A California resident, Owen Skyler Shover, 23, was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole on October 25, 2024. The sentence was for the murder of his former high school classmate, whom he held responsible for his expulsion from school.
Shover was convicted in August 2024 for the murder of Aranda Briones, a 16-year-old, which took place in 2019. The circumstances leading to these events began in February 2018, at Moreno Valley High School, California. Both students were expelled after Briones was found possessing a handgun which belonged to Shover.
The police reported that on November 7, 2017, Briones had skipped school to spend time with friends, including Shover, at a local park. When a school resource officer approached the group, they ran away. Shover, who was carrying a handgun, passed it to Briones, instructing her to hide it. In her panic, Briones threw the weapon into a drainage canal. The resource officer witnessed this and took her into custody. During her interrogation, she revealed that the handgun belonged to Shover.
According to court records, on January 12, 2019, Shover invited Briones to join him the next day for drug deliveries and to rob drug dealers. They met at Bayside Park, shortly before 5 p.m. on January 13, 2019. Briones was last seen getting into Shover’s car. District Attorney Mike Hestrin’s legal brief stated that Shover sent a message to his brother Gary while driving, asking him to prepare shovels and lighter fluid for the night. Cell phone data showed that Shover and his brother headed north into the San Bernardino Mountains via state Routes 138 and 18. Shover switched off his phone from 8:33 p.m. to 10:14 p.m., turning it back on when he returned home.
While Briones’ body has not been found, investigators discovered her blood in the trunk of Shover’s car and evidence of his attempt to buy a weapon.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy J. Hollenhorst during the sentencing noted that many questions about Aranda’s whereabouts remain unanswered. The judge addressed Shover, stating he didn’t appear capable of remorse and underlining the horrific consequences of his actions. He expressed his belief that Shover embodied pure evil.
Gary Shover, who was implicated after the murder, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and received a 12-month probation sentence.
During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence that linked Owen Shover directly to the crime. This included a forensic analysis of blood found in his car and digital communication records. The prosecution argued that Shover’s motive for the murder was revenge for his expulsion from school, which happened after Briones was caught with his handgun.
This sentencing concludes a five-year investigation and prosecution that started when Briones’ family reported her missing in January 2019. Despite extensive searches in the San Bernardino Mountains area, law enforcement officials were unable to locate Briones’ remains.