Denise Williams will remain in prison, after a judge resentenced her to 30 years for conspiring to murder her first husband. The Williams case has been ongoing since Mike Williams disappeared more than 20 years ago.
The case broke open in 2016 when Denise Williams’ then husband—Brian Winchester—was arrested for kidnapping her. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2017 and in October of that year, confessed to murdering Mike Williams in exchange for immunity from prosecution. Winchester told investigators that he murdered Mike Williams by luring him on a hunting trip and shooting and drowning him at Lake Seminole.
Winchester and Denise Williams were having an affair in the runup to Mike Williams’ murder.
A jury convicted Denise Williams on conspiracy, first degree murder and accessory to murder in 2018, but an appeals court a year later, overturned the murder and accessory charges. The State of Florida appealed that decision to the Florida Supreme Court last year. The court declined to take it up.
Under the conspiracy charge, Williams could have faced two years to 30 years. After hearing testimony from Williams’ daughter, and Mike Williams’ mother, the judge re-sentenced Williams to 30 years in prison.
