48 Hours - Temptation in Texas

Episode Date: June 3, 2015

A "48 Hours" interview with the wife of a millionaire shot dead turns the case upside down. Is there more to the story? Peter Van Sant updates the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can listen to this podcast ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app today. Even if you love the thrill of true crime stories as much as I do, there are times when you want to mix it up. And that's where Audible comes in, with all the genres you love and new ones to discover. Explore thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, and originals, with more added all the time. Listening to Audible can lead to positive change in your mood, your habits,

and even your overall well-being. And you can enjoy Audible anytime, while doing household chores, exercising, commuting, you name it. There's more to imagine when you listen. Sign up for a free 30-day Audible trial and your first audiobook is free. Visit audible.ca. In 2014, Laura Heavlin was in her home in Tennessee when she received a call from California. Her daughter, Erin Corwin, was missing. The young wife of a Marine had moved to the California desert

to a remote base near Joshua Tree National Park. They have to alert the military. And when they do, the NCIS gets involved. From CBS Studios and CBS News, this is 48 Hours NCIS. Listen to 48 Hours NCIS ad-free starting October 29th on Amazon Music. Michelle and Greg Williams had been married for some time, and she was enjoying a nice lifestyle. His job was to make the money, and Michelle's job was to spend the money. Greg treated me like a queen. He showed me a world that before him I had no means to have.

My mother is captivating. She's easy on the eyes. She's extremely intelligent. Just being able to say the right things at the right time to get what she wants. My brother treated her like gold. She had everything. Did you feel as though Michelle targeted your brother once she realized he had money? She was all about the money, the lifestyle.

Michelle Williams is a manipulator. She's had great success manipulating men. She's manipulated husbands. She's manipulated boyfriends. She had to be the center stage at all times. You know? She thought she was God's gift. I hear an echoing sound that wakes me up.

I walked to the bedroom, and all of a sudden, I get hit. Greg's in bed, and I realized, oh, my God, he's been shot. 911, where is the emergency? Oh, my God, I'm so sorry. Oh, my God. I called my sister and told her Greg is dead. Michelle killed him. You know, that's where I'm trying to determine.

Did I hear the gunshot? Did I see the person? I don't know what I saw first. There were parts of the story that really didn't make a lot of sense the first time that she told it. Almost three months after a Kellerman was found shot in his own bed, police have arrested his wife. We became convinced very quickly that indeed that Michelle was responsible for this. There was no eyewitness. There were some shortcomings in the investigation.

No fingerprints. There was a question of the crime scene being tampered with. No DNA that links Michelle to this killing. The judgment was made to offer a plea deal. They didn't have the evidence to go forward with a murder trial at the time. The district attorney's office wanted her and the judge wanted her to take responsibility. What changed? Well, primarily the interview that Michelle did with you immediately before the judge was to accept her

plea deal. Every time I watch a client in an interview, I start to think, oh, man, we're really screwed. Did you murder your husband, Greg? No, I did not. That undermines the validity of her plea and caused me to go in and ask the judge to strike that plea deal. Lady Justice may very well be blind,

but she's neither deaf nor stupid. If you're innocent, have a trial. Let the chips fall where they may. The state is going to introduce videos of the show 48 Hours. Who shot Greg? I have my assumptions. I've been trying cases for more than 40 years. Michelle Williams' case has to rank up there as one of the most bizarre that I've been involved in.

Had murder, had sex, contradictions, had a little bit of everything. I'm Peter Van Sant. Tonight on 48 Hours, Temptation in Texas. As a kid growing up in Chicago, there was one horror movie I was too scared to watch. It was called Candyman. It was about this supernatural killer who would attack his victims if they said his name five times into a bathroom mirror.

But did you know that the movie Candyman was partly inspired by an actual murder? I was struck by both how spooky it was, but also how outrageous it was. Listen to Candyman, the true story behind the bathroom mirror murder, wherever you get your podcasts. In the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand, lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little-known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harboured a deep, dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pitcairn once they reached the age of 10 that would still have heard it. It just happens to all of us.

