'Pure Evil' Student Killed Classmate He Blamed for Getting Him Expelled from School

10/28/2024 03:21 PM

Owen Skyler Shover, 23, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on Friday, Oct. 25.

A California man who blamed his former classmate for getting him expelled from school and then killed her was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Friday, Oct. 25.

Owen Skyler Shover, 23, was found guilty of murder in August in connection with the 2019 slaying of 16-year-old Aranda Briones, his former Moreno Valley High School classmate.

Her body has never been found.

"There are many questions left unanswered, none more than where is Aranda?," Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy J. Hollenhorst told Shover during sentencing, per the Riverside Press-Enterprise. "Mr. Shover, from what I can tell about you, it appears that you are not capable of feeling remorse, so I do not intend to lecture you on how devastating your actions were in this case. However, there is no question in this court's mind that you are the face of pure evil."

Authorities said that on the morning of Nov. 7, 2017, Aranda decided to skip classes and hang out with friends, including Shover, at a local park. The group fled the area after they were spotted by a sheriff's school resource officer, according to a prosecutor's trial brief, obtained by PEOPLE.

Shover, who was allegedly carrying a handgun, gave the weapon to Aranda and told her to hide it. The teen panicked and tossed the handgun into a drainage canal.

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The school resource officer witnessed her tossing the weapon and detained her. During questioning, she admitted to school administrators and authorities that the handgun belonged to Shover.

Both students were later expelled in Feb. 2018 over the incident, per the trial brief.

Authorities said Aranda was last seen on Jan. 13, 2019, getting into a car with Shover and driving off, according to the brief.

After the murder, authorities alleged Shover picked up his brother Gary and drove into the San Bernardino Mountains, per the Press-Enterprise.

Aranda was later reported missing by her family. During the ensuing investigation, police found Aranda's blood in the trunk of Shover's vehicle as well as evidence of Shover's attempts to purchase a weapon. They also found a Facebook message Shover sent to his brother, saying "Be ready for tonight. Get shovels and lighter fluid ready," per the brief.

At Friday's sentencing, Aranda's friend described the teen as "a kind spirit and was always joyful, even in the bad moments," according to the Press-Enterprise.

Gary Shover pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact in March and was sentenced to 12 months' probation, according to KESQ.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Shover's attorney Stephen Allen said, "We are sad about (the sentence) and hopefully the appellate process will find some instructional error or error along the process."

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