He Had His Whole Life Ahead of Him… Then His Best Friend Killed Him

<p>As always, thank you for hanging out and remembering Aaron Davis with me today. <br>In November 2022, 21-year-old Aaron William Davis, a recent Brigham Young University–Idaho graduate, stopped in Rome, Georgia, to spend time with his longtime friend Brandon Christopher Risner while travelling to visit his girlfriend in Alabama. The two men had known each other since high school. After a night out, Davis stayed at Risner’s home but never continued his trip.</p><p>Davis’s family reported him missing after he failed to return home. His Toyota Prius was found abandoned in a canal, and investigators later found his body in a shallow grave near Rome. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide caused by stab wounds; reports described at least 40 stab wounds to his head, neck, and torso.</p><p>Authorities concluded that Risner killed Davis during or after an altercation at his home, then tried to hide the crime. He disposed of Davis’s body, moved the victim’s car, buried the remains, and initially lied about Davis’s whereabouts. The motive was never publicly established.</p><p>In June 2024, Risner pleaded guilty to 12 offenses, including malice murder, two counts of felony murder, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, concealing a death, abandonment of a body, theft, evidence tampering, and obstruction. In July 2024, a Floyd County judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole.</p>