Evil at Lake Seminole: The Shocking True Story Surrounding the Disappearance of Mike Williams

by Steven B. Epstein

Did Mike accidentally drown in a Florida lake? Or was his disappearance the result of a sinister plot to kill him?

The crisp, predawn hours of December 16, 2000, began much as they had many Saturdays for avid duck hunter Mike Williams--on Lake Seminole, where he'd go to relax after a stressful workweek. The Florida State grad was juggling fatherhood with a thriving real estate appraisal career. And that very evening? He and his high school sweetheart, Denise, planned to celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary.

But Mike Williams never returned home.

When an intense search of the lake's marshy waters turned up only his hunting boat and a camouflage hat, investigators reached the morbid conclusion he'd fallen overboard and drowned, his body eaten by alligators. Nearly two decades passed before the dark secrets hidden at Lake Seminole--and elsewhere--were finally revealed.

EVIL AT LAKE SEMINOLE is a diabolical tale of betrayal, greed, and deception--and of a courageous mother who devoted her life and savings to uncovering the truth of what really happened to her son.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Mystery, American History, Biography, History

350 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2020

About the author

Steven B. Epstein is a native of Long Island who graduated twice from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill—first with a bachelor’s degree in political science (1987) and then with a law degree (1990). His career began as a law clerk to a federal judge and included a stint as a law professor at the University of Illinois. He’s been a practicing lawyer for more than 35 years and has tried dozens of cases to judges and juries across North Carolina and has handled numerous appeals in state and federal courts. Since 2010, Steve’s been a partner at Poyner Spruill LLP, where his practice concentrates on family law.

Steve’s writing career began more as an accident than an ambition—a mid-life crisis of sorts—and has morphed into quite the side hustle. His first book, MURDER ON BIRCHLEAF DRIVE (2019), reached #1 on Amazon's best-seller list in the true crime genre and cracked the Top 100 List of all non-fiction books sold on Amazon. His fourth book, DEADLY HEIST: The True Story of the Mile High Bank Massacre, was released in February 2025. He and his books have been featured on TV documentaries, including Dateline NBC, TV news broadcasts, talk radio, YouTube livestreams, podcasts, and in newspaper and magazine articles.  Steve lives, practices law, and burns the midnight oil writing, in Raleigh, North Carolina.  He and his amazing wife Aletia Ferreira have five children in their blended family, all of whom have flown from the nest.

www.StevenBEpstein.com

Reviews

[Tooter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly Recommend!

[MacWithBooksonMountains Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mike was a good person. Mike was a soft-spoken, hardworking man. Mike went duck hunting. Mike did not return. But Mike was a great buddy and he had a best friend - Brian.
In short, in the year 2000 Mike mysteriously disappeared on a hunting trip.
What happened to you Mike?
Killed, eaten by alligators - ran off to start a new life - foul play involved?
For 17 years his family, his colleagues, his friends were left wondering.
Except one, Brian, Mike’s best friend never did wonder because he knew.
Then, in the year 2017, Brian, already having been arrested for kidnapping Mike’s former wife decided to come clean, explained how he murdered his best buddy and guided them to the site he buried Mike.
I left out important details here but, in a nutshell, that is what Stephen B. Epstein formed into a very solid true crime report - and more.
His book’s title, Evil at Lake Seminole, is well-chosen. I don’t really believe in evil but If I had to brand anybody so, then it would be the ones responsible for Mike William’s death.
As we read on, the author reveals detail after detail; it becomes clear that the “actors” involved were entangled in a Greek tragedy of massive proportions. Mike, the tragic hero, did his best to live an upstanding life, totally unaware of a web of jealousy, deceit and greed that was slowly spun around him by people closest to him who would ultimately plan his murder and execute him in cold blood.
The author captures this terrible tragedy with the objectivity of a professional true crime writer, yet manages to inject enough life in the character of Mike Williams, the victim, for the reader to be able to identify with the man’s terrible fate.
This is how true crime writing is done.
As a bonus, the author puts his specialist knowledge of law to great use when describing the courtroom procedures where he comments smartly on the prosecution and the defense in the 2018/2019 murder trial.
Thanks to Evil At Lake Seminole we got to know the person of Mike William in the depth he deserves. Mike Williams should not have died, he certainly did not deserve to die but in the end justice was served.
Note: why not 5 ⭐️? Well, I reserve 5 ⭐️ for seminal works.

