9:40 a.m. update

Denise Williams was sentenced to life in prison this morning for her role in the killing of her husband, Mike Williams, in Dec. 2000.

Full story: 'My son's horrific death demands justice': Denise Williams sentenced to life in prison

Leon Circuit Judge James Hankinson sentenced her to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He sentenced her to an additional 30 years for helping to plot the murder.

Mike Williams' mom, Cheryl Williams, gave a poignant victim impact statement during the hearing, her voice frequently breaking with tears as she recounted the 17-year effort to learn the truth about her son's killing.

"We are in this courtroom because of God not Cheryl Williams. I did what God told me to do," she said. "On the morning of Dec. 16, 2000, the world as I know it changed forever.

"I am asking you to lock Denise Merrell Williams Winchester up for the rest of her life with no chance of parole," Cheryl Williams told Hankinson. "She has already lived 18 years longer than my son."

While Denise Williams was convicted of the murder, Mike Williams' best friend and her former lover, Brian Winchester, admitted to shooting him in the face on Lake Seminole when their plans to make his death look like a hunting accident went awry. Winchester said the plot evolved so he and Denise Williams could be together without her suffering the shame of a divorce and she could collect nearly $2 million in life insurance.

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Morning update

A Leon Circuit judge Wednesday will impose a mandatory life prison sentence on Denise Williams for the murder of her husband Mike more than 18 years ago.

The 48-year-old was found guilty in December of conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree murder and accessory after the fact in the Dec. 16, 2000, killing of her high school sweetheart and husband of six years. The accessory charge was dropped post conviction because by law a person cannot commit both that crime and murder.

Leon Circuit Judge James Hankinson has little discretion in sentencing as the murder conviction carries a mandatory penalty of life in prison. The conspiracy charge is punishable by an additional 30 years.

Mike Williams’ mother, Cheryl Williams — who fought for nearly two decades to learn the truth of what happened to her son — will give a victim impact statement at the hearing.

In the weeks since her conviction, Williams’ attorneys questioned the legality of the jury's decision, motioned for acquittal and asked for a new trial. Hankinson rebuffed all their efforts to overturn her conviction.

While Denise Williams was convicted of the murder, Mike Williams' best friend and her former lover, Brian Winchester, admitted to shooting him in the face on Lake Seminole when their plans to make his death look like a hunting accident went awry. Winchester said the plot evolved so he and Denise Williams could be together without her suffering the shame of a divorce and she could collect nearly $2 million in life insurance.

Winchester was granted immunity for his statements, which he provided in October 2017 before he was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the armed kidnapping of Denise Williams. His admission led investigators to Mike Williams' body, buried at the edge of Carr Lake in Leon County, an hour's drive from where he purportedly vanished and just five minutes from where he grew up.

In a final motion before sentencing, defense attorney Ethan Way filed a motion asking that Denise Williams' mandatory life sentence be found unconstitutional based on the fact that Winchester is not facing repercussions.

It was promptly denied by Hankinson.

More from the murder case:

“The imposition of a life sentence would be grossly disproportionate to the treatment accorded Brian Winchester, the perpetrator of the crime,” Way wrote. “It simply makes no sense for the state to allow an active participant of a homicide to go free while seeking the maximum penalty against a passive participant in the same crime.”

Denise Williams still faces two charges of insurance fraud and conspiracy to commit insurance fraud in connection with the case. A case management hearing is scheduled for Feb. 19.

Contact Karl Etters at ketters@tallahassee.com or @KarlEtters on Twitter.

The sentencing hearing is being held at 9 a.m. and will be live streamed on Tallahassee.com. Following the hearing go to the Tallahassee Democrat's Facebook page to watch News Director Jennifer Portman and reporter Karl Etters recap the sentencing that has brought closure to an 18-year-old case.