A Florida woman accused of killing her husband and burying his body under a backyard fire pit has been found guilty of second-degree murder.
Laurie Shaver sobbed as the jury returned a guilty verdict in the 2015 murder of her husband, Michael Shaver, she said Friday. Cable TV.
The six jurors deliberated for just five and a half hours before convicting the mother after a week-long trial.
Prosecutors said Laurie shot her husband in the back of the head at their home in Claremont, west of Orlando, in November 2015.
Michael’s body was not discovered until 2018, when officers were called to perform a welfare check on the missing Walt Disney World employee. His remains were buried under a bonfire.
Laurie Shaver (pictured) sobbed as she was found guilty of murdering her husband in 2015.
Michael’s body was not discovered until 2018, when officers were called to conduct a welfare check and his remains were buried under a bonfire (pictured)
Laurie maintained her innocence throughout the trial, claiming that her then 7-year-old daughter shot her father while Michael beat her.
She also claimed that her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy Townsend, shot Michael a second time and disposed of his body. However, physical evidence indicates that Michael was only shot once, she reported. US.
Authorities also said Laurie assumed Michael’s identity after his death and sent text and Facebook messages posing as him.
Laurie’s daughter, now 15, testified in her mother’s defense on Thursday, claiming she shot her father to protect her mother.
Laurie maintained her innocence throughout the trial, claiming that her daughter, then 7 years old, shot her father.
She also claimed that her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy Townsend, shot Michael (pictured) a second time, despite physical evidence indicating he was only shot once.
“I grabbed her and I took her gun away. I went back outside and went to the door. The door was already open. And he had my mother still on the ground. Still on the ground. Still kicking her. And I shot her,” the daughter said.
Townsend testified for the prosecution that he had never met Michael.
Michael’s family cried tears of joy when the verdict came in almost a decade after his murder.
“Exultation. Exultation,” her sister Stacie Turner told local media. “We were so happy. This has been a long time coming.”
Michael was a Disney World employee and officials alleged that Laurie impersonated him after his death by sending text messages and Facebook messages as if she were him.
“I don’t think there was a detective in the sheriff’s office between 2018 and 2020 who wasn’t on this case,” said District Attorney Nick Camuccio. “And every CSI agent involved in this case did a truly first-class job.”
Laurie faces a minimum of 25 years in prison and his sentencing date has been scheduled for November 25.
His defense attorney said they plan to appeal the conviction.
