A “pure evil” student killed a classmate whom he blamed for his expulsion

A California man who blamed his former classmate for expelling him from school and then killed her was sentenced on Friday, October 25, to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Owen Skyler Shover, 23, was found guilty of murder in August in connection with the 2019 murder of 16-year-old Aranda Briones, his former classmate at Moreno Valley High School.

Her body was never found.

“Many questions remain unanswered, the most important of which is where is Aranda?” Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy J. Hollenhorst told Shover during sentencing. Riverside Press-Enterprise. “Mr. Shover, from what I know about you, you are incapable of feeling remorse, so I am not going to lecture you on how devastating your actions were in this case. However, the court has no doubt that you are the face of pure evil.”

Authorities said that on the morning of Nov. 7, 2017, Aranda decided to skip classes and meet friends, including Shover, at a local park. According to the prosecutor’s court transcript obtained by PEOPLE, the group fled the area after being spotted by a sheriff’s school employee.

Shover, who allegedly had a gun on him, gave it to Aranda and told her to hide it. The teenager panicked and threw the gun into the sewer.

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The school principal witnessed her throwing the gun and stopped her. During questioning, she admitted to school administrators and authorities that the gun belonged to Shover.

Both students were later expelled in February 2018 in connection with the incident, according to the hearing transcript.

According to authorities, Aranda was last seen on January 13, 2019, when she got into a car with Shover and drove away.

Authorities alleged that after the murder, Shover took his brother Gary and drove to the San Bernardino Mountains Press-Enterprise.

The family later reported Aranda missing. During the investigation, police found Aranda’s blood in the trunk of Shover’s vehicle, as well as evidence that Shover had attempted to purchase a gun. They also found a Facebook message that Shover sent to his brother saying: “Be ready for tonight. Prepare shovels and lighter fluid,” the message reads.

According to the prosecutor’s office, during Friday’s sentencing, Aranda’s friend described the teenager as a “kind spirit who was always cheerful, even in bad moments.” Press-Enterprise.

Gary Shover reportedly pleaded guilty in March and was sentenced to 12 months probation. KESQ.

In a statement to PEOPLE, Shover’s attorney Stephen Allen said: “We are sorry to hear about (the verdict) and hope that the appeals process will uncover some error in the instructions or error during the trial.”