I'm journalist Luke Jones, and for almost two years, I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn. When there's nobody watching, nobody going to report it, people will get away with what they can get away with. In the Pitcairn Trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wondery+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 911, where is the emergency? Take a deep breath. It took nearly three years. A murder trial involving a Keller woman accused of killing her husband. But prosecutor Jack Strickland finally has Michelle Williams just where he wants her.

In court, charged with the murder of her wealthy husband, Greg Williams. She sees the killer of her husband every single day that she gets up and looks in the mirror. Every single day. So you bet your bottom dollar that she knows who killed her husband because it's her. In the defendant's chair, Michelle looks dramatically different from the seductive vixen who had enjoyed the good life with Gray. Gone is that inviting smile of this once proud mother. To understand Michelle Williams' journey from wealthy suburban housewife to murder suspect here at the Tarrant County Courthouse,

you have to go back and look at her tangled history, which has soap opera written all over it. Michelle's life is a twisted tale of lies, manipulations, betrayals, and fractured lives. I was 17 when I got pregnant with my first son. By the age of 24, Michelle had three children, two boys and a girl, by two different men. Then, a second marriage. But Michelle says that all her relationships before Greg ended because the men cheated on her. She cites just one example. Had an affair on me with a 17-year-old dental assistant girl

who to this day she remembers it quite well. But her younger son Andrew, now 26, says it wasn't the men who were cheating. She cheated on my dad, got remarried to another man, cheated on him, left him for another man, cheated on him and got with Greg. man, cheated on him, and got with Greg. What do you say to the allegation that you have never been faithful to any of your husbands?

I say that's an absolute lie. And her older son Lee says his life as a kid with his mother was madness, involving strip clubs and many men. When my mom was doing dirty stuff for money, and I was sort of just tagged along. Dirty stuff? Yeah, I mean, I knew she was working at a strip club at one point, topless bar, baby dolls, I know that. You believe your mom, at times, was a prostitute?

I believe there's a very good possibility that she was. If she wasn't getting paid for it, I know she was sleeping around. But in 2007, Michelle hit the jackpot when she married Greg Williams. So we were in the $800,000 house. He was a successful businessman. He had a Mercedes in the garage? Yes, we both got them for our anniversary together. She was never nice to me.

I didn't like her from the very beginning. Greg's sister Michelle and his brother Michael always felt the other Michelle, as they called her, was bad news. Michael was there at Greg and Michelle's first date. Michael was there at Greg and Michelle's first date. We went to a nightclub afterwards, and she was just, I mean, I don't know if I can say slut on television, but... You just did. Well, okay. She was just doing some things in a bar to my brother that I just don't think of. Most people get a room.

There you go, yeah. Michelle Williams brazenly used her sexuality with the men in her life. And even tried it with her brother-in-law, Bryn Fletcher. She called up into the attic at my brother's house and said she needed his help. And when she crawled up to the attic, she wasn't wearing anything under her skirt. And with many men, including Greg Williams, her tactics seemed to work. He bought her whatever she needed, whatever she wanted. She had everything, and he treated her like gold.

Greg was a big, strong, self-made man, a brilliant computer engineer, a workaholic who had built a successful business that he ran out of his home. He was a genius. He really was. He was a salesman. He could sell anything to anybody. He and Michelle had a four-year-old daughter together,

Michaela, and Greg already had a daughter, Taylor, 14 at the time, with his ex-wife. Come on, give me a kiss. Thank you. By all accounts, he was devoted to both his daughters. Essentially, I lost my protector, the person that I could always go to when I was upset. And if I just wanted to go talk about something random

and spend time with my dad, he would do that for me because he's my dad. You miss him? Yes, sir. He was the most amazing man. Yes, sir. He was the most amazing man. He loved me, and he loved our daughter so much.

