:52,514 --> 00:23:55,058 One of the options was Mike and I 275 00:23:55,059 --> 00:23:58,061 going on a hunting trip together 276 00:23:58,062 --> 00:24:02,524 and there being an accident where he drowned and I did not. 277 00:24:06,111 --> 00:24:08,363 We could feel better about ourselves 278 00:24:08,364 --> 00:24:12,660 if there was a chance that he could make it out of it. 279 00:24:14,453 --> 00:24:19,040 You know, well, it'll be up to God what happens and not us. 280 00:24:19,041 --> 00:24:20,333 It won't be a murder. 281 00:24:20,334 --> 00:24:23,461 It'll be, you know, an accident. 282 00:24:31,053 --> 00:24:34,347 After Anslee was born, he and I talked 283 00:24:34,348 --> 00:24:36,433 about increasing his coverage. 284 00:24:38,143 --> 00:24:41,938 It was a combination of Denise and I 285 00:24:41,939 --> 00:24:45,358 talking about him having more coverage. 286 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,444 And he eventually, I think, with Denise's encouragement, 287 00:24:48,445 --> 00:24:50,488 decided to go ahead and get that extra 288 00:24:50,489 --> 00:24:51,990 million-dollar policy. 289 00:24:58,247 --> 00:24:59,289 Yes, sir. 290 00:25:01,959 --> 00:25:04,043 The plan was that all of this would occur 291 00:25:04,044 --> 00:25:05,587 very early in the morning. 292 00:25:08,424 --> 00:25:10,341 I had told him that we were gonna 293 00:25:10,342 --> 00:25:15,097 go to a secret, special spot to go hunting. 294 00:25:18,976 --> 00:25:24,856 We headed out, and there was a deep area. 295 00:25:24,857 --> 00:25:26,983 I got him to stand up, 296 00:25:26,984 --> 00:25:30,070 and when he did, I pushed him into the water. 297 00:25:44,168 --> 00:25:47,671 He was, like, struggling. 298 00:25:49,590 --> 00:25:51,424 What I eventually realized was, 299 00:25:51,425 --> 00:25:54,470 he was taking his waders and jacket off. 300 00:25:58,098 --> 00:26:00,892 That area of the lake had a lot of dead trees 301 00:26:00,893 --> 00:26:02,936 that come up out of the water. 302 00:26:08,275 --> 00:26:12,988 And he swam over to one of those stumps and held on to it. 303 00:26:15,407 --> 00:26:17,658 And he was panicking, 304 00:26:17,659 --> 00:26:20,411 and I was panicking. 305 00:26:20,412 --> 00:26:22,747 And none of this was, like, going the way 306 00:26:22,748 --> 00:26:24,541 how I thought it was gonna go. 307 00:26:28,629 --> 00:26:31,173 And I didn't-- I didn't know what to do. 308 00:26:33,425 --> 00:26:34,510 But, um... 309 00:26:38,013 --> 00:26:40,057 He was--he started to yell. 310 00:26:45,771 --> 00:26:47,313 And I didn't know-- I didn't know-- 311 00:26:47,314 --> 00:26:49,983 I didn't know how to get out of that situation. 312 00:26:56,365 --> 00:27:00,035 And so I had my gun in the boat. 313 00:27:05,207 --> 00:27:10,044 And, uh, so I loaded my gun. 314 00:27:10,045 --> 00:27:11,754 And I just-- 315 00:27:11,755 --> 00:27:15,717 I made one or two circles around. 316 00:27:19,596 --> 00:27:25,352 And I ended up circling closer towards him. 317 00:27:27,729 --> 00:27:31,232 And he was in the water. 318 00:27:31,233 --> 00:27:35,070 And as I passed by, I shot him. 319 00:27:40,492 --> 00:27:41,784 In the head. 320 00:27:48,584 --> 00:27:53,046 I knew I couldn't leave him there, being shot. 321 00:27:55,215 --> 00:28:00,177 I reached down, and he wasn't far under the water. 322 00:28:00,178 --> 00:28:02,972 And I grabbed ahold of him. 323 00:28:02,973 --> 00:28:06,934 And... 324 00:28:06,935 --> 00:28:09,521 I drug him in the water. 325 00:28:11,607 --> 00:28:14,735 I ended up putting him in the back of my Suburban. 