A football star’s wife bragged of her ‘perfect marriage’. Now she’s charged with hiring a hitman to kill him

Lindsay and Robert Shiver’s relationship looked like a modern-day romance: football player meets beauty pageant queen. That is, until the wife was arrested for hatching a murder plot with her alleged lover in the Bahamas. Kelly Rissman writes

The Shivers’ wedding photo (Lindsay Shiver / Instagram)

In 2020, Lindsay Shiver posted a wedding photo on Instagram about her “perfect marriage” to a former Auburn University football player. But their relationship may not have been as picture perfect as it seemed.

Their relationship looked like a modern-day romance: football player meets beauty pageant queen. Robert Shiver played as a deep snapper for Auburn’s football team from 2006 to 2008, before signing with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. And before becoming Mrs Shiver, Lindsay Shirley was named Miss Houston County in 2005.

“So thankful for that fitness class 13 years ago that brought us together and all of the love, laughter, and life we have created ever since! I love you babe,” she wrote in the 2020 post. “Cheers to many more.”

Three years after toasting to “many more,” Lindsay Shiver was accused of plotting to murder Robert Shiver.

Murder for hire claims

Lindsay Shiver met Terrance Bethel in the Bahamas, where the couple has a home, according to the Thomasville Times-Enterprise.

“On July 16, 2023 at Abaco, while being together did, with a common purpose agree to commit an offense, namely the murder of Richard Shiver,” a police report obtained by the outlet said.

According to court documents, Robert Shiver filed for divorce on 5 April, and his wife subsequently filed counterclaims. But it wasn’t until 28 July, that his soon-to-be ex-wife would be accused of plotting his killing.

Bahamas investigators found out about the alleged plot in a roundabout way. According to Bahama Court News, officials were looking into a suspect for an unrelated break-in at Grabbers Bed Bar & Grill. WhatsApp messages on the suspect’s phone revealed the murder plot.

Three people were arrested: Lindsay Shiver; her alleged 28-year-old lover, Mr Bethel; and 29-year-old Faron Newbold, purported to be the hired hitman. Ms Shiver confessed during an interview with police to sending photos of her husband Robert Shiver to Mr Newbold, along with the message: “kill him.”

Ms Shiver posted $100,000 bail in August, and was released under the condition that she wears an ankle monitor and can only leave her home in the Bahamas at certain times. Mr Bethel and Mr Newbold were also released in August and are required to wear monitoring devices.

Ms Shiver was scheduled to appear in magistrate court in the Bahamas on 5 October, but the hearing was postponed until next week, Lindsay Shiver’s attorney told USA Today. The Independent has reached out to her lawyer for more information.

The marriage

Reports say that the Shivers met at Auburn University in 2007.

On top of their Bahamas home, the pair also have a home in Thomasville, Georgia: a 7,900 square foot gated mansion. The couple have three kids, the youngest of whom appears to be four years old, Instagram posts suggest. Many of Lindsay Shiver’s Instagram photos tag Baker’s Bay Ocean and Golf Club—which its website describes as a “private community” where members have “access to an exclusive collection of world-class amenities.”

Although the pair appears to not follow each other anymore on social media, their descriptions are still in-sync. Lindsay Shiver’s Instagram bio reads, “Mom to the Shivertrio,” while Robert Shiver’s reads, “Dad to the trio!”

The former football player has worked at Senior Life Insurance Company since 2009, where he serves as executive vice president, according to the company website.

Fox News reported that Lindsay Shiver has a degree in marketing.

Mr Shiver has reportedly started dating reality TV star Savannah Chrisley after she “slid into his DMs,” Thomasville Times-Enterprise reported in September. Ms Chrisley described Mr Shiver as a “very sweet human being.”

Custody battle claims

The former football player filed for divorce for “adulterous conduct,” according to court papers obtained by Fox News. She soon after filed counterclaims, claiming “physical and mental cruel treatment,” including domestic violence, the outlet added.

Robert Shiver, according to the publication, is seeking primary custody of their three children and sole use of their Thomasville home—valued at $2.5 million, property records show. He said that his wife isn’t entitled to alimony; she, however, disagrees, and is seeking alimony and child support, sole use of their mansion, as well as primary custody, according to Fox News.

Attorneys for Lindsay Shiver denied the affair, writing: “Any extramarital relationship defendant has had was during the parties’ separation and legally condoned by husband,” her lawyers wrote.

“Wife feels unsafe in the marital home and has installed locks on the interior doors of the home for protection,” the lawyers wrote, adding, “Husband has abused the wife in the home in the children’s presence on multiple occasions, not only physically but also mentally and emotionally.”

Lindsay Shiver is alleging that her husband is cutting her off financially and that he is hiding money from her. “The parties… have an overall expensive lifestyle in general,” her lawyer admitted, adding, “Suddenly husband is not permitting wife to use the jet or have access to funds.”

The football player’s wife also accused her husband of taking their children for a weekend and refusing to give them back until authorities intervened.

Lindsay Shiver’s deposition was originally slotted for 18 July, 10 days before her arrest, and now the next divorce hearing will be held on 31 October, Fox News reported.

What those close to the case are saying

Mr Bethel suggested that the infamous text messages were sent “out of frustration,” and insisted to the outlet that the charges would be dropped. He said the murder claims were overblown by police.

Ms Shiver also nodded when asked if she thought her case had been blown out of proportion.

A friend of the alleged hitman echoed this sentiment and spoke defensively of Mr Newbold. “All of this murder plot, Faylo doesn’t know anything of that,” Raoul Simms told USA Today.

“It is just something that was blown out of proportion,” Mr Simms added. “And it only got this kind of attention, not even because of Americans, but because of the status of these Americans.”