A woman has come forward to share her story after finally uncovering the truth about what happened to her friend, Mike Williams, who was killed in 2000.
In December of that year, Williams left to go duck hunting on Lake Seminole in Florida, but he never returned.
After an extensive 44-day search, officials ceased their efforts, while speculation grew about whether the successful real estate appraiser had simply vanished.
Six months later, a local fisherman discovered Williams’ fishing jacket, hunting license, and a flashlight in Lake Seminole.
The circumstances surrounding Williams’ death remained a mystery until Kathy Aldredge’s investigative work brought answers to light.
Aldredge’s suspicions were sparked when her husband, Brian Winchester, began an affair with Denise, who was the widow of his best friend.
“To say they stabbed me in the back doesn’t even touch it,” Aldredge shares in the Hulu documentary Mr. & Mrs. Murder. “They had stabbed me in the soul.”
Williams’ mother, Cheryl Williams, and Aldredge had long suspected Denise and Brian of conspiring to kill Williams, but they needed proof.
Despite the years spent without justice, Aldredge and Williams’ mother never lost hope of uncovering the truth.
Recalling the countless hours spent piecing together clues, Aldredge told People: “She and I spent a lot of years under the radar, Cheryl and I went through this together, even though we didn’t see each other every day and we didn’t talk every day, whenever we got together, this investigation was what we talked about.
“This investigation was what connected us, and it was a constant obsession throughout all those years, no matter how much time had passed between us, there was always that connection.”
The case began to crack when Brian was arrested for kidnapping Denise at gunpoint and forcing her to vow silence about Mike’s death.
In exchange for immunity from murder charges, Brian cooperated with the police, leading to the discovery of Mike’s body in 2017, buried near a boat landing in Leon County, Florida. This confirmed that he had been murdered.
Kathy played a crucial role in Denise’s case by agreeing to wear a wire, which ultimately proved Denise’s involvement in Mike’s death.
Assisting law enforcement, Kathy used a police-prepared script during a phone conversation with Denise.
She told Denise: “Brian told me that ya’ll planned it.”
Denise responded: “Planned what? Oh my God.”
Thomas said: “I know that you know something Denise.”
Kathy shared with Inside Edition this year: “The whole decision to go that route of trying to figure out what happened here really came from a place of desperation because it seemed like no other avenues were working.”
Discussing her decision to speak out, Aldredge told People: “I feel a lot of satisfaction. I’ve waited a long time to speak on this topic and speak about my experience, and so there’s a lot of satisfaction in finishing the project.”
Denise received a 30-year prison sentence for conspiracy to commit murder after a previous murder conviction was overturned.
Brian received a 20-year sentence for kidnapping Denise, in addition to a 30-year sentence for conspiracy related to Williams’ death.
Mr. & Mrs. Murder can be streamed on Hulu.