326 00:28:16,695 --> 00:28:20,031 I was just panicked as to getting out of that area 327 00:28:20,032 --> 00:28:22,075 and covering this up. 328 00:28:23,994 --> 00:28:25,953 The plan was for his death to occur, 329 00:28:25,954 --> 00:28:29,582 but it was not for it to occur in the way that it did. 330 00:28:29,583 --> 00:28:31,877 And I didn't wanna tell Denise that. 331 00:28:34,546 --> 00:28:37,340 It was not easy. 332 00:28:37,341 --> 00:28:38,967 And it was not pretty. 333 00:28:41,261 --> 00:28:43,846 But I had to make it happen. 334 00:28:43,847 --> 00:28:45,806 I mean, I had no choice. 335 00:28:58,111 --> 00:28:59,779 That would be a good time-- 336 00:28:59,780 --> 00:29:02,531 Could we take 10 minutes? 337 00:29:11,333 --> 00:29:14,669 I guess I imagined that Mike's last moment 338 00:29:14,670 --> 00:29:18,215 wouldn't have been the way it was. 339 00:29:21,093 --> 00:29:27,431 Mike knew that Brian was the one doing that to him. 340 00:29:27,432 --> 00:29:31,727 And Mike loved Brian like a brother. 341 00:29:31,728 --> 00:29:34,064 My heart just broke. 342 00:29:41,655 --> 00:29:43,489 Today is the second full day 343 00:29:43,490 --> 00:29:45,032 of trial for Denise Williams. 344 00:29:45,033 --> 00:29:47,159 Today started with the cross-examination 345 00:29:47,160 --> 00:29:50,162 of the State's main witness, Brian Winchester. 346 00:29:50,163 --> 00:29:53,040 Saying ultimately, that she's the one 347 00:29:53,041 --> 00:29:55,043 that planned that murder. 348 00:29:56,461 --> 00:29:59,588 When you shot Mike Williams at Lake Seminole with 349 00:29:59,589 --> 00:30:01,340 a 12-gauge shotgun, was Denise Williams 350 00:30:01,341 --> 00:30:02,341 standing there with you? 351 00:30:02,342 --> 00:30:03,426 No, she wasn't. 352 00:30:03,427 --> 00:30:06,053 She was in my head, behind me. 353 00:30:06,054 --> 00:30:07,263 She was in your head? 354 00:30:07,264 --> 00:30:08,305 Mm-hmm. 355 00:30:13,103 --> 00:30:14,812 Is it fair to say that over the years, 356 00:30:14,813 --> 00:30:17,606 you've been obsessed with Denise Williams? 357 00:30:17,607 --> 00:30:20,359 Denise and I were best friends. 358 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:21,986 We were Bonnie and Clyde. 359 00:30:21,987 --> 00:30:23,905 We were partners in crime. 360 00:30:25,532 --> 00:30:28,534 In this case, we're blaming Denise for some idea, 361 00:30:28,535 --> 00:30:32,663 some unproven idea about her involvement 362 00:30:32,664 --> 00:30:34,248 in the murder of Mike Williams. 363 00:30:34,249 --> 00:30:36,876 That is based solely on the testimony 364 00:30:36,877 --> 00:30:40,004 of the person who did the killing. 365 00:30:40,005 --> 00:30:42,006 The penalty for the armed kidnapping 366 00:30:42,007 --> 00:30:43,591 is life in prison, isn't it? 367 00:30:43,592 --> 00:30:45,051 Yes, sir. 368 00:30:45,052 --> 00:30:46,385 And you made a deal with the government 369 00:30:46,386 --> 00:30:48,971 not to get that life sentence? 370 00:30:48,972 --> 00:30:50,264 You're terming it a deal. 371 00:30:50,265 --> 00:30:53,184 It was a proffer agreement. 372 00:30:53,185 --> 00:30:57,730 The way Brian described the events of Mike's murder, 373 00:30:57,731 --> 00:30:59,023 it would have made him eligible 374 00:30:59,024 --> 00:31:00,441 for the death penalty. 375 00:31:00,442 --> 00:31:02,234 But once they got the body, 376 00:31:02,235 --> 00:31:04,945 he could never be prosecuted for murder, 377 00:31:04,946 --> 00:31:09,200 because that was protected by the immunity deal. 378 00:31:09,201 --> 00:31:12,620 It was Denise that the government was trying to prove 379 00:31:12,621 --> 00:31:15,581 that she wanted him killed for the insurance money. 380 00:31:15,582 --> 00:31:19,293 Sometimes you have to make a deal with the devil 381 00:31:19,294 --> 00:31:22,297 to get the one you think should be prosecuted. 