A Florida woman accused of killing her husband and burying his body under their backyard fire pit has been convicted of second-degree murder.
Laurie Shaver sobbed as the jury returned a guilty verdict Friday for the 2015 murder of her husband, Michael Shaver, they reported. WFTV.
The six jurors deliberated for just five and a half hours before convicting the mother after a week-long trial.
Prosecutors say Laurie killed her husband in November 2015 in their Claremont home, just west of Orlando, with a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
Michael’s body wasn’t discovered until 2018, when officers were called to perform a welfare check on the missing Walt Disney World employee. His remains were found buried under a fire pit.
Laurie Shaver (pictured) cried as she was convicted 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 found buried under a fire pit (pictured)
Laurie maintained her innocence throughout the trial, claiming that her then 7-year-old daughter shot her father while Michael was beating 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, reported BE.
Officials also said Laurie assumed Michael’s identity after he died and sent text messages and Facebook messages pretending to be Michael.
Laurie’s now 15-year-old daughter testified in her mother’s defense on Thursday, claiming she shot her father to protect her mother.
Laurie maintained her innocence during the trial, claiming that her then 7-year-old daughter had 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
“And I grabbed her, and I grabbed her gun. And I went back outside, and I went to the door. The door was already open. And he still had my mother on the ground. Still laying on the ground. Still kicking her. And I shot him,” the daughter said.
Townsend testified on behalf of the prosecution and said he had never met Michael.
Michael’s family cried tears of joy as the verdict was announced, nearly a decade after he was murdered.
“Cheerfulness. Cheerfulness,” his sister Stacie Turner told local news outlets. “We were very happy. This has been a long time coming.”
Michael was a Disney World employee and officials alleged that Laurie posed as him after his death by sending him text messages and Facebook messages.
“I don’t think there was a detective in the sheriff’s office from 2018 to 2020 that didn’t touch this case,” said Prosecutor Nick Camuccio. “And all of the CSIs that worked this case really did a great job.”
Laurie faces a minimum of 25 years in prison and her sentencing is scheduled for November 25.
Her lawyer said they plan to appeal the conviction.