He took really good care of me. We were very happy together. Michelle says everything was going great, till that night it all happened. What's going on? My mom called me. She said, Bill wants to talk to you. Bill being my stepfather. And Bill said, you know, your brother...

is dead. And I'm like, what? And I was like, no, no. There's no way. I don't believe you. Oh, God, I'm so, so sorry. Why would Michelle ever want to kill the goose that's laying the golden egg? I think maybe he was tired of laying the golden egg.

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She was addicted to the game she had created. She just didn't know how to stop. Now, through dramatic interviews and access, I'll reveal the truth behind one of the world's most shocking legal scandals. Listen to Informant's Lawyer X exclusively on Wondery+. Join Wondery in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. And listen to more Exhibit C true crime shows early and ad-free right now. Have you ever wondered who created that bottle of sriracha that's living in your fridge?

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Mikayla, she was his world. What do you miss now that Greg is gone? I miss his blue eyes. No matter what was going on with anything else, while Greg was there, everything was okay. Everything looked bright in Michelle Williams' future in October 2011. We were about to close on a house in two days. We were designing a new pool for Michaela to play in, and everything was awesome. But Michelle's fanciful life came to a sudden end here in her home. She says she was sleeping on a couch here in the living room with her daughter Michaela when in the middle of the night, a sudden noise woke her up.

She made her way to the master bedroom. In the darkness, Michelle claims someone smashed her in the face, briefly knocking her out. When she came to, she walks up to the bed and sees that Greg has been shot once in the head. Michelle calls 911, and when cops arrive, they discover a very odd death scene. Greg had been shot with his own gun.

A wrench was lying next to the gun, and there was no sign of forced entry. And everything had been wiped clean. So this intruder came in, shot Greg, and on his way out, put the very gun that he used to kill him on the floor by the back door. I suppose so. And again... That's crazy. Killers don't leave the evidence behind.

Why would he do that? I don't know. Cops were immediately suspicious. The death scene seemed staged. When Michelle was interviewed by police later that morning, she kept telling the detective about an intruder. I heard a sound. I get up. I got hit by something. I could see it was a nail in dark stuff, dark clothing.

Where were you hit? I was hit right here. Michelle says this swollen mark on her face is proof she was hit with that wrench, found on the floor next to the gun. But how was it both those items had been wiped clean of any fingerprints? Those bags and everything, Michelle, don't add up. Police Sergeant John McGrew turns up the heat on Michelle, asserting that there are only two possible scenarios.

Gray committed suicide or Michelle had something to do with his death. on Michelle, asserting that there are only two possible scenarios. Greg committed suicide or Michelle had something to do with his death. Either he's a self-inflicted and you covered it up or there's potentially you may have been involved. I did not hurt my husband and he did not hurt himself. There was a man in my house. He keeps hammering her on that point. Again, all I have is what I have. That's all I can say.

One of the two things will happen. One of those two things, Michelle. I did not. You won't find that out because I didn't do anything to my husband. Okay. This went on and on and... Back and forth, back and forth. Back and forth. Do you feel as though you were being pressured to change your story?

I totally was. I was completely coerced into it. You need to tell me right now. Finally, after Sergeant McGrew asks her for the eighth time... Please tell me now. I broke. I was in shock. He did it. You covered it up. Just tell me. He did. For the eighth time. Michelle tells the detective she didn't want her four-year-old daughter to know her dad had committed suicide. that he had right there, and I set it down, and I had to figure out what to do at that point.

I opened the door, and I said, again, I'm a door. She also admits that bruise on her face was self-inflicted. In order to make it make some sense, I had to have an injury, and I just spent myself, and I spent myself too hard. What's that, rent? It's the rent. I'll forward it to your house. Even after her police interview,

Michelle told this same news story of a suicide to her older sister, Laura. She actually said, oh my God, Greg shot himself. Oh, I better make this look like a crime scene so Michaela won't think that her dad shot himself. And then she said, so then I went and cleaned his hands and cleaned the gun. But investigators never believed Michelle's new version, that her husband committed suicide. They felt the evidence overwhelmingly pointed at her. Michelle Williams was always a person of interest for police. Three months after Greg's

death, Michelle Williams was arrested and charged with murder. Did you murder your husband, Greg? No, I did not. As police prepared to bring Michelle to justice, what they didn't count on, and neither did we, is that Michelle would later change her story yet again. I've been wanting to tell this part of the story for two years and 115 days. If she's talking, she's usually lying. She's usually lying. She has told us both the stories of suicide and intruder.