382 00:31:23,757 --> 00:31:26,300 Mr. Winchester, you're a murderer, isn't it true? 383 00:31:26,301 --> 00:31:27,885 Yes, sir. 384 00:31:27,886 --> 00:31:29,678 Mr. Winchester, you're a liar, isn't it true? 385 00:31:29,679 --> 00:31:30,680 Yes, sir. 386 00:31:32,474 --> 00:31:34,016 I have nothing else, Your Honor. 387 00:31:34,017 --> 00:31:35,017 Redirect. 388 00:31:35,018 --> 00:31:36,228 Yes, Your Honor. 389 00:31:40,774 --> 00:31:42,274 Do you swear that the testimony 390 00:31:42,275 --> 00:31:44,026 you're about to give is the truth, 391 00:31:44,027 --> 00:31:45,361 the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? 392 00:31:45,362 --> 00:31:46,445 I do. 393 00:31:46,446 --> 00:31:49,281 You can have a seat. 394 00:31:49,282 --> 00:31:53,285 I wanna fast forward now to August of 2016. 395 00:31:53,286 --> 00:31:55,955 Did you ever confront Denise 396 00:31:55,956 --> 00:31:59,667 about what she asked you to do that week after the kidnapping? 397 00:31:59,668 --> 00:32:01,377 Yes, I did. 398 00:32:01,378 --> 00:32:03,254 Did you record that conversation? 399 00:32:03,255 --> 00:32:04,547 Yes, sir. 400 00:32:04,548 --> 00:32:06,298 I know that you know something, Denise, 401 00:32:06,299 --> 00:32:08,843 because whenever I was going out to see Marcus, 402 00:32:08,844 --> 00:32:13,639 you're like, tell Marcus to tell Brian I'm not talking. 403 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:14,974 Yeah. 404 00:32:14,975 --> 00:32:16,392 And I knew what that meant. 405 00:32:16,393 --> 00:32:18,561 She never looked at me. 406 00:32:18,562 --> 00:32:20,855 We never made eye contact. 407 00:32:20,856 --> 00:32:24,108 It's hard to know what she was thinking. 408 00:32:24,109 --> 00:32:28,112 I'm sure she was pretty angry with me, 409 00:32:28,113 --> 00:32:31,031 knowing what the evidence was at that point. 410 00:32:31,032 --> 00:32:32,658 The smoking gun. 411 00:32:32,659 --> 00:32:33,868 At the end of the day, 412 00:32:33,869 --> 00:32:35,745 did she really admit anything? 413 00:33:33,887 --> 00:33:36,180 I was watching the jurors, 414 00:33:36,181 --> 00:33:39,642 and they were pretty riveted to what Brian was saying. 415 00:33:39,643 --> 00:33:41,977 And they were looking across the room 416 00:33:41,978 --> 00:33:43,604 at the defendant's table, 417 00:33:43,605 --> 00:33:45,356 and they're not seeing Denise having 418 00:33:45,357 --> 00:33:48,442 really much reaction at all. 419 00:33:48,443 --> 00:33:49,902 And they're making decisions based on 420 00:33:49,903 --> 00:33:52,112 what they see and hear. 421 00:33:57,786 --> 00:34:00,579 I expected that it would be several days 422 00:34:00,580 --> 00:34:03,082 before the jury would be wrapped up. 423 00:34:03,083 --> 00:34:05,709 So I had gone to the airport 424 00:34:05,710 --> 00:34:08,170 to go back to North Carolina that evening. 425 00:34:16,471 --> 00:34:19,431 State of Florida versus Denise Williams, 426 00:34:19,432 --> 00:34:23,102 we, the jury, find as follows. 427 00:34:23,103 --> 00:34:28,065 I'm going through the security check line, 428 00:34:28,066 --> 00:34:31,443 and I get a text. 429 00:34:31,444 --> 00:34:36,615 And the text says, "Kathy, thank God." 430 00:34:36,616 --> 00:34:40,744 I knew just what those three words meant. 431 00:34:40,745 --> 00:34:43,998 Count 1 of the indictment, the defendant 432 00:34:43,999 --> 00:34:48,168 is guilty of conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. 433 00:34:57,095 --> 00:35:00,389 As to count 2, we, the jury, find the defendant 434 00:35:00,390 --> 00:35:02,600 is guilty of first-degree murder. 435 00:35:05,270 --> 00:35:07,813 Count 3 of the indictment, the defendant 436 00:35:07,814 --> 00:35:10,482 is guilty of accessory after the fact 437 00:35:10,483 --> 00:35:11,860 of first-degree murder. 438 00:35:14,446 --> 00:35:18,407 What just happened? 439 00:35:24,456 --> 00:35:26,624 I had a guttural reaction. 