Woman posed as dead husband, sent flowers to boyfriend's wife after burying him (original) (raw)
The trial of a woman accused of murdering her husband and then assuming his identity has gripped America, with a stunning twist in the case after her daughter confessed to the killing
Laurie Shaver is accused of murdering her husband and burning him in concrete in the garden at the home, pictured
During a gripping trial, grim revelations have emerged about a woman on trial for allegedly killing her spouse and concealing his corpse beneath their backyard.
In a macabre discovery, Florida cops unearthed the remnants of Laurie Shaver's other half, Micheal Shaver, entombed in concrete at their homestead in March 2018. The alarm over Micheal's vanishing was raised only a month prior by an associate who hadn't caught word from him since 2015.
The court heard how, after Micheal's demise, Laurie Shaver commandeered his texts and Facebook messages, while also sending flowers and notes to Vanessa Townsend, spouse of her lover Jeremy Townsend, to sow discord in their marriage. Laurie delivered testimony on Wednesday, claiming her initial suspicion that Michael crafted the spiteful messages.
Investigators are alleging that Michael had been gone for some time, and it was Laurie orchestrating the message dispatches. Juror-heard confessions reveal Townsend got messages in 2016 via his social media, accompanied by flowers bearing a note alluding to her spouse's infidelity: One barbed rhyme said: "Roses are red. Violets are blue. My wife is a wh---, and your husband is too. Check Facebook."
Laurie Shaver is accused of murdering her husband and posing as him to intimidate her lover (
Image:
Lake County Sheriff's Office)
Townsend revealed sordid messages accompanied by photos of the affair and advising her to secure a divorce lawyer. In court, evidence showed Laurie's bank account financed the devious flower delivery and posthumous log-ins to Michaels Facebook came from an IP address linked to Laurie's own account.
Wilma Nichols, a neighbour, also took the stand, recalling how in 2016, freshly-laid concrete lined a fire pit nearby and a strange stench prevailed months prior to that. "Son and I are on the back porch, and I remember him wrinkling his nose up and asked if I 'smelled that,' but nothing rose to the level of alerting law enforcement," Nichols said in her testimony.
By the time December 2016 came around, Laurie joined lives with Travis Filmer in a commitment ceremony. He lent a hand in laying concrete at the Shaver residence, although during testimony he said he didn't detect anything amiss.
"Dirt was already grated," Filmer said, which contradicted earlier comments prosecutors brought attention to. Filmer highlighted that he had never met Michael and only became worried when the police showed up in 2018.
Micheal Shaver's corpse was found buried in the garden of the family home (
Image:
Lake County Sheriff's Office)
Witnesses who bought guns from Laurie after Micheal's death also gave evidence. A firearms expert stated that a bullet found during the investigation could have come from one of the guns she sold, but also noted it "could have been, but can't say scientifically."
This is the most recent development in the murder trial. In the opening statements, Laurie's lawyer told the court that his client did not kill Michael and disclosed that two others were involved, including her daughter, who was only seven at the time but had confessed to shooting her father.
The daughter is reportedly prepared to testify in defence of her mother. "Evidence suggests the defendant gradually got rid of Michael Shavers' property. She sold his expensive tools, his guns. She knew Michael was never coming back. She knew Michael Shaver was dead," Prosecutor Rich Buxman said.
Defence attorney Jeffrey Wiggs seemed to depict Michael as an abusive husband who likely left Laurie with no choice but to protect herself. The court proceedings are scheduled to continue on Thursday.