Warning: Graphic content, readers’ discretion advised. This story contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some readers discretion advised.
In November 2015, Michael Shaver went missing, and his whereabouts remained unknown until three years later, when his body was discovered under a concrete slab in his backyard. His wife, Laurie Shaver, quickly became a suspect in the gruesome murder. The Crime Atlas delves into the shocking story and uncovers the identity of the real killer.
2015
In November 2015, Michael Shaver went missing, and his whereabouts remained unknown until three years later, when his body was discovered under a concrete slab in his backyard. His wife, Laurie Shaver, quickly became a suspect in the gruesome murder.
in the rural town of claremont florida , michael and laurie shaver appeared to be living their version of the american dream , they were high school sweethearts who were married with two school -aged children
michael worked as a mechanic at disney world after previously working as a commercial pilot while laurie did remote work for metlife disability.
in march 2014, they purchased their forever home a ranch style house on 5 acres complete with a horse barn and a pastures
yet despite ideal setting ,their marriage was in a state of decline, their relationship was marked by frequent disputes and police interactions
and laurie had twice filed for protective injunctions against michael
in september 2014,things took a darker turn when a heated argument between them escaleted into violence.
laurie claimed that michael pushed her against the wall and pointed a gun at her ,there was was a struggle over the firearm forcing laurie to flee with their two young kids
police arrived to find bruises on laurie’s arms and a cut on michael’s forehead,signs of a physical altercation
michael admitted to the fight but claimed it was laurie who retrieve the gun , allegedly saying i’m going to end this now.
ultimately michael was arrested for domestic battery, still there were no charges of aggravated assault with a firearm filed against either
it was a case of he said she said and the children were too young provide any meaningful testimony.
this incident was just another example of the mounting volatility that had pleagued their relationship for years
the couple separated in november 2014 and dated others before attemoting a reconciliation around may 2015.according to court records laurie claimed she permanently kicked michael out on november 7th 2015
where is michael ?
based on her facebook posts laurie remarried in late december 2016 in a backyard ceremony and it seemed like both she and michael had moved on, she and travis flmer had tw children together
however,years later suspicious circumstances caused the alarm bells to start ringing for those close to michael most notably his childhood friend scott.
in february 2018, after months of failed attempts to reach michael , scott began digging around he contacted friends, family and co- workers,only to discover that no one besides laurie had physically seen or spoken to michael since november 7th 2015
all contact with him had been through text or facebook messages,it was also odd that the typically reliable michael-in line for a promotion had suddenly quit his job via text and left his set of professsional tools behind
responses from michael’s social media accounts such” leave me alone!”or ” don’t bother me!” where entirely out of character.
naturally scott reached out to laurie who told him michael had abandoned the family years ago but michael’s family wasn’t convinced,insisting he’d never leave his kids or quite his job so impulsively
one detail especially bother scott-the concret slab with a fire pit that appeared on the shaver property, sthortly after michael disappeared just before laurie’s new husband moved in
with nothing making sense, scott filed a missing report with the local sheriff’s office on behalf of michael’s family in new york
deputies from the lake county sheriff’s office soon arrived and conducted a welfare check at the shaver home.
laurie told them that michael had left in 2015 and was living in Georgia, she appeared cooperative allowing deputies to search the house and answering all their questions.
until they askeda bout the concrete slab by the fire pit…..
at that point laurie’s demeanor shifted and she refused to cooperate further
talking about a lawyer and demanding they leave, that marked the official start of the investigation into michael shaver’s disappearance.
as the probe progressed it became apparent to officers by the day that michael shaver was no longer alive as his driver’s license, passport and FAA pilots medical certificate all expired.
additionally ,there was no personal bank account or credit card activity in his name
as investigators questioned those in michael’s inner circle ,thhey learned that laurie had previously claimed a co- worker named robert mercado pick michael up in a black vehicle and drove him to Georgia in november 2015.
in later court testimony mercado addressed this claim .
investigators arrived at the shaver’s home 3 weeks later with a search warrant zeoring in on the concrete slab,they brought cadaver dogs,ground penetrating radar even a backho to dig through the property
the cadaver dog alerted to the same spot twice and detectives wasted no time setting up tents and carefully working the area then later in the evening….
community members were strtled to hear the breaking news…
investigators made a chilling discovery,buried directly beneath the section of the concrete slab marked with the initials LF and TF
lay a human upper armbone, those initials laurie filmer and travis filmer cast an eerie shadow over the find as if leaving a signature above a hidden grave.
