[Warning: Potentially Triggering Content]
Two families have been devastated after a brutal murder left both without sons.
Brandon Christopher Risner, 23, stood in front of a Georgia judge for sentencing last week after pleading guilty to the 2022 murder of his 21-year-old best friend Aaron William Davis.
According to court records obtained by multiple outlets, Floyd County Assistant District Attorney Leah Mayo revealed shocking details of the brutal night Aaron was mercilessly murdered. Apparently, he was on his way to visit his girlfriend Charliegirl Schellenger in November of that year when he made a stop in Rome, Georgia to visit Brandon. The pair reportedly went out drinking before returning to the home, from which Brandon’s parents were away at the time.
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Aaron is said to have fallen asleep upstairs before Brandon grabbed a knife, burst in, and began stabbing his friend over 40 times in the head, chest, torso, arms, and legs — eventually cutting out some of Aaron’s small intestine and attempting to dismember his arm, according to court records via KSL. Leah claimed in court that Aaron was alive during most of the attack, adding:
“Aaron was killed on the bed … and then drug into the bathroom. His blood was found on the door of the bathroom shower as well as other places. Aaron didn’t see this coming, and this was not a case of mutual combat or something like that.”
There were apparently no defensive wounds. From that point, Brandon placed Aaron’s remains in a suitcase and drove him to another location where he buried him in a “shallow unmarked grave.”
Horrible…
Per Court TV, Brandon also searched online for new sheets, stain remover, hydrochloric acid, and looked up “how to clear blood out of a carpet.” Prosecutors also claimed that he texted Aaron’s loved ones from the victim’s phone pretending to be him.
Aaron’s vehicle and remains were quickly discovered and Brandon fled, but eventually turned himself in. He was eventually charged with malice murder, felony murder, assault, battery, concealing the death of another, abandonment of a dead body, theft, and removal of body parts from the scene of a death. According to court docs, he told one forensic psychologist that he “became a carnal animal, like in a dream,” the night he murdered Aaron.
So scary.
Another eerie part of the murder revealed in court is that Brandon wrote two songs relating to the grisly event… One before he murdered Aaron, and one after. The pre-murder song includes the following lyrics:
“It doesn’t matter what you do. Go kill someone, go love someone, you can’t plan the future, God decided it for you.”
The post-murder lyrics include:
“He screamed ’til he choked on his own tongue and blood. His scream became a gargle as he swallowed his tongue.”
Absolutely chilling.
In court, Aaron’s loved ones spoke out about the tragedy, including his girlfriend and both his parents. His mother Sara Davis said:
“I believe Brandon carefully planned Aaron’s murder … I’ve cooked and served Brandon thousands of dinners of the years, and he’s slept over at my house many, many time. He seemed to spend more time at my house than his own. Aaron was always so kind to Brandon. When Brandon stabbed Aaron to death, he also stabbed us in the hearts. He ripped our hearts out. We have been devastated by the evil actions of Brandon.”
She added:
“He was all the while planning to murder my son while I was cooking for him, taking him out to eat, taking him to the fair.”
Brandon’s mother Jenny Lee Risner, on the other hand, said she has “a hard time believing Brandon could do this,” but acknowledged he “caused devastating pain to the Davis family.” She added:
“My child is kind and a loving human being who suffers from severe mental illness that was not recognized and dealt with in time to save two very good people’s lives — Aaron Davis and my son.”
Brandon’s father, Jeremy Risner, asked judge John Niedrach for “compassion and understanding in recognizing the profound impact his mental health had on his behavior,” but the judge ultimately sentenced Brandon to life in prison without the possibility of parole. He said in court:
“All of you are experiencing tremendous pain, but the Davis family exceeds that … to have a young son brutally murdered is unfathomable.”
You can view courtroom footage (below):
Our hearts go out to both families — particularly to the Davis family.
For resources on mental health, visit https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/find-help.
[Image via COURT TV/YouTube]