440 00:35:28,918 --> 00:35:30,336 I wasn't crying for Mike. 441 00:35:30,337 --> 00:35:32,212 I wasn't crying for Denise or Brian. 442 00:35:32,213 --> 00:35:36,633 I was--I was crying for Stafford and Anslee. 443 00:35:36,634 --> 00:35:41,221 Because it struck me, Anslee's father was murdered 444 00:35:41,222 --> 00:35:43,892 and she was raised by the people who did it. 445 00:35:46,895 --> 00:35:48,812 When I go to bed at night 446 00:35:48,813 --> 00:35:51,940 and I try to go to sleep, 447 00:35:51,941 --> 00:35:57,321 I see Michael clinging to that stump in the lake. 448 00:35:57,322 --> 00:36:01,451 And I hear him calling, help, help. 449 00:36:29,437 --> 00:36:32,815 He killed his best friend, point blank, 450 00:36:32,816 --> 00:36:35,610 to get the woman he always wanted. 451 00:36:37,779 --> 00:36:43,701 And then in the ultimate, ultimate chess move, 452 00:36:43,702 --> 00:36:47,579 took a plea bargain and said, but she had me do it 453 00:36:47,580 --> 00:36:50,874 and put her away for the rest of her life. 454 00:36:50,875 --> 00:36:54,711 Ms. Williams, I sentence you to life in prison. 455 00:36:54,712 --> 00:36:57,673 A Tallahassee woman was sentenced to life in prison 456 00:36:57,674 --> 00:36:59,925 this morning for masterminding the murder of her husband 457 00:36:59,926 --> 00:37:01,802 more than 18 years ago. 458 00:37:05,515 --> 00:37:08,225 It's over. 459 00:37:08,226 --> 00:37:11,186 And I didn't even know all the specifics. 460 00:37:11,187 --> 00:37:12,521 But I knew-- 461 00:37:12,522 --> 00:37:17,359 I knew that she had been found guilty. 462 00:37:29,998 --> 00:37:33,834 I feel settled in my life 463 00:37:33,835 --> 00:37:37,546 and I feel settled with my family. 464 00:37:37,547 --> 00:37:42,509 But I still feel like there are missing pieces 465 00:37:42,510 --> 00:37:46,305 to what happened to Mike. 466 00:37:46,306 --> 00:37:48,599 We don't know the full truth. 467 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:50,767 The only people, in my opinion, 468 00:37:50,768 --> 00:37:54,104 who know what truly happened are Brian and Mike. 469 00:37:54,105 --> 00:37:55,481 And Mike's dead. 470 00:37:55,482 --> 00:37:57,983 And Brian said what he's gonna say. 471 00:37:57,984 --> 00:38:01,236 I firmly believe that there is more to the story 472 00:38:01,237 --> 00:38:03,363 than what Brian has told. 473 00:38:03,364 --> 00:38:06,075 The plan with Mike... 474 00:38:08,411 --> 00:38:10,496 There was a time in the past year 475 00:38:10,497 --> 00:38:16,293 that one of my border collies had been hit by a car 476 00:38:16,294 --> 00:38:17,879 and was killed. 477 00:38:19,964 --> 00:38:23,300 And as I was hitting that shovel down into the dirt, 478 00:38:23,301 --> 00:38:27,095 I was just thinking to myself 479 00:38:27,096 --> 00:38:31,391 what a difficult task this was. 480 00:38:31,392 --> 00:38:34,353 It took a lot of strength, 481 00:38:34,354 --> 00:38:39,651 and it took a lot of energy to bury a 45-pound dog. 482 00:38:41,778 --> 00:38:43,779 The plan with Mike was that I would 483 00:38:43,780 --> 00:38:45,614 meet him at a gas station-- 484 00:38:45,615 --> 00:38:47,783 Early morning over to Lake Seminole. 485 00:38:47,784 --> 00:38:49,535 Very concerned-- I shot him. 486 00:38:49,536 --> 00:38:51,703 And I was panicking-- In the water. 487 00:38:51,704 --> 00:38:53,330 Ended up putting him in the back-- 488 00:38:53,331 --> 00:38:55,249 I sped back toward Tallahassee. 489 00:38:55,250 --> 00:38:58,252 This was going to have to be done quickly, 490 00:38:58,253 --> 00:39:02,839 watching for others who may possibly see him. 491 00:39:02,840 --> 00:39:04,466 The best thing for me to do was to go back 492 00:39:04,467 --> 00:39:06,385 to my house, pretend that I had overslept. 493 00:39:06,386 --> 00:39:09,012 I had to go to-- And I bought a shovel. 