A 23-year-old California man was sentenced to life in prison without parole on October 25, 2024 for killing his former high school classmate whom he blamed for his expulsion from school.
Owen Skyler Shover was found guilty in August 2024 for the 2019 murder of 16-year-old Aranda Briones. The case stemmed from a February 2018 incident at Moreno Valley High School, where both students were expelled after Briones was caught with a handgun belonging to Shover.
According to authorities, Aranda skipped school on November 7, 2017, to spend time with friends, including Shover, at a local park. When a sheriff’s school resource officer approached the group, they fled. Shover, who was reportedly in possession of a handgun, had handed it to Aranda, instructing her to conceal it. In a moment of panic, she threw the weapon into a drainage canal. The school resource officer saw her throw the weapon and took her into custody. During questioning, she informed school officials and law enforcement that the handgun was Shover’s.
On January 12, 2019, Shover contacted Briones, suggesting that she join him the following day for drug deliveries and to rob drug dealers, as indicated by court records. They met at Bayside Park shortly before 5 p.m. on January 13, 2019, and Briones was last seen entering Shover’s vehicle. According to District Attorney Mike Hestrin’s legal brief, Shover messaged his brother Gary while driving, instructing him to prepare shovels and lighter fluid for that night. Cell phone data revealed that Shover and his brother traveled north into the San Bernardino Mountains via state Routes 138 and 18. Shover turned off his phone from 8:33 p.m. to 10:14 p.m., reactivating it upon his return home.
While Briones’ body has never been recovered, investigators found her blood in Shover’s car trunk and evidence of his attempts to purchase a weapon.
During sentencing, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy J. Hollenhorst expressed that many questions remain unanswered, particularly regarding Aranda’s whereabouts. Addressing Shover, the judge noted that Shover did not seem capable of remorse and stated that he would not attempt to emphasize the devastating impact of Shover’s actions. He concluded that there was no doubt that Shover embodied pure evil.
Gary Shover, who was involved after the murder, pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and received 12 months probation.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence linking Owen Shover directly to the crime through forensic analysis of blood found in his vehicle and digital communications. The prosecution successfully argued that Shover’s motive was revenge for the school expulsion that occurred after Briones was caught with his handgun.
The sentencing brings to close a five-year investigation and prosecution that began when Briones’ family reported her missing in January 2019. Law enforcement officials conducted extensive searches in the San Bernardino Mountains area but could not locate Briones’ remains.
