A Florida woman faces life behind bars after being convicted of plotting out her late husband’s death.
Denise Williams was found guilty on conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, first-degree murder and accessory after murder charges on Friday, nearly 18 years to the day that her husband Mike Williams went missing during a boating trip with a friend, Brian Winchester.
Winchester confessed last year to shooting Mike during that boating trip in 2000. He and Williams then married in 2005 and got divorced in 2016.
Winchester, who was granted immunity to discuss the murder, claimed at the time that he and Williams had been having an affair, and that they planned out Mike’s murder so they could be together. Authorities managed to track down Mike’s body following his confession.
Williams had denied Winchester’s claims and argued she had no role in her husband’s death.
She was found guilty after eight hours of deliberation by the jury, and her murder charge comes with a sentence of life in prison.
“It’s terrible; it’s the wrong verdict on the facts, but you have to respect what the jury does,” Williams’ lawyer Ethan Way said, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. “Obviously, I don’t think she’s guilty of any of the three counts. Ultimately, we submitted the case to the jury and the jury made a decision.”
Way said they’ll appeal the charges. Her sentencing is scheduled to take place next week.
Winchester was arrested in 2016 for carrying out an armed kidnapping of Williams and was sentenced to 20 years behind bars for that offense.
He made his confession about Mike’s death to authorities under an agreement that his words could not be used against him.
