Trial scheduled for man accused of killing, disemboweling new BYU-Idaho graduate

ROME, Georgia — A proceedings has been scheduled to statesman this period for a Georgia man accused of sidesplitting a caller Brigham Young University-Idaho student postgraduate astir 2 years ago.

Brandon Christopher Risner, 23, is charged pinch felony execution aft he allegedly stabbed and disemboweled Aaron William Davis successful November 2022. Davis, 21, and Risner attended precocious schoolhouse together and were friends. Risner had stayed successful nan Davis location galore times, according to a Deseret News article.

RELATED | Man arrested for execution aft BYU-Idaho grad is recovered dormant successful Georgia

Risner attended BYU-Idaho for a semester successful autumn 2021 and Davis graduated from nan assemblage pinch a grade successful governmental subject successful July 2022.

Months later, connected Nov. 11, 2022, Davis visited Risner successful Rome, Georgia connected nan measurement to spot his woman successful Alabama. The adjacent morning, Rome Police discovered Davis’ abandoned car successful a ditch astatine a section parkland and were led to Risner’s location connected Collingwood Road.

Brandon Christopher Risner | Floyd County Jail

“He (Risner) removed nan assemblage of said personification (Davis) from 1 location disconnected Collingwood Road to different disconnected of Tumlin Drive wherever he buried said personification successful an unmarked grave,” a criminal indictment says. “(Risner) attempted to get free of nan conveyance driven by (Davis) which contained blood, and (tried) to region humor connected nan mattress and connected nan carpet and a rug arsenic good arsenic humor and humor spatter connected a ceiling of an upstairs bedroom.”

Investigators recovered Davis’ assemblage nether 6 to 12 inches of ungraded successful a 6- to 8-foot spread near by a ample uprooted tree, according to constabulary reports. Risner initially fled but yet turned himself into authorities.

Court documents show nan nighttime earlier Davis was killed, he went to a barroom pinch Risner and “became inebriated aft consuming precocious BAC contented beers nan suspect ordered for him.” They went backmost to Risner’s location and Davis went to slumber successful nan upstairs impermanent bedroom.

“During nan nighttime aliases early greeting hours of nan pursuing day, nan suspect allegedly utilized a crisp entity to stab Mr. Davis aggregate times successful nan head, chest, torso, and extremities starring to his death,” tribunal documents say. “The suspect purportedly placed nan deceased assemblage into Mr. Davis’s vehicle, drove to different location, and buried Mr. Davis successful a shallow unmarked grave.”

Risner is besides charged pinch removing assemblage parts from nan scenes of nan death, including a information of Davis’ mini intestines.

A intelligence information was ordered for Risner successful July and he was recovered competent for proceedings successful February, according to tribunal records.

Judge denies witnesser tin attest

In an bid issued past week, Floyd County Superior Court Chief Judge John “Jack” Niedrach denied a petition from prosecutors to person a pet sitter attest successful nan trial.

A female said she was pet sitting for Risner’s parents astatine nan Collingwood Road location 10 days earlier Davis was killed. Risner unexpectedly arrived home, started drinking intoxicant and offered nan female a mixed drink, which she declined.

The pet sitter retired to nan impermanent chamber and said Risner many times tried to participate nan room to initiate intersexual activity, according to tribunal records.

“(She) declined his advances and yet feigned slumber successful an effort to debar him. The suspect supposedly stood successful nan darkened room and watched her dress to sleep. The adjacent day, (she) abandoned her pet sitting obligations because she felt uncomfortable being successful nan location pinch nan defendant,” tribunal documents say.

Niedrach ruled nan woman’s grounds tin not beryllium allowed into tribunal because grounds offered solely for nan intent of showing a defendant’s bad characteristic aliases propensity to perpetrate a crime is not admissible.

“The authorities does not declare nan suspect acted violently toward aliases attempted to execution Ms. Thomas. Nor does immoderate count of nan indictment propose nan suspect attempted intersexual interaction pinch nan Mr. Davis,” Niedrach wrote successful his ruling.

Aaron Davis graduated from BYU-Idaho pinch a grade successful governmental subject successful July 2022. | Courtesy photograph

Court records show aggregate different witnesses are expected to beryllium called during nan trial, including experts successful forensic biology and DNA.

Risner worked arsenic a scare character astatine a haunted location successful Canton, Georgia, according to his societal media pages. Four days agone earlier his arrest, he posted a video of himself singing and playing nan guitar.

In summation to murder, Risner is charged pinch aggravated assault, aggravated battery, concealing nan decease of another, abandonment of a dormant assemblage and theft by taking, arsenic good arsenic misdemeanor removal of assemblage parts from nan segment of a death, tampering pinch grounds and obstruction of an officer. He has pleaded not blameworthy to each charges.

The proceedings is scheduled to statesman successful Floyd County Superior Court connected June 24.