the remains were sent to the medical examiner for DNA testing, deputies quickly secured another warrant to search inside the house .
the next day additional fully skeletonized remains were found, eventually all body parts were recovered solidifying the grim reality of michael shaver’s fate.
june 15 th 2018
the lake county sheriff’s department announced the human remains found on the shaver property were positively identified using dental records and familial DNA
autopsy findings show the cause of death to be a single gunshot wound to the back of the head from a 38 caliber handgun
upon hearing the news -channel 9 news confronted laurie at her home june 15th , 2018to ask a few questions
laurie celarly wanted no part of that conversation but authorities were were ready to make their move
detective’s confirmed michael’s cause of death worked with to connect items found with his remains back to laurie and gathered enoug circumstantial evidence to fill a 12- page probable cause affidavit
september 2020
lake county sheriff’s deputies arrested laurie shaver for michael shaver’s murder
” probable cause”
in a highly disturbing and detailed 10 – paged probable cause affidavit , investigators outlined the evidence they believe indicates laurie shaver committed murder
the investigators concluded that at the time of michael’s disappearance laurie was the last person seen with michael and the only adult living on the property where his body was found.
after michael’s disappearance she allegedly lied about him going to Georgia,built a fire pit over his grave, drained his bank accounts and sold his belongings
laurie also used michael’s identity on facebook to convice others he was still alive traced back to her home’s IP address.
forensic testing indicated the bullet that killed michael came from a type of gun laurie owned but not link it to a specific firearm
laurie was charged with second -degree murder and accessory after the fact facing up to life in prison- if convincted
with bail set at $ 50,000 for the murder and $ 2,000 for accessory.
she bonded out just 3 months later.
laurie was ordered to wear an ankle monitor and was barred from contacting michale’s family
meanwhile laurie’s attorney wasted little time mounting a publc defense, they seyt up an online fundraising account titled” i’m innocent” with a video summarizing their defense
in the march 2021 video attorney jeffrey wiggs shared his take on what really happened.
he claimed that after michael left the home laurie began dating a military veteran with a possible specal forces backgrround
this man allegedly bragged about killing without a trace and advised laurie to pour concret for a padio
when they broke up laurie remarried later using that concrete to finish the patio
unaware michael was buried beneath it .
wiggs futher alleged that authorities falsified the probable cause affidavit and urged invstigators to look into jereme townsen and jimmy ballew
confident in laurie’s innocence wiggs said they were ready for court
a series of motions, legal pleading and the covid -19 pandemic delayed the trial for years but shocking development still emerged .
in a dramatic twist the defense filed a motion in may 2023 revealing an alleged confession.
the girl would have been just 7 years old when michael shaver was last seen alive in 2015……
these starling revelations set the stage for dramatic trial with unexpected testimony and intense moments
key question emerged
who were jereme townson and jimmy ballew? and why were their names forwarded to law enforcement by the defense?what role did laurie’s daughter really play? and ultimately, would there be justice for michael shaver?
with both sides presenting vastly different narratives ,it would be up to the jury to decide whether the evidence supports the claims by either side.
Florida v Laurie Shaver
in opening statements the state presented what believed to be overwhelming.
they told the jury that michael shaver had vanished sometime between november 7th with no activity on his cell phone or bank accounts tied to him after that period
his social media accounts were being used by laurie, he was shot by a caliber weapon laurie possessed and later sold
and his remains were found buried in laurie’s yard
the state argued that in the end laurie had the means , motive and opportunity and the decision to convict was simply a logical conclusion
the defense responded this case was not just about common sense, it was about the evidence or lack thereof,no forensics, no ballistics no DNA directly connected laurie to michael’s murder
attorney wiggs made bold claims to the jury it was laurie’s 7 year old daughter who shot michael to protect her mother and jereme townson suddenly appeared in time to finish him off
wiggs emphasized that the soon 16 year old was prepared to testify under oath to these events
among the witnesses called by the state to help clarity was lead investigator tamara dale
jereme townson and jimmy ballew were both question by a authorities after a thorough investigation neither was implicated in any crimes related to this case
on the trial’s third day jereme townson wife was called by the state to testify about how laurie posed as michael shaver on facebook to expose her affair with jereme
this was important for the state,because it demonstrated laurie’s deliberate attempts to manipulate others and create a fals narrative after michael’s disappearance
but showing that laurie was willing to impersonate michael online ,the state aimedto establish a pattern of deception, suggesting she was trying to cover up michael’s death and maintain control over the situation.
additionally this testimony would further support the argument that laurie had something to hide……..
