Kriti Mehrotra
When Michael Douglas Shaver suddenly disappeared from his Sandy Pines Road home in Clermont, Florida, in November 2015, his entire community of loved ones was left baffled to the core. That’s because he had reportedly always been close to them, which has since even been reiterated in Investigation Discovery’s ‘People Magazine Investigates: Love, Lies, and Lust.’ However, it wasn’t until 2018 when he was officially reported missing, leading to an extensive search that culminated in the recovery of his remains as well as an eventual conviction for murder.
Michael Shaver’s Remains Were Found Buried in His Own Backyard
Born on January 14, 1982, as one of at least two boys in an affectionate, loving, and respectable household, Michael “Mike” Douglas Shaver grew up knowing he had a tight-knit support system. The Upstate New York native thus didn’t hesitate to marry his middle-school sweetheart not long after their graduation, following which they chose to settle down in Clermont, Florida. They reportedly welcomed two children into the world as the years passed, with him serving as a local Firefighter and a Monorail Technician at Disney World to provide them with a good life.
According to records, Michael’s wife, Laurie Leigh Shaver, was his partner in every sense as she juggled caring for the children while also working from home for an insurance company. The family honestly appeared to be a close unit by all accounts, especially as they often even engaged in community events together. But alas, everything turned upside down in late 2015 after they participated in a local tractor show alongside a coworker, because that’s when the 33-year-old was last seen alive and well. It has been claimed that there seemed to be a lot of tension between the couple on the fateful day, following which he missed several days of work before quitting by text to “save his marriage.”
Although Michael and Laurie’s bond once appeared almost idyllic from the outside, the truth was much different, as they had allegedly started arguing a lot by the time 2015 had rolled around. Therefore, when loved ones tried to check on the former in person and were informed by his wife of how he had abandoned the family by driving away in a black SUV, they mostly let it go. Yet, one friend’s continued worry led him to officially report the 33-year-old missing in February 2018, leading deputies to conduct a welfare check and notice a change in the backyard. When they dug up the firepit built on a thick concrete slab, they found the father of two — he had been shot in the back of his head.
Investigations Into Michael Shaver’s Case Uncovered Accusations of Abuse and Domestic Issues
Michael’s friend had reported him missing after nearly 3 years, not only out of genuine concern but also in desperate need for answers. As per records, when officials arrived at the Sandy Pines Road home in Clermont, Florida, where Laurie now resided with her new husband and kids, she was open to letting them enter the place. However, she denied them permission to actually search the premises without a warrant, which they immediately filed for after noticing the relatively recent concrete slab pour in the backyard. That backyard area in question appeared sunken, seemed to measure roughly the dimensions of a human body, and looked hastily put together, so the warrant was granted.
When the warrant was executed on March 9, 2018, Michael’s skeletal remains were recovered from underneath the slab, later ascertained to be 6-by-8′ as well as “8 inches depressed.” According to records, he was approximately 3′ into the ground, wrapped in a fitted sheet and a tarp that were then fastened tight with straps, making it clear his burial was deliberate. He was positively identified months later, following which it also came to light that his cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the back of his head with a .38-caliber handgun.
As investigations continued, officials learned that Michael and Laurie’s marriage had crumbled apart to such an extent that even their loved ones were aware of their domestic issues. They also uncovered that some of them had still tried to contact him in the months he was considered missing in the hopes of encouraging him to return. Yet, all they ever received in response to their calls, texts, or social media messages were variations of: “leave me alone” and “I don’t have family.” In the end, with all these details as well as the mother of two’s accusations of abuse against him, she was arrested for second-degree murder and accessory after the fact in 2020.
Laurie Shaver is Currently Incarcerated in a State Prison
When Laurie’s trial commenced 4 years later in September 2024, she claimed it was her and Michael’s then-7-year-old daughter and a former boyfriend named Jereme Townshend who had killed him. Her defense team alleged the victim had turned physical following an argument and was on top of her when their little girl grabbed the weapon kept at home and pulled the trigger to protect her. They then argued a second shot may have been fired at the hands of Jereme, but he vehemently denied having any hand in the matter, and even the evidence indicated a single gunshot wound.
During the trial, the now-15-year-old girl accused of having fired the shot that took her father’s life testified that she had indeed done so because she was scared for her mother’s life. Nevertheless, owing to the physical evidence that was present at the scene as well as Laurie’s behavior in the aftermath of it all, she was eventually convicted of second-degree murder. As a result, she was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on November 26, 2024. So, today, at the age of 44, she remains incarcerated at the Lowell Correctional Institution in Marion County, Florida, where she is expected to remain for the rest of her natural life.
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