[Laura Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

***SPOILER ALERT***

Full disclosure, the author contacted me via Goodreads and recommended the book. I'm glad he did. it is a great true crime book. His descriptions are so very vivid and he even made the trial interesting...which for me is quite a feat.

I suppose the biggest thing for me to grapple with in this book was the sheer hipocracy of the murderers. Actually, the role God played in this book is quite fascinating. Because not only did the murderers try to compare themselves to David and Bathsheba, assuring themselves that God would forgive them. But the victim's mother stated that God told her that her son was not in that lake and had not been eaten by aligators. She attested that she was only doing what God told her to do when she kept pushing law enforcement and politicians to reopen her son's case.

All I know is if I disappear, I want someone like Cheryl Williams to advocate on my behalf.

[RM(Alwaysdaddygirl) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Note: Updated.

5 stars:

-This book truly draws you in. Despite the sadness of the topic, it still makes you want to read this.
-The ending was wonderful! Everything ties up. No questions.
-The book has awesome pictures which really draw you more in the book.
-The book was explain well. The author background is apparent during the trial. The trial was not written with heavy legal terms.
-The cover of this book is amazing! However, it is sad when the cover is explained. It did not take the beauty of the scene when learning the truth. It was more of realizing that even in beauty there is darkness.
-The love of Cheryl for her son Mike just melts a person heart. Only a love like that, would have possible of Cheryl’s heroic journey like the author stated.
-The title is well done.
-It was sad for the amount time it took to have closure. Sometimes, life is like that.

I recommend this book to anyone that like true crime novels and for those who like a mom with a ferocious and courageous heart(Cheryl). I give this book 5 stars. I will plan to read this book again down the road.

Mahalo,
RM
🇺🇸🦋

[Ti.Me · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've consumed gobs of true crime over the years, and have even been a victim. I thought nothing could shock me. Well I was wrong. This account of Mike Williams is so horrible - it tears my heart apart.

Epstein did an amazing job with Evil at Lake Seminole. Now, I need to try to forget it.

5 stars

[Kristen Montgomery Breh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read this after hearing a podcast on the story of the murder of Mike Williams. The book is wonderful. It’s thoroughly researched and has so many interesting details about all the important people involved. I was often riveted by the writer’s recounting of what happened the day of the murder, the nearly two decades before a break in the case, everything that led up to the guilty parties being held accountable, the trial, verdict, and afterward. A great read for any true crime lover!

(*I wasn’t a fan of the audiobook rendition, however, as the way it was told seemed too robotic. Try the paper or electronic versions.)

[Ann Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evil at Lake Seminole...

I chose this rating because it was the best true-crime book I’ve read this year. The courageous mother of Mike Williams searched for truth then justice for her son’s killers. We all have known school friends from early in our lives; is it ever possible to pick future killers from our “friends”? Read this story and think about your friends.

[Scott Kalas · Rating 4 out of 5]

True Crime done well

I'm relatively new to the true crime genre, but I wanted more after reading A Convenient Man by Jeffery Dean Doty. The Evil at LakeSeminole fed the desire for more.

True Crime-as I see it is not imaginative storytelling and character development but relies more on detailing a lot of research in an orderly fashion and still writing to make the book a page-turner. Epstein met my expectations, and I will read his first book, Murder on Birchleaf Drive

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not put this down. Having lived in Tallahassee my whole life and going to school with the Merrell girls and then working with both Denise and her sister for years, I am very familiar with this story and a lot of the details. But there were so many more details in the book that I was not aware of. Just crazy how something like this can happen to people you know! Fascinating but so sad.

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good account of what happened. I am from Tallahassee and remember alot of this.
Never know what goes on in "perfect peoples lives".