She has told us everything, and she keeps going back and forth. Michelle Williams' son, Andrew, says right from the get-go, his mother was telling different people different stories of how her husband died in their bedroom. With this life, she can't decide which life she wants to make herself believe more. I'm trying, I'm trying so hard to give you the right details. Her last story to police in October 2011 was that Greg committed suicide. police in October 2011 was that Greg committed suicide. Lead prosecutor Jack Strickland believed Michelle had murdered Greg, but he was worried that his case had holes in it. There's no DNA that links Michelle to this murder, correct? That's correct. No fingerprints on the murder weapon? That's correct. There's no gunshot residue on her hands, correct?

Correct. That's because Michelle, by her own account, had cleaned the crime scene. We didn't have fingerprints because she'd wiped things down. She'd repositioned the scene, and she had wiped things down with I don't know how many Clorox wipes, which she then flushed down the toilet. The Keller Police Department, inexperienced at murder scenes,

had not done a great job in their initial investigation. There were mistakes made. Oh, absolutely there were mistakes made. Absolutely there were. I believe that there was cross-contamination between the bedding and the body, the person of Mr. Williams, all right? When his body was transported from the scene to the medical examiner's office, he was simply wrapped in the sheets that were on the bed.

With all those problems in the case, Strickland offered Michelle a plea bargain. Rather than murder, she could plead to tampering with evidence and a Texas charge called deadly conduct, which means wielding a weapon irresponsibly. Michelle accepted. How long do you think you will spend in prison? A couple of years.

In fact, the plea deal carried a maximum sentence of up to 20 years. But Michelle was hoping for the minimum, about two and a half years. I took the plea deal to be able to get back home to my daughter sooner than when she's 18 years old. If I went to trial with not having the representation that I feel I needed on this case, I could lose the case and go away for 50 to 100 years. When we did this interview, Michelle was waiting in jail to finalize her plea in a few days at a sentencing hearing. She stunned us by going back to the original story she told police, that Greg had been killed by a mysterious intruder.

As I started coming to, I saw someone go out the front door. And then she tried to explain how the murder happened in a way that is frankly hard to believe. I believe Greg reached for his, which he kept under his nightstand, right there by the bed. And this intruder took the gun out of his hand and shot him? Out of the gun bag, that's what I'm thinking. I'm saying he had his own weapon, but it, I don't know. Did his opposite hand grab your husband's weapon and use that on him? Did the opposite hand grab your husband's weapon and use that on him?

I don't have a theory. I'm just saying I think they came into the house with a gun. Judge Scott Wish learned about Michelle's new story from the deputies guarding her during the 48 Hours interview. Court will call for purposes of formal sentencing. He hauled her into court. If you're guilty, then stand up, speak up, and get it out. The judge chews her out for denying what she had already pleaded guilty to. And don't play games with yourself, with your lawyers, or with the system.

Prosecutor Jack Strickland asks Michelle about that deadly conduct charge for firing the gun that killed Greg. So let's start with a simple question. Are you in fact factually guilty of that offense? No, I'm not. I can go on, Judge. Depending on your ruling, I will... If you're not guilty of tampering, if you're not guilty of deadly conduct, the answer to that question is a trial by a jury of your peers. A trial for murder. She now denies all responsibility, so her plea deal is revoked.

Rather than a few years in prison, Michelle is rolling the dice with a possible life sentence if she is convicted. Her sister is not surprised. I always thought Michelle thought she could win the trial because I know she thinks I'll work that jury. On the eve of her trial in September 2014, three years after Greg's death, another bombshell from Michelle. Her lawyer says the defense they're going with... Are you ready for this? One of her earlier versions of the truth, that Greg committed suicide. Why did Michelle tell me that an intruder killed Greg? Was she lying to me?

