California Man Convicted of Murdering Teen Who Got Him Expelled from High School
August 22, 2024
CALIFORNIA: In a tragic case that underscores the severe consequences of adolescent conflicts, a California man has been found guilty of murdering a 16-year-old classmate he blamed for his expulsion from high school. Owen Skyler Shover, now 23, was convicted on Wednesday of first-degree murder for the death of Aranda Briones, following a jury deliberation that lasted just over a day.
The events leading to the conviction date back to November 7, 2017, when Shover and Briones, along with other students, decided to cut class at Moreno Valley High School. Their day of rebellion took a dark turn when a school resource officer approached them. In a panic, Shover, who was carrying a gun, handed it to Briones, instructing her to hide it. She complied, tossing the weapon into a nearby drainage canal. However, the officer witnessed the act, leading to Briones being detained and questioned. Under pressure, she revealed that the gun belonged to Shover.
Both teens were expelled from school as a result of the incident and subsequently enrolled in separate continuation schools. However, Shover harbored a deep resentment towards Briones, which festered over the next two years.
Prosecutors allege that Shover meticulously planned his revenge against Briones from November 2018 until January 2019. Evidence collected from social media revealed that he sought to acquire another firearm. On January 12, 2019, he invited Briones to join him for what he claimed would be a series of drug deliveries and robberies. She agreed to meet him the following day, last seen getting into Shover's Nissan Versa.
Briones was reported missing shortly after, with her friends noting that she had posted photographs from the car just before her disappearance. Investigators tracked her cell phone and identified Shover’s vehicle in the Box Springs Mountain area.
As the investigation progressed, authorities uncovered alarming evidence suggesting foul play. Before picking up his brother Gary Anthony Shover, Owen messaged him on Facebook, ominously instructing him to prepare shovels and lighter fluid for that night. This raised red flags for detectives, who began to suspect that Briones's disappearance was linked to a homicide.
The investigation took a significant turn when detectives discovered a substantial amount of blood in Shover's car, which matched Briones's DNA. This evidence, along with the circumstantial details of the case, led to the arrest of the Shover brothers in March 2019.
After a lengthy trial, the Riverside jury returned a guilty verdict for Owen Shover, affirming the prosecution's argument that he had planned and executed the murder of Aranda Briones. The jury also found that Shover had committed the murder with the special circumstance of "lying in wait," which carries severe penalties.
Judge Timothy Hollenhorst has scheduled a sentencing hearing for October 25, where Shover faces a mandatory life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole.
