Podcast Summary: Cold Case Files – REOPENED: The Voice in the Lake
Date: December 4, 2025
Host/Production: A&E / PodcastOne, Paula Barros
Overview
This gripping episode of Cold Case Files revisits the haunting disappearance and eventual murder revelation of Mike Williams, a well-liked family man and outdoorsman from Tallahassee, Florida. The episode charts not only the twists of a 17-year cold case, but also the tireless pursuit of justice by his mother, Cheryl Williams, and the shocking betrayals that lay at the heart of the tragedy. With forensic breakthroughs, dogged investigators, and confessional twists, this is a definitive account of a rare cold case solved.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Disappearance of Mike Williams
Timestamps: 01:16 – 09:02
- Setting the Scene: On December 16, 2000, Mike leaves early to go duck hunting at Lake Seminole, promising to return in time for his wedding anniversary trip with wife Denise and their 18-month-old daughter.
- First Signs of Trouble: When he fails to return, family and friends mobilize a search. Mike's truck and trailer are found near the water – not in his usual spot – and later, his boat is discovered with no signs of use (no mud, untouched gas, belongings left behind).
- Suspicious Details:
- Boat gas tank was "all the way to the top"—suggesting the engine didn’t run long ([09:36], FWC Officer)
- Hunting gear left in the boat, despite no apparent hunt.
Quote:
“There was no mud in the boat… None of that was apparent. We all just looked at each other like, what? This is making no sense at all.”
— Clay Ketchum, Mike's employer [09:02]
2. Family & Community Reactions
Timestamps: 02:50 – 13:44
- Mike’s Background: A go-getter, loving father and husband, with a “movie-like” romance with Denise Merrill.
- Immediate Aftermath: Denise appears distraught, planning a memorial within weeks; Cheryl Williams never accepts the accident theory.
- Initial Search Conclusions: 44 days of land, water, and aerial search yield no body—investigators mostly conclude it was an accidental drowning, possibly involving alligators.
Quote:
“When I got to the lake, this voice comes to me just as clear as a bell, and it said, ‘Mike is not in Lake Seminole. You have to find him and bring him home.’”
— Cheryl Williams [00:22 & 11:36]
3. Unanswered Questions & Staged Evidence
Timestamps: 15:08 – 18:15
- In June 2001, Mike's waders and jacket are found, suspiciously well-preserved and staged.
- Family Disbelief: Cheryl and close friends are convinced it’s a cover-up, not an accident.
- Officer Opinions:
- “When we found the waders floating, it's not what we would expect… There was no slime. My thoughts were, you know, this stuff has been staged out there and he's not in this body of water.”
— FWC Officer [17:31]
- “When we found the waders floating, it's not what we would expect… There was no slime. My thoughts were, you know, this stuff has been staged out there and he's not in this body of water.”
4. Cheryl Williams' Relentless Advocacy
Timestamps: 18:47 – 24:51
- Grassroots Campaign: Erects billboards, distributes missing person cards, writes hundreds of letters.
- Official Reopening: Her persistence pays off; after three years, FDLE reopens the investigation.
Quote:
“I kept Michael’s name and his picture in the public… Michael was my child, and there was nobody else out there to speak for him but me.”
— Cheryl Williams [24:51]
5. Suspicion Shifts – The Insurance Motive
Timestamps: 20:30 – 24:22
- Investigator Tully Sparkman notices how Mike’s best friend, Brian Winchester, discovered the boat and was around key evidence.
- Discovery of a $1 million life insurance policy, written by Brian Winchester with Denise as beneficiary, raises further suspicion.
Quote:
“The guy that wrote the million dollar policy is married to the woman who’s benefitting from Mike Williams’ death... Maybe both Denise and Brian were involved.”
— Investigator Tully Sparkman [23:51]
6. Denise and Brian’s Relationship
Timestamps: 22:43 – 25:03
- After Mike’s disappearance, Brian and Denise begin dating and eventually marry.
- Community and investigators view this as highly suspicious.
7. The Breakthrough – Brian’s Meltdown
Timestamps: 25:03 – 29:10
- Denise and Brian’s marriage deteriorates; after Denise files for divorce, Brian kidnaps her at gunpoint in 2016.
- His subsequent arrest reopens old wounds; Brian, facing a long sentence, agrees to talk to investigators.
Memorable Moment:
The attempted kidnapping by Brian is the “flare up” detectives had been waiting for, finally breaking the case [27:49].
