A Florida woman charged with killing her husband and burying his body under their backyard firepit has been convicted of second-degree murder.
Laurie Shaver sobbed as the jury handed down a guilty verdict for the 2015 murder of her husband, Michael Shaver, on Friday reported WFTV.
The six jurors deliberated for just five and a half hours before convicting the mother following a week long trial.
Prosecutors said Laurie killed her husband at their home in Claremont, just west of Orlando, in November 2015 with a gunshot to the back of his head.
Michael’s body was not discovered until 2018, when officers were called to conduct a wellness check on the missing Walt Disney World employee. His remains were buried under a firepit.
Laurie Shaver (pictured) sobbed as she was convicted of the 2015 murder of her husband
Michael’s body was not discovered until 2018, when officers were called to conduct a wellness check and his remains were buried under a firepit (pictured)
Laurie maintained her innocence throughout the trial claiming her then-7-year-old daughter shot her father while Michael was beating her.
She also claimed her ex-boyfriend, Jeremy Townsend, shot Michael a second time and disposed of his body. However, physically evidence indicates that Michael was only shot one time, reported WESH.
Officials also said Laurie took over Michael’s identity after he was dead and sent text and Facebook messages pretending to be him.
Laurie’s daughter, now 15-years-old, 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 her then 7-year-old daughter shot her father
She also claimed 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 out, and I went to the door. The door was already open. And he had my mom on the ground still. Still laying on the ground. Still kicking her. And I shot him,’ the daughter said.
Townsend testified for the prosecution saying he had never even met Michael.
Michael’s family cried tears of joy as the verdict came down nearly a decade after he was murdered.
‘Elation. Elation,’ his sister Stacie Turner told local news outlets. ‘We were very happy. This was a long time coming.’
Michael was a Disney World employee and officials alleged Laurie pretended to be him after his death sending text and Facebook messages as him
‘I don’t think there was a detective with the sheriff’s office back in 2018 to 2020 that didn’t touch this case,’ prosecutor Nick Camuccio said. ‘And all of the CSI people on this case, truly top-notch effort on all of them.’
Laurie faces a minimum of 25 years in prison, and her sentencing date has been scheduled for November 25.
Her defense attorney said they plan on appealing the conviction.