Well, since Greg took his own life, clearly she was lying to you. I love it. I bet it fits perfect. He 100% believes in me. He has not one doubt in his mind. As she prepares to go on trial for murdering her husband, there's only one man left in Michelle Williams' life who still believes she's innocent. Her new boyfriend, personal trainer Gene Wallace,

who is 12 years younger than Michelle. That's the two lovebirds in this workout video. Gene, do you love Michelle? I most certainly do. And what do you love about her? I think that I love more than anything else how incredible she is to her family. Gene met Michelle through her son, Lee, who used to be Gene's best friend.

Through the growth of our relationship, of course, I got very, very attached. Lee learned about the secret romance when Gene approached him at his mom's house. And he said, well, I just wanted to come up like a man because you're my friend and let you know that I'm probably going to sleep with your mom tonight. And I snapped. That was it. I went full out. I was about to attack him. Your best friend is sleeping with your mother. How do you deal with that? That is like one of the hardest things to deal with because it is the utmost betrayal on both parties. This is like the National Enquirer on steroids.

You know that. It is. You're a tabloid times ten. And this is all true, you're telling me. I'm telling you. But there's more. In the earlier plea deal, Michelle had told the judge she was pregnant in an effort to delay going to prison. We were expecting twins unexpectedly.

Was a sonogram done? Yes. Did you see? I've got pictures, yes. The judge agreed to delay the sentencing on her plea bargain until the babies were born. But it was all a lie. I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Prosecutor Strickland was equally fooled.

And I take responsibility for that. I think that the likelihood that a defendant would come in with that story developed to that degree under these outrageous circumstances was so far-fetched that it never occurred to me that somebody would do that. So she manipulated me as well. Her sister Laura had seen this kind of deceit before. It's one of her things, if you will, that she'll fake pregnancies, she'll fake miscarriages, sometimes to get attention.

I mean, there's been a lot of them throughout the years. As the trial begins, Strickland and his co-prosecutor, Sheila Wynn, are about to lay out their case against Michelle Williams. The truth and nothing but the true self we got.

Yes, sir. Absolutely. And you are a veteran yourself. Yes, ma'am. The first witness is Andrew O'Brien, Michelle's younger son. He tells the court an incredible story. After Greg's death, his mother used him to try to frame Greg's ex-wife Kathy for the murder. She said, call some friends, tell them to pick up an extra large sweater, go somewhere and fire a pistol so that the gunpowder residue would get onto the sweater.

Break into Kathy's car, hide the sweater under a seat and go to a pay phone and call 911 and leave an anonymous tip so that cops would search her car and find the sweater under a seat, and go to a pay phone and call 911 and leave an anonymous tip so that cops would search her car and find the sweater. This trial is about Greg's murder and not all the lies and manipulations in Michelle's life. So prosecutors focus on a key factor, that Greg Williams would never have committed suicide. And they say the evidence proves he didn't. Based on the photographs, there's clearly not a contact gunshot wound. Medical examiner Dr. Nizam Pirwani testifies that in his 35 years on the job, he has never seen a suicide from the distance the gun was from Greg's head.

seen a suicide from the distance the gun was from Greg's head. So, beyond six inches and less than 24 inches. Then, Greg's mother, Betty Middlebrooks, testifies that her son would never have taken his own life. And if you'd raise your right hand for me. He was tired from working long hours, but he was very happy and bubbly in telling me all about the plans he had for the new house they were buying. As for what triggered the murder, prosecutors pointed out through forensic accountant Jeanette Hanna's testimony, it was money. Michelle was signing for the withdrawals. And they totaled how much, please?

$104,000. Despite Greg's $800,000 income that year, with Michelle's out-of-control spending, they weren't even going to be able to make the down payment on the house they were buying. The total amount that they had in all of their bank accounts was $28,614. I think she revealed that to him that night, that we just can't do this, we don't have the money.