[Kristi Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because the author Steven B. Epstein thought I would enjoy it because of other books like it I have read and reviewed.
He was right. This is the story of disappearance of a Florida duck hunter near Lake Seminole. Mike Williams was a great guy, a great father and a man who married his high school sweetheart.
There are tons of twists and turns in this story that takes place over a 20 plus year period.
It's the story of justice for Cheryl Williams the mother of the victim. It's the story of a tragedy that led a grandmother to have to choose between justice for her son or visitation rights of her granddaughter.
Mr. Epstein writes with empathy and courage as he tells the true story of a crime that went unsolved for many years. He is able to draw the reader in so they too care about what happened to Mike and the continuing horror for his mother as the perpetrators go unpunished. Every mother wants to know what happened when a crime is committed to their kids. I truly felt for Cheryl and I hope I could be as strong as she was to survive this.
I had never heard about this murder before being contacted by the author. Ann Rule is one of my favorite authors and I believe Steven B. Epstein writes as good. I highly recommend this book if you like true crime books.

[William Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shakespearian tale in the 21st century. Humans have not changed much since the 17th century!

The true story detailed in this book challenges the bonds of friendship and marriage. Who do you really trust?

Steven B Epstein does it again with this wonderfully told tale of good and evil. While his last book Murder on Birchleaf Drive explicitly points to problems in the criminal justice system and the difficulty in deciding cases that lack forensic evidence, this new book left me wondering about the bias of the initial investigator. Had the gender been flipped, ask yourself whether the detectives would have looked closer at the spouse. Matricide isn't too far behind uxoricide. It seems law enforcement blew right past red flags, while poor Mike Williams' mother fought with every ounce of her love to find justice for her son.

I have a feeling this page turner has a film deal in the near future.

[Georgann Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

True crime thriller

Very interesting and entertaining true crime book. The monsters primary were very visible by the authors verbiage. Its a book that stays with you as you try and sort out what makes privileged people that could have it all become unhinged in so many ways.

[Shan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

This is the second book I have read by the author and again, I have to say “two thumbs up”.

[Sarah Stubbs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t Put Down!

If you like true crime books, you will love this one! The story is well-told and written in an easy to read language. I have seen this story on a couple of true crime shows; this book adds details the shows do not have the time to tell. I highly recommend this book! I hope he writes another one soon!

[Andrew D Rowland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great true crime book!

This story is better thank any fictional book. Very well written page turner! Several times I was tempted to google the outcome but didn’t want to ruin the suspenseful story. Excellent read!

[Diana Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!

An extremely well written book by an author who truly gives a complete picture of each character and scenario. Thank you!

[Jennifer Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Real Study in Dark Human Nature

This story kept me interested and engaged all the way through. I read a lot of true crime, and the writing and character exploration in this book are much better than the majority of others. I also thought the author's perspective was pretty balanced, despite having two very cold, misguided and incredibly self-absorbed main characters to work with.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such complete detail and writing by author Epstein

Loved this book. I also read Birchleaf drive and was thrilled to see the author had written a 2nd true life crime mystery.
It definitely has so many facts and reads very easily.
Recommendation- YES. Start reading.

[CrabbyPatty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd heard about this case often on shows like Dateline and 20/20 so I welcomed the opportunity for a deeper dive into the death of Mike Williams at Lake Seminole on that December morning in 2000.

Epstein, in his second true crime book, carefully sets out the case over the 18 years from Mike's murder until the case comes to trial and Denise Williams is finally convinced. It's a long road for Mike's mother who never believed Mike died on Lake Seminole that day. She wrote 2,600 letters to Florida Governor Rick Scott asking him to investigate the case without any success. She picketed on the streets, placed newspaper ads, bought billboards, and finally got justice for her son. Epstein does an excellent job of honoring her love for her son, and her commitment to the case.

It was an arduous process as well for law enforcement as they tried to put together the very slim trail of clues, with no body, and no cooperation from Denise Williams or Brian Winchester. As the years went by, they waited and hoped for a break in the case, and when it finally came, they were ready to file charges against Denise.

Except .... as Epstein points out often in his recounting of the trial, the State missed many opportunities to definitely nail down this case. The prosecution did not bring up the discrepancies between Denise and Brian's accounts of that morning. For example, Denise said that Mike was going hunting with Brian, and later claimed she had never said that. Brian went back and forth between explanations for that morning. The State also did not introduce the damning tape of Denise's questioning in 2016 when she exhibited no emotion or interest.

At times, the witness box was a revolving door as investigators who had spent years on this case were questioned for just a few minutes. For example Detective DeVaney, who devoted more than a decade to the case. was afforded 23 minutes on the witness stand. I like to imagine that Epstein, a practicing attorney for 30 years, would have chomped at the bit to present evidence and question witnesses.