8. The Shocking Confession
Timestamps: 29:10 – 33:55
- The Plan: Denise (unwilling to divorce due to appearances) conspires with Brian, her secret lover, to kill Mike and make it look like an accident.
- The Murder: Brian admits to pushing Mike into the lake to drown in his waders, but when Mike manages to swim to safety, Brian circles the boat, loads a shotgun, and kills him.
- Disposal: Brian buries Mike’s body 50 miles from the lake.
Quote:
“I got him to stand up and I pushed him into the water… So I loaded my gun and I just. I made one or two circles around. And as I passed by, I shot him.”
— Brian Winchester [31:28 & 32:53]
9. Recovery & Aftermath
Timestamps: 33:55 – 39:52
- Mike’s body is recovered after 17 years, confirming the crime.
- Denise is arrested in 2018 and charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy.
10. The Trial and Its Outcome
Timestamps: 36:32 – 43:24
- Trial: Brian testifies against Denise, describing their affair and plot.
- Denise claims to have not known specifics, and her lawyers seek to discredit Brian as obsessed and unreliable.
- Verdict: Denise found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder; the murder conviction is overturned on appeal, but she is serving a 30-year sentence.
Quote:
“He was a good person. He was a friend to everybody… At night when I go to sleep, the last thing I see is Michael clinging to a stump in the middle of a lake, screaming for help. And I wasn’t there to help him.”
— Cheryl Williams [42:00]
11. Lasting Impact
Timestamps: 43:24 – 44:54
- Cheryl has no contact with her granddaughter due to Denise’s threats, but finds solace in finally bringing her son home after 17 years.
Quote:
“God told me, you have to find him and bring him home. And I did. It took 17 years and it nearly killed me. But I did.”
— Cheryl Williams [44:38]
Notable Quotes / Memorable Moments
- “[Mike] was the kind of child that was always in a hurry. He never walked, he ran.”
— Cheryl Williams [02:50] - “We never found the body. If they were in the water, we would find them.”
— FWC Officer [17:31] - “All of a sudden, I think it kind of hit Denise that, oh, he was really fixing to do something.”
— Investigator Tully Sparkman, on the kidnapping incident [27:49] - “Denise Williams had no idea that you shot her husband...?”
— Defense, quoted by Brian (contesting his testimony) [40:48] - “The voice comes to me just as clear as a bell, ‘Mike is not in Lake Seminole. You have to find him and bring him home.’”
— Cheryl Williams [00:22 & 11:36] - “We were Bonnie and Clyde. We were partners in crime.”
— Brian Winchester, about his relationship with Denise [40:31] - “She told me that she assumed… we were forgiven and we didn't have to tell anybody about it.”
— Brian Winchester, describing Denise’s attitude post-crime [41:19]
Important Timestamps for Key Segments
| Timestamp | Segment/Event | |-----------|---------------------------------------------------| | 00:22 | Cheryl Williams’ intuition—“the voice” | | 07:15 | Waders/water scenario explained by investigators | | 09:36 | Boat inspection—"gas was all the way to the top" | | 17:31 | Waders recovered—officer suspects staging | | 20:30 | Insurance policy suspicions raised | | 29:10 | Brian Winchester agrees to confess | | 31:28 | Brian describes the murder—pushing Mike in | | 32:53 | Brian’s shotgun confession | | 33:55 | Mike’s body recovered at Gardner Road | | 36:32 | Denise arrested and trial begins | | 40:31 | Brian refers to them as “Bonnie and Clyde” | | 42:00 | Cheryl’s emotional courtroom statement | | 44:38 | Cheryl finds closure after 17-year search |
Tone & Language
The episode is deeply emotional, empathetic, and respectful, frequently centering mothers’ and family voices in their own words. Cheryl Williams’ steadfast determination is palpable, and investigators’ perspectives provide a procedural, at times incredulous look at the case’s twists. The host and interviewees maintain a tone of both sorrow for the loss and admiration for the long-sought justice.
Conclusion
REOPENED: The Voice in the Lake is a powerful journey through loss, persistence, betrayal, and hard-won resolution. It’s a story of a mother’s unwavering strength and a justice system finally catching up with the truth. The episode leaves listeners with a sobering reminder—a cold case may not mean a hopeless one, and love can be both a motive for relentless pursuit and, chillingly, for murder.