A Mississippi mother admitted to killing her son and hiding his body behind a fake wall for weeks while pretending to be him.
Jerri Roby, 69, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison after having pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of her son, 42-year-old John Allen Gaither.
Police began investigating in December 2023 when Gaither’s brother reported that he had not heard from him for a week, according to WLOX.
A Mississippi mother admitted to killing her son and hiding his body behind a fake wall for weeks while pretending to be him.
Jerri Roby, 69, was sentenced Thursday to life in prison after having pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of her son, 42-year-old John Allen Gaither.
Police began investigating in December 2023 when Gaither’s brother reported that he had not heard from him for a week, according to WLOX.
Gaither’s stepmother and brother reached out to the police again about a month later, claiming they had received a call and text messages from his number.
However, they did not think that it was actually Gaither who sent them, according to the outlet.
Authorities obtained a search warrant for Roby’s home on January 18, 2024, and found a fake wall in the front part of her Gulfport residence.
A large box was found behind the wall, which contained Gaither’s body. Authorities said he died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
Gaither’s stepmother, who lived in California, had reached out to Gulfport police and told them she received a letter she thought to be from Gaither.
In the note, he supposedly said that he had traveled to the Philippines to meet a woman.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew D Burrell said that Roby had admitted to forging the letters that had been sent to Gaither’s family members.
Burrell also said Roby acknowledged that she had sent text messages pretending that she was Gaither.
She had also convinced her boyfriend to call family members while imitating Gaither, the outlet reported.
Roby was interviewed by authorities after being released from the hospital. She had swallowed pharmaceutical pills while being removed from her home and was taken in.
Crosby Parker, the District Attorney for Hancock, Harrison, and Stone counties, said he hoped Roby’s guilty plea and sentence provided a ‘measure of justice, accountability, and closure for the victim’s loved ones and all those affected by this heartless crime.’
‘Despite the extraordinary efforts this defendant made to distance herself from the murder and mislead investigators, they remained steadfast in their commitment and ultimately brought her to justice,’ Parker said.