” it says roses are red,violets are blue my wife is a whore your husband is too,sorry about this check your facebook message we need to talk , mike”
-vanessa townson
travis filmer , laurie’s current husbans was also called to testify and he had plenty to answer for the jury was curious what did he know about michael’s disappearance? did he question laurie about the body ,buried in their backyard?
and what was up with the so -called wedding on new year’s eve of 2016 ?
authorities couldn’t find any legal records of laurie ever divorcing michael, this quick remarriage occurring about a year after michael vanished may suggest to the jury that laurie had already moved on and intended to start a new life with travis and could imply motive
the question loomed large and travis was right at the center of it all …..
detectives conducted a thorough investigation into travis filmer and ultimately cleared him of any involvement
but the real twist came when laurie’s now 15 year old daughter took the stand
the defense was counting on her testimony to introduce just enough reasonable doubt about laurie’s direct role in the murder.
during direct examination laurie’s daughter ( isabelle )delivered jaw- dropping testimony, she claimed this is how it all unfolded ……
she walked into the living room to find michael whom she hadn’t seen in six months ,in the middle of violent altercation with laurie, according to her michael had his foot on laurie’s head and was threatening to kill her .terrified she grabbed a gun and shot him,she watched as he collapsed onto the couch and began seizing
then she said jereme townson suddenly appeared , grabbed the gun and shot michael again before threatening to kill anyone who spoke about it .
in a statement laurie claimed her priority was getting the kids out of the house , that’s why she didn’t call 911.instead she took her kids to school after the killing with her younger son completely unaware what had just occurred
when she returned from what she described as a very brief trip,the entire scene had mysteriously been cleaned, michael’s body was gone and later buried without anyone noticing .
lieutenant tamara dale was then asked whether law enforcement had been informed of these claimes during their investigation.
the state ‘s attorney wasted no time to dismissing isabelle’s testimony calling it patently false the prosecutor urged to ask themselves why the defense would present an such an outlandish story
the only logical conclusion the state argued was that this narrative was crafted up to cover up the truth
that the defendant not anyone else had coldly murdered michael shaver and with that the defense called their final witness to the stand -the accused laurie shaver
as expected attorney wiggs stayed avway from askin laurie shaver for specific specifics about what led to michael’s death
by avoiding those details wiggs aimed to limit any inconsistencies or contradictions the prosecution could leverage during cross.
now it’s up to the state to capitalize on the risk of putting laurie on the stand
challenging her credibility and actions to drive home their argument that she’s guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
in closing the state argued laurie shaver was the only one with something to gain from michael’s death.
they walked the jury through each piece of compelling circumstantial evidence including the fact that laurie posted about pouring slag on her property right over the spit where michael’s body was discovered years later
the state drilled down on the defense’s story didn’t add upp .
laurie’s daughter supposedly shoots michael and jereme townson inconveniently shows up , takes the gun shoots him again and threatens anyone who might talk.
the state made it clear that version of events defied all logics
on the contrary the defense pointed out that the case was built entirely on on circunstantial evidence
the attorny reminded the jury that there was no forensics, no balistics and no DNA directly tying laurie to michael’s death
he maintained that isabelle’s testimony offered aplausible alternity explanation and claimed there was more than enough reasonable doubts for an acquittal.
after the boths sides presented their starkly different versions of what happeneed to michael shaver ,the case was left in the jury’s hands.
the task was to sift through the evidence , evaluate the testimonies and decide the truth
it would take them just 4 hours to render a verdict
Laurie Shaver was found guilty of second-degree murder in the death of her husband, Michael. Shaver was accused of shooting and killing Michael by shooting him in the back of the head. She then, prosecutors alleged, buried him in the backyard beneath a fire pit and concrete slab. Michael was last seen by friends in 2015. His skeletal remains were found in 2018.
sentening is tentatively scheduled for november 25, 2024.
laurie shaver faces a sentence of 25 years to life
the shaver story started with love ,family and dreams for the future but it unraveled into a dark tale of betrayal and death nearly 10 years later…….
justice has finally caught up with laurie shaver,the jury’s verdict was unmistakable ,every piece of evidence , every question answered and unanswered , every lie layered over the thruth….
led to to this moment,michael’ shaver’s life had been burieed under concrete and deceit.
but this case proves one thing
when trust is broken and honesty buried,it’s only a matter of time before the truth finds its way to the surface….
November 25, 2024
Laurie Shaver receives life sentence for 2015 murder, backyard burial of husband