A Mississippi woman has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after admitting she fatally shot her adult son, concealed his body inside her home for years, and carried out an elaborate deception to convince relatives that he was still alive.
Jeri Roby, 69, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of her 42-year-old son, John Gaither. She was sentenced on Wednesday, more than two years after investigators said she killed him at their Gulfport, Mississippi, home on or around Dec. 10, 2023.
The case began after several of Gaither’s relatives, who lived in different states, contacted authorities because they had not heard from him for an extended period. Gaither had been living with his mother before his disappearance.
According to court records cited by WLOX, Roby offered several conflicting explanations about where her son had gone. She initially claimed he had taken an Uber to Louisiana to buy a vehicle, but investigators found no record of recent Uber activity on his account.
As family members continued searching for answers, Roby allegedly mailed a letter to Gaither’s father and stepmother asking whether they had heard from him because his employer had also been unable to reach him. Authorities said she later sent another letter posing as Gaither, claiming he had traveled to the Philippines to meet a woman.
Police were later allowed to conduct an initial search of Roby’s home. During that visit, investigators found a Home Depot receipt showing purchases that included 15 bags of sand, patch-and-seal tape, straw, and a large dumpster bag. Officials noted the items had been bought about a week before Gaither’s relatives officially reported him missing.
As the investigation progressed, detectives learned Roby had a previous homicide conviction. Prosecutors said she had been convicted of second-degree murder after fatally shooting her drug dealer in 1993 and placing the victim’s body in the trunk of her car. She was later arrested again in 1995 after fleeing while out on bail.
Investigators used Roby’s criminal history and other evidence to obtain a search warrant for her home. During a more extensive search in January 2024, officers discovered a fake wall built near the front of the residence. Hidden behind it was a large wooden box covered with the same types of materials listed on the Home Depot receipt.
Inside the box, authorities found John Gaither’s body.
An autopsy later determined that Gaither died from a single gunshot wound to the head.
Authorities said Roby attempted to take her own life by swallowing pills while investigators were recovering her son’s body from the home. After receiving medical treatment at a hospital, she was taken into custody and later admitted to killing Gaither and forging letters in his name.
Assistant District Attorney Matthew D. Burrell said Roby took multiple steps to convince family members that Gaither was still alive. According to prosecutors, she sent text messages pretending to be her son, persuaded her boyfriend to call relatives while impersonating Gaither, and even took Gaither’s cellphone to Florida so calls would connect to cell towers there, creating the appearance that he had traveled out of state.
During her plea hearing, Roby told the court the shooting occurred “on the spur of the moment.” She also claimed she believed she had put her son “out of his misery,” saying he had suffered from depression.
Following her guilty plea, the court sentenced Roby to life in prison without the possibility of parole, bringing the years-long investigation into John Gaither’s disappearance and death to a close.
