A Florida woman, Laurie Shaver, has been found guilty of murdering her husband, Michael Shaver, and burying his body in their backyard, despite a stunning twist during the trial when her 15-year-old daughter confessed to shooting him at the age of seven.
Michael Shaver’s remains were discovered in March 2018, buried beneath a concrete slab on the couple’s property. His disappearance was first reported by a friend in early 2018, who hadn’t heard from Michael since 2015. Authorities quickly grew suspicious after Laurie took over her husband’s social media accounts, sending texts and Facebook messages in his name to conceal his death.
During the trial, Laurie’s defense introduced a shocking claim that two others were involved in Michael’s death, including her daughter, who testified that she shot her father in an effort to protect her mother. Despite the daughter’s confession, the jury was not convinced, and after five hours of deliberation, they found Laurie guilty of second-degree murder, told Fox8live.
She was, however, acquitted of the charge of accessory after the fact to a life felony. Laurie’s sentencing is set for November 25, with her facing a minimum of 25 years in prison. Her defense has already announced plans to appeal. According to investigators, Laurie Shaver meticulously hid her husband’s death for years by controlling his social media accounts and deceiving friends and family into believing he was still alive.
She remarried in 2016, but the deception unraveled in 2018 when police, responding to Michael’s missing person report, searched the property and found his remains under a fire pit. Prosecutors allege Laurie shot Michael in the back of the head at their home in November 2015. Laurie initially told police that Michael had left her and their children, but the discovery of his body, coupled with inconsistencies in her story, led to her arrest.
Michael Shaver’s family, who had been searching for him for years, expressed relief at the verdict. “Elation,” said Stacey Turner, Michael’s sister, reacting to the conviction. “This was a long time coming.” In a statement, the family shared their sorrow but also a sense of closure: “While this will not bring our beloved Michael back, our family can finally, after all these years, start to get closure.” They added, “Michael was a great son, brother, father, uncle, and friend. He did not deserve what happened to him. He will forever live on in our hearts.”