LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – Attorneys for a Lake County woman accused of killing her husband and burying his remains in her backyard have filed a motion in court after they said a 14-year-old girl, who was 7 at the time of his disappearance, has confessed to the crime.
Laurie Shaver, 40, was charged with second-degree murder in the death of her husband Michael Shaver.
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In a motion filed May 8, defense attorneys asked for the judge to reconsider an evaluation of the minor child who confessed to having committed murder.
The child was 7 years old when Michael Shaver was last seen alive in 2015.
In 2018, authorities uncovered Michael Shaver’s remains found buried on his wife’s Clermont property under a concrete slab.
Laurie Shaver was arrested in 2020 on a warrant at her home in Okahumpka. She faces charges of second-degree murder for the death of her husband and accessory after the fact to second-degree murder.
According to an arrest affidavit, Laurie Shaver told Michael Shaver’s friends he had quit his job and left his family after he was last seen on Nov. 7, 2015. Those friends and co-workers found the story odd and did not think Michael Shaver would leave his children, according to the arrest affidavit.
After his disappearance, co-workers, family and friends continued to receive text messages from Michael’s number telling them to “leave me alone” or “don’t bother me.” Detectives believe these, along with Facebook messages, were sent by Laurie Shaver and could be traced back to her home IP address.
However, over the years, her stories varied, according to detectives. She told some people he moved to Georgia, others he was in New York and even California, records show. Her friends were told Michael Shaver was stalking her. She told her new boyfriend’s mother he was a pilot and traveling and told her supervisor at work he was in jail for nonpayment of child support, records show.
Authorities have not said how Michael Shaver died and his manner of death was redacted from the arrest affidavit.
Despite online records showing a hearing scheduled for Monday morning, no hearing took place.
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