A Central Florida woman was recently sentenced for the death of her husband, who died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head and was buried under a concrete slab.
The Honorable Judge Cary F. Rada, sentenced 41-year-old Laurie Leigh Shaver to Life after being convicted of murdering her husband, Michael Douglas Shaver.
“We hope the defendant’s life sentence brings some measure of closure and peace to the victim’s loved ones,” said Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson.
Laurie Shaver was arrested in 2020 by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) after an investigation into her husband Michael’s 2015 disappearance. The inquiry began in February 2018 when a childhood friend reported Michael missing.
When authorities conducted a welfare check, Laurie was evasive about his whereabouts and officials observed a newly poured concrete slab in the backyard.
Further investigation revealed suspicious social media activity on Michael’s accounts, which continued for nearly two years after his disappearance, despite no financial transactions since late 2015. The LCSO obtained a search warrant for the Shaver residence, where they found human remains under the concrete slab.
The medical examiner confirmed the remains were Michael’s and determined he died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
The State Attorney’s Office commended the work of the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Assistant State Attorneys Nick Camuccio and Rich Buxman, for their dedication throughout the investigation and prosecution of this case.
