Mother sentenced after hiding son's body behind fake wall for years

Mississippi woman Jeri Roby was sentenced to life in prison without parole after pleading guilty to murdering her son, John Gaither, and hiding his body behind a fake wall inside her home for more than two years.

Law & Crime reported Roby, 69, admitted to first-degree murder during a court hearing on Wednesday. Prosecutors said she fatally shot her 42-year-old son at their Gulfport home on or around 10 December 2023 before concealing his body in a wooden box hidden behind a false wall.

Family reported Gaither missing

Concern grew after Gaither's relatives, who lived in several states, stopped hearing from him and reported him missing. Investigators said Roby offered conflicting explanations for his disappearance, claiming at various times that he had travelled to Louisiana to buy a car or gone to the Philippines to meet a woman.

Authorities later alleged Roby forged letters and text messages pretending to be her son. Prosecutors said she even persuaded her boyfriend to impersonate Gaither during phone calls with family members and took Gaither's mobile phone to Florida so its location data would suggest he had travelled.

Hidden room uncovered

Police initially searched Roby's home but later obtained a second search warrant after discovering a Home Depot receipt showing she had purchased bags of sand, patching materials and other supplies shortly before Gaither was reported missing.

During the January 2024 search, investigators found a fake wall concealing a large wooden box containing Gaither's remains. An autopsy determined he died from a single gunshot wound to the head.

After officers recovered the body, Roby attempted to take her own life by swallowing pills before later confessing to the killing and admitting she had forged communications in her son's name.

Prior murder conviction

Prosecutors also revealed Roby had previously served prison time for a separate homicide. She was convicted of second-degree murder after killing her drug dealer in 1993.

During her plea hearing, Roby told the court she shot her son "on the spur of the moment" and claimed she believed she was ending his suffering because he struggled with depression.

The court sentenced Roby to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.