LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Laurie Shaver, 41, was sentenced to life in prison today by Judge Cary F. Rada after being convicted of murdering her husband, Michael Douglas Shaver, whose disappearance and death remained a mystery for years.
“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.
Michael Shaver, a 36-year-old husband and father, was reported missing in February 2018 by a childhood friend after not being seen or heard from since 2015. During a welfare check, Laurie Shaver gave evasive answers about her husband’s whereabouts. Investigators noticed a newly poured concrete slab in the backyard of the Shaver residence, raising further suspicion.
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Authorities also uncovered suspicious activity on Michael’s social media accounts, which continued for nearly two years following his disappearance. However, investigators noted that Michael had no financial transactions after late 2015.
A breakthrough came when the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) obtained a search warrant for the property. During their search, human remains were discovered beneath the concrete slab. The remains were identified as Michael’s, and a medical examiner determined the cause of death to be a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
Laurie Shaver was arrested in 2020 and charged with her husband’s murder. Prosecutors argued that her efforts to conceal Michael’s death, including the use of his social media accounts to create the illusion he was alive, demonstrated intent and premeditation.
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Following her trial, Laurie Shaver was convicted of murder, and on Tuesday, she received a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
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