494 00:39:09,013 --> 00:39:13,976 Drove to Carr Lake and started digging a hole. 495 00:39:13,977 --> 00:39:18,855 Brian was not a big person, not a muscular person. 496 00:39:18,856 --> 00:39:23,652 I cannot imagine digging, dragging, 497 00:39:23,653 --> 00:39:27,865 burying, and having that happen within a few hours. 498 00:39:27,866 --> 00:39:29,825 Put him there and covered him up. 499 00:39:29,826 --> 00:39:31,493 And later in my truck, had blood on it. 500 00:39:31,494 --> 00:39:32,828 Went to my parents' house. 501 00:39:32,829 --> 00:39:34,246 He cleaned the vehicle. 502 00:39:34,247 --> 00:39:36,415 Drive all over town. 503 00:39:36,416 --> 00:39:38,250 So I ended up at Old Bainbridge Car Wash. 504 00:39:38,251 --> 00:39:40,836 And you did all of that and went to Cairo, 505 00:39:40,837 --> 00:39:43,964 which is 45 minutes away. 506 00:39:43,965 --> 00:39:46,008 It would have been excruciating 507 00:39:46,009 --> 00:39:50,887 for him to do that alone in that short amount of time. 508 00:39:50,888 --> 00:39:55,893 He had to have had someone helping him. 509 00:39:55,894 --> 00:39:57,311 Is there a list in my head 510 00:39:57,312 --> 00:39:58,854 of who could have helped? 511 00:39:58,855 --> 00:39:59,939 Yes. 512 00:40:01,774 --> 00:40:02,983 Will we ever know? 513 00:40:02,984 --> 00:40:04,068 I doubt it. 514 00:40:29,385 --> 00:40:31,386 From the get-go, 515 00:40:31,387 --> 00:40:35,349 there was kind of a lack of imagination 516 00:40:35,350 --> 00:40:38,852 that these nice people from these nice families, 517 00:40:38,853 --> 00:40:42,689 you know, churchgoing people, could ever play a role 518 00:40:42,690 --> 00:40:44,441 in something that was so awful 519 00:40:44,442 --> 00:40:47,194 and, you know, nefarious, right? 520 00:40:47,195 --> 00:40:50,947 The idea that Denise would rather see her husband killed 521 00:40:50,948 --> 00:40:54,076 than have the shame of getting a divorce, 522 00:40:54,077 --> 00:40:57,329 that just seems crazy, right? 523 00:40:57,330 --> 00:40:59,206 Denise had a choice. 524 00:40:59,207 --> 00:41:00,791 They could have got a divorce, 525 00:41:00,792 --> 00:41:03,752 as embarrassing and as horrible as that would be 526 00:41:03,753 --> 00:41:05,671 in the Baptist church. 527 00:41:05,672 --> 00:41:07,047 Mike could have lived. 528 00:41:07,048 --> 00:41:10,342 He could have had a regular life. 529 00:41:10,343 --> 00:41:12,928 She could have gone on and had a regular life 530 00:41:12,929 --> 00:41:14,222 and nobody live like this. 531 00:41:17,058 --> 00:41:19,143 Do you think justice was served? 532 00:41:21,771 --> 00:41:24,272 No. 533 00:41:24,273 --> 00:41:26,233 Justice wasn't served because my brother 534 00:41:26,234 --> 00:41:28,110 is not convicted of murder. 535 00:41:44,252 --> 00:41:49,089 Nobody's officially charged with his murder. 536 00:41:49,090 --> 00:41:50,799 One person is charged with kidnapping 537 00:41:50,800 --> 00:41:54,886 and one person is charged with conspiracy to commit murder. 538 00:41:54,887 --> 00:41:57,055 That was the only way. 539 00:41:57,056 --> 00:41:58,598 You know, they would never got the body, 540 00:41:58,599 --> 00:42:01,393 and Denise would still be out running free. 541 00:42:01,394 --> 00:42:04,771 And, you know, I guess that's 542 00:42:04,772 --> 00:42:08,359 the best outcome you could hope for. 543 00:42:10,653 --> 00:42:16,409 This is the only way to get closure for his family. 544 00:42:20,788 --> 00:42:21,998 I did it. 545 00:42:26,502 --> 00:42:30,255 I know that's what Mike's gonna tell me one day 546 00:42:30,256 --> 00:42:32,257 when I see him again. 547 00:42:32,258 --> 00:42:34,761 He's gonna tell me I did a good job. 547 00:42:35,305 --> 00:43:35,277 Support us and become VIP member to remove all ads from www.OpenSubtitles.org