And I believe that an argument ensued. I think he slapped her or hit her in the face. Maybe he told her, we have no way of knowing. All right, this is the last straw, this is over. I don't think the golden goose was going to produce anymore after that night. And then she made sure of it because she shot him in the head. After spending most of Greg's fortune, prosecutors believe Michelle had only one source to turn to for cash,

Greg's $850,000 life insurance policy. And that, says Cody Koffer, one of Michelle's lawyers, is why she came up with the intruder story in the first place. One of her last hopes at bridging the financial gap to take care of her daughter was an insurance policy that had a suicide clause, and she would not be able to collect under that suicide clause. But that doesn't quite explain why she switched to suicide in her police interview, and then

switched back to the intruder with 48 hours. Hello, Michelle. Hello. Michelle never takes the stand to explain her many changing stories. And that makes her defense an uphill battle. It's a substantial obstacle to get the jurors to, I guess, forget that the accused has provided a story inconsistent with the evidence and inconsistent with the defense. No one may be seated. And to drive that point home.

The state is going to introduce videos of the show 48 Hours. Prosecutors show the jury excerpts from the 48 Hours episode that aired last April. There was an intruder in the house. The interview that turned Michelle's life and this case upside down. Who shot Greg? I have my assumptions. Are we talking a relative? Possibly. We used the 48 hours tape to demonstrate not only that she had changed her story yet again because she just couldn't leave well enough alone. changed her story yet again because she just couldn't leave well enough alone. She'd added the additional fact as not only was it an intruder, I think I know who the intruder was.

Okay. And that was just beyond the pale. And so the tape was very, very beneficial to us. Michelle had accidentally become a witness against herself. And in his closing statement, defense attorney Cody Kofor speculates as to why Greg Williams had killed himself. He's lost his best friend to suicide. He lost his grandmother that was his refuge in his childhood when he started making bad decisions. He's looking on his laptop at his bank statements, and he knows that he can't do this. He's looking on his laptop at his bank statements, and he knows that he can't do this, and he is going to... Judge, I'm going to object. This is all totally outside the record.

Sustained. Thank you. Can I have an instruction that the jury disregard this entire narrative about what was going through Greg's mind? The jury will disregard the last statements. Good morning, folks. The prosecutor then lowers the boom in his closing. The overwhelming, the obvious, the inexorable fact is, is that this woman killed her husband in cold blood.

She lied about it. She lied about it. She lied about it. And when she finished lying about it, she kept on lying about it. Time after time after time. The blunt truth is, folks, that this woman it, time after time after time. The blunt truth is, folks, that this woman is a cold-blooded killer. It takes seven hours over two days as jurors meticulously go over the evidence.

Then came the moment of truth. Mr. Presiding Juror, it is my understanding the jury has reached a verdict. Is that correct? Yes, Your Honor. Ms. Williams, if you would stand, please. The verdict in cause number 1266846D says we, the jury, find the defendant, Michelle Marie Williams, guilty of the offensive murder. Moments later, Michelle Williams is overcome with emotion, her lifetime of lies having finally caught up with her. With Michelle's conviction, it appears her story has come to an end.

But in this twisted Texas tale, there may be one last turn. A former sister-in-law is convinced that Michelle has killed before. I believe she's responsible for not just my brother's death, but my husband's death, too. just my brother's death, but my husband's death too. I get ill every time I come out here. I know this is where she killed him. I don't like being out here at all. Ten months before Greg Williams was murdered, his sister, Michelle Fletcher,

said goodbye to her husband, Bryn, for the last time. He worked for Greg and was going on a business trip in the company pickup truck. He kissed me goodbye. I told him I couldn't wait for him to get back. He said he couldn't wait to get home either. Brynn Fletcher drove out on Highway 34, following directions Michelle Williams had given him. Michelle would give Brynn a map.

