Laurie Shaver receives life sentence for 2015 murder, backyard burial of husband

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Updated  November 26, 2024 6:37pm EST
FOX 35 Orlando
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Laurie Shaver receives life sentence

A Florida woman convicted of murdering her husband, whose body was found buried beneath a fire pit and concrete slab in the backyard of the couple's Lake County home, has been sentenced to life in prison. Last month, a six-person jury found Laurie Shaver, 41, guilty of second-degree murder in the 2015 death of Michael Douglas Shaver, 36.

ORLANDO, Fla. - A Florida woman convicted of murdering her husband, whose body was found buried beneath a fire pit and concrete slab in the backyard of the couple's Lake County home, has been sentenced to life in prison.

Last month, a six-person jury found Laurie Shaver, 41, guilty of second-degree murder in the 2015 death of Michael Douglas Shaver, 36. The jury had several possible charges against Shaver, including second-degree murder, third-degree murder, manslaughter, accessory after the fact, or not guilty on any or all of the counts.

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Laurie Shaver sentenced in husband's murder

Laurie Shaver, the woman convicted of second-degree murder in the death of her husband, who went missing for years and whose remains were found buried beneath a concrete slab in the backyard, was sentenced to life in prison.

Laurie Shaver was arrested in 2020 by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office following a yearslong investigation into the disappearance of her husband.

The case began in February 2018, when a childhood friend reported Michael missing. During a welfare check at the couple’s home, authorities noted Laurie’s evasiveness about her husband’s whereabouts and discovered a recently poured concrete slab in the backyard.

Investigators later found suspicious activity on Michael’s social media accounts, which continued for nearly two years after his disappearance. However, there had been no financial transactions on his accounts since late 2015.

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VIDEO: Laurie Shaver handcuffed after guilty verdict

Laurie Shaver was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of her husband, Michael. Shaver was accused of shooting and killing Michael by shooting him in the back of the head. She then, prosecutors alleged, buried him in the backyard beneath a fire pit and concrete slab. Michael was last seen by friends in 2015. His skeletal remains were found in 2018.

A search warrant led deputies to uncover human remains beneath the concrete slab. The medical examiner identified the remains as Michael’s and determined he died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head.

During the sentencing, Michael's brother, Brian Shaver, told Judge Cary F. Rada that Laurie left an immeasurable void in their lives.

"While justice may offer some solace, it will not restore the wounds," he said.

Two of Michael Shaver’s friends also wrote impact statements for the State Attorney’s Office to read aloud. One of them wrote a plea to the judge, asking for Shaver to never be returned to society.

"Laurie's inhuman, ruthless, and savage actions, and especially her lack of any repentance, indicate that she will never change," the letter read. "I fully expect she will again incite bedlam and turmoil with whomever she associates."

Laurie Shaver did not speak, but she wrote a 14-page letter to the State Attorney’s Office, accusing her ex-boyfriend of the murder.  

"We hope the defendant’s life sentence brings some measure of closure and peace to the victim’s loved ones," said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney.

Trial painted picture of alleged deceit, finger-pointing

It was a trial full of accusations, blame, finger-pointing, and alleged lies on both sides, according to the prosecution and defense. 

Shaver testified in her own defense, alleging that at the crux of their relationship, Michael was mad that she became pregnant – and that the two fought before he was shot and killed.

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Laurie Shaver takes stand in murder trial | Full interrogation

Laurie Shaver, the Florida woman accused of second-degree murder in the death of her husband, Michael Shaver, took the stand in her own defense on Thursday. She's accused of killing her husband and helping to bury him in concrete in her backyard.

Another surprise during trial, Shaver's daughter testified under oath that she – not Laurie – shot her father because he allegedly attacked her mother and threatened to kill her.

"I shot him," Shaver's daughter said. She would have been around 7 at the time.

"Did you feel when you fired that shot, that that had to be done, or he would have killed your mother?" Shaver's attorney asked.

"Yes, yes," she said.

"Are you firm on that?" the attorney asked.

"I'm firm on that," she said.

Prosecutors and officials alleged that after Michael's death, Laurie pretended to be Michael for months, communicating with friends, family, his boss, and colleagues via text messages and Facebook messages.

PREVIOUS TRIAL COVERAGE

Shaver allegedly told friends that Michael left the family and moved to Georgia and other states, which, according to his family, seemed out of character for him.

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