Dateline investigates the disappearance and murder of Jerry “Mike” Williams. The 31-year-old disappeared in December 2000. His truck, boat and trailer were found near Lake Seminole in Tallahassee, Florida, where he often went duck hunting — but authorities couldn’t find him. Many local residents concluded that he was eaten by alligators known to live in the lake. (Everyone but his mother, Miss Cheryl Williams, who kept the search for her son alive all these years.)
Eighteen years later, in December 2018, Williams’ widow Denise Williams (his high school sweetheart) was found guilty of murder and in February 2019, she was sentenced to life in prison. It was her second husband Brian Winchester — who helped her take out a $1.75 million insurance policy on Williams prior to his disappearance — who shot Mike Williams dead. He testified against his former wife, whom he said came up with the plan to kill her first husband so they could be together. Winchester received a lesser sentence of 20 years in prison for his testimony and for leading authorities to Williams’ body.
Denise Williams is now facing insurance fraud charges, too. Prosecutors are citing a Florida law known as “the slayer statute,” which means a surviving spouse who “unlawfully and intentionally kills or participates in procuring the death of a person” is not entitled to any benefits. Denise Williams cashed in $1.75 million in life insurance policies. Dateline airs Fridays at 10pm on NBC. [NBC UNIVERSAL app available here. Download is FREE.]