Epstein's writing style is immently readable and the story unfolds in a logical manner as we get insight and background on the major players .... with the exception of Denise Williams, who remains a riddle to us readers, as well as the court and prosecutors. She's an enigma wrapped in a mystery (to paraphrase Churchill) and she came within a hair's breath of not being charged for Mike's murder.

4.5 stars for "Evil at Lake Seminole" and I am pleased to have discovered Steven Epstein.


Vist my new blog - I Love True Crime Books!

[MoDonasChridhe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliantly written!

A harrowing story that begins with two best friends and ends in murder. A devastated mother determined to find justice for her son. I could not put this book down. Seamlessly told, this book gives you all the details of a crime whose perpetrators languished free for decades to finally be brought to justice.
True crime readers, this one is a must-have for your bookshelf!

[DLP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellently-Written true crime book. Grippingly Sad & Senseless Murder.

[Angela Corwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting read.

I read this book in almost one continuous sitting. I just couldn’t put it down until I knew how it ended.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had read this author’s previous book and was pleasantly surprised by how well researched and thorough it was. The story was one I had never heard of and the book had me gripped from start to finish, so when I saw the author had written a new book, I bought it as soon as I heard.

Evil at Lake Seminole was actually about a crime I had heard of. Even half-way across the world in Scotland, I had seen an episode of Cold Case Files or some other similar programme shown in the U.K. that featured the case covered in this book. This is the murder of Mike Williams by his best friend Brian and Brian’s lover - Mike’s own wife Denise.

Even just hearing the basics of the case is jaw-dropping, almost too out there to be believed. Yet the facts are that these evil people really had folks including Law Enforcement believing Mike was eaten by alligators as if real life was like the 80’s mini-series Return to Eden. If not for the determination to see justice by Mike’s mother I don’t think this case would ever have seen a conclusion. What is really disturbing is reading how Mike’s mum, clearly just wanting the best for her son encouraged him not to date his public school Denise and instead date a nice, private school girl like Denise Williams.

If anything, this story proves yet again that the images people project of themselves are rarely what is truly happening. These people thought they were better and smarter than others. Acting devoutly and praising the Lord at the drop of a hat but really cheating on their partners, having threesomes and eventually plotting and undertaking murder.

As with Mr Epstein’s previous book, I was again seriously impressed with how well researched this story was. The author has a great eye for every little detail and spotted several overlooked pieces of evidence that the prosecution failed to make the most of. They are just lucky they got a guilty verdict, especially considering how circumstantial this case was. I wholeheartedly recommend this for all true crime fans out there and anyone who loves to see bad guys get their comeuppance. Although sadly, that can never be enough for the friends and family of Mike Williams.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent second book by this author! Wonderfully researched and gave great insight into the victim, his champion of a mother, as well as the people who did the horrible crime...if you enjoy this genre, I highly recommend this book and the author. I am reading his first book, now...

[Christen Wilbanks · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's true what they say. Truth is stranger than fiction. Wow! This story has a bit of everything in a tangled web.

Kudos to Mike's mom for never giving up and fighting for answers year after year. I couldn't imagine the constant agony of not knowing what truly happened to your child.

The author did a great job setting the scene and highlighting the main characters. It makes you wonder about what people want you to see and what their real lives are like.

[Joann 'bartunek' prashek · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars. I enjoyed the true crime novel and glad I listened to the audio version rather than actually reading it. In my opinion the author could have condensed the book immensely. Fourteen hours, yikes! Many facts and statements were repeated OVER AND OVER AND OVER...

[Linda Tasker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book.

I am an Anne Rule fan and this was a good read for me. Good details and not a lot of rambling.

[Valerie Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW ! I don't want to give spoilers. I was shocked ! The story was so well written. It's as if you get to know the personalities of the people. (It takes a great author for that to happen)I grew to love Ms. Cheryl , everyone wants a momma like this strong woman. This true story will make you wonder about the people in your life. Deception at it's worse, but one woman sees the truth & does not stop. If true crime is an interest of yours, I highly recommend Steven B. Epstein and this story. I pray that a young lady embraces the love of her Gran mama. I look forward to more stories by Mr. Epstein.

[Diana Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put it down!

What a great writer. He kept me so engaged. I lost a lot of sleep. I just couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read his first book.