She would tell him which way to go. Brynn was from England. He didn't know these roads. Bryn was more than an employee to Greg Williams. He was also his best friend and confidant. I was happy. He was looking forward to the future. Everything was going great. About 45 minutes into his drive, Brynn pulled off the highway. This is where his truck was located.

And this? Parked on the other side of this watchtower right here. She believes it was Michelle who lured him here. Truck was right in here? Right here. Why would Brynn have ended up here on this road by this tower? I believe Michelle knew this area. Why would Bryn have ended up here on this road by this tower? I believe Michelle knew this area.

This tower stands out. It would be an easy place to meet someone, to just point it out and say, hey, meet me here. When Ellis County Sheriff's deputies answered a call about an abandoned truck, they found Bryn's body. He had been shot once in the head. And the county says it's a suicide. Do you agree with that? No, I don't. What do you believe it was? I believe it was murder. And who pulled the trigger? Michelle Williams. You're certain of that? Yes. Michelle came to that conclusion when Michelle Williams was charged with killing Greg and Fletcher realized if she had killed Greg, she might also have killed Brynn. Why would Michelle

kill your husband? To cover up all the lies, to cover up the story she'd been telling. Brynn would have been on to her. Fletcher believes Brynn was about to tell Greg Williams about Michelle's out-of-control behavior, the money she spent, and a bizarre story accusing Greg's daughter Taylor of trying to poison her. And if Brynn had told Greg, what would have been the consequences of that?

Greg would have gotten rid of her. He would have divorced her. They would have been done. He wouldn't have put up with that. He loved his daughters. So Fletcher believes Michelle Williams had to silence Brynn. She killed him, then tried to cover her tracks by taking control when sheriff's deputies found Brynn's body in his pickup truck.

She told them not to talk to my sister. She said she was distraught. She told them to keep things from her, not to bother her, that she would handle everything. That Michelle Williams would handle it, not Michelle Fletcher. Michelle Williams handled things all right. She quickly arranged for Brynn's body to be cremated, destroying any evidence that might raise questions.

And Fletcher says her sister-in-law tricked her to sign the papers while she was out of her mind with grief. You know, I was feeling just signing whatever, and I didn't realize I had signed the paperwork for Brenda B. Cremated the very next day. She believes Michelle Williams even fabricated an alibi for herself. She made about six phone calls that I'm aware of to her own family members, basically trying to let them know that she was at Target. And why would she be telling people she's at Target?

An alibi. She didn't want anyone to know where she was. By the time Michelle Fletcher gathered her emotions and called the Sheriff's Department to tell them of her theory, it was too late. They told me immediately after speaking with Michelle and me that it was open closed suicide period. And what did you say to them? I said I don't believe you. I said he didn't kill himself. Official reports of what happened inside Bryn's car here at the watchtower are confusing. The medical examiner says he was shot right here, right between the eyes.

The police report says he was shot on the right-hand side. The problem with that? Brynn is left-handed. The Ellis County Sheriff's Department told 48 Hours they have no plans to reopen the case. Through her lawyer, Michelle Williams denies any involvement in Brynn's death. While it may never be known whether Michelle Williams did

murder Brynn Fletcher, there's little doubt today that she killed her husband, leaving behind a lifetime of immeasurable pain to members of her own family. Mom to me carries more meaning than the word love. She's my mother, but she'll never be my mom. On some level, do you still love your mother? I love who I thought that she was whenever I was younger. I love that fantasy.

It's taken a lot to take control of my own life because she controlled it for so long with her tears and her crying and the lies that I've had to learn how to take over my own life again. Michelle's young daughter, Michaela, now eight, is in the custody of family friends. They take her to visit Michelle in prison occasionally and will do so as long as Michaela wants to visit. She needs to pay for what she did, absolutely. What's to keep her from doing something horrible to Michaela? She's proven how much family means to her. Michelle Williams was sentenced to 60 years

in prison. She will be eligible for parole in 30 years. If you like this podcast, you can listen ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick survey at wondery.com slash survey.