The Case of Aaron Davis

Aaron William Davis, 21, was stabbed to death by his longtime friend Brandon Christopher Risner at Risner's home in Rome, Georgia, on November 11, 2022. After killing Davis, Risner attempted to conceal the murder by moving and burying his body, disposing of his vehicle and cleaning blood from the house. He pleaded guilty to murder and other charges and was sentenced to life without parole.

Aaron Davis was a 21-year-old recent graduate of Brigham Young University-Idaho who lived with his family in Cumming, Georgia. Davis and Brandon Risner had been close friends since childhood. They had attended the same high school and church and had remained close after Risner's family moved to Rome. Davis was travelling to Alabama to visit his girlfriend and planned to spend the night at Risner's home in Rome before continuing his journey. On November 11, 2022, Davis arrived at Risner's home. The two men went out together that evening before returning to the house.

After returning home, Davis went to sleep in an upstairs guest bedroom. According to prosecutors, Risner entered the bedroom during the night and attacked Davis with a knife, stabbing him repeatedly. Risner subsequently moved Davis's body from the bedroom to the shower. He then mutilated the body and attempted to clean the crime scene. Blood was found on the mattress, carpet, rug and ceiling of the upstairs bedroom. Risner later wrapped Davis's body and transported it away from the house. He buried Davis in a secluded area off Tumlin Road in Rome, beneath dirt near a fallen tree. Risner also attempted to dispose of Davis's Toyota Prius by driving it toward a creek near Heritage Park.

Davis was reported missing after he failed to arrive at his girlfriend's home in Alabama. His family became increasingly concerned when his phone stopped responding. The investigation received its first major breakthrough when Davis's abandoned Toyota Prius was discovered near Heritage Park in Rome. Police began tracing Davis's movements and learned that he had planned to stay with Risner. Investigators went to Risner's home, where they discovered evidence indicating that a violent crime had occurred. Risner initially attempted to distance himself from Davis's disappearance. During an interview with police, he fled from investigators and subsequently turned himself in. Investigators continued searching for Davis and eventually located his body in the secluded burial site. Forensic evidence from Risner's home, together with other evidence gathered during the investigation, established that Davis had been killed there. Prosecutors later presented evidence that Risner had attempted to clean the blood from the house, dispose of Davis's vehicle and conceal his body. (courttv.com) At sentencing, prosecutors stated that Risner had taken edibles before the killing and experienced what he described as a vision telling him that he needed to kill Davis. (aetv.com)

On June 20, 2024, Brandon Risner pleaded guilty to 12 charges, including malice murder, two counts of felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault, aggravated battery, concealing the death of another, abandonment of a dead body, theft by taking, removal of body parts from the scene of a death, tampering with evidence and obstruction of an officer. (courttv.com) On July 18, 2024, Risner was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole. (

Davis's murder attracted significant attention because Risner and Davis had been close friends since childhood, with the Davis family describing Risner as being like another son.