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The Deadly Betrayal of Mike Williams, Orchestrated by His Best Friend and Cheating Wife

Mike Williams was missing for 17 years — until investigators discovered he had been murdered in cold blood by those he trusted the most.

Rivy Lyon
2 min readApr 22, 2025

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Mike Williams, his best friend, Brian Winchester, and his wife, Denise Williams.

To learn the full story, read my article on All That’s Interesting.

On December 16, 2000, Mike Williams, a 31-year-old real estate appraiser from Tallahassee, Florida, vanished while on a duck hunting trip on Lake Seminole, Florida. Authorities initially thought Mike had drowned, possibly becoming prey to alligators.

But as the years went by, what seemed like a tragic accident started to look more suspicious. Mike’s mother was always convinced that something more sinister had happened to her son. For 17 years, the details of Mike’s disappearance remained a mystery.

Only two people knew the truth, and they both kept a dark secret hidden: Mike had been murdered by someone he trusted.

Brian Winchester, Mike’s long-time friend, had joined him on the lake that morning. Mike thought it would be just another day out with his best friend, but instead, he was betrayed in the worst possible way. Brian pushed Mike into the water and shot…

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Rivy Lyon
Rivy Lyon

Written by Rivy Lyon

Investigative Journalist | Bachelor of Criminology, psychology & sociology | I’ve loved true crime since Forensic Files was Medical Detectives!

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