Aaron William Davis and Brandon Christopher Risner (East Idaho News/YouTube)
A Georgia man who stabbed and disemboweled his childhood friend, and then wrote disturbing lyrics about it, learned his fate this week.
Brandon Christopher Risner, 23, was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison for the killing of Aaron William Davis, 21, online court records show. Risner pleaded guilty last month to charges of 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.
In court, the victim’s mother, Sara Davis, talked about Risner’s calculated planning of the murder, the Rome News-Tribune reported.
“I believe Brandon carefully planned Aaron’s murder,” she told the court. “I’ve cooked and served Brandon thousands of dinners over the years. … 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.”
Risner’s parents pleaded with the judge for leniency for their son, who they said struggles with mental health issues and sought professional help for suicidal tendencies, East Idaho News reported.
“We ask for your compassion and understanding in recognizing the profound impact his mental health had on his behavior,” said his father, Jeremy Risner, the newspaper reported. “What you’ll never see is the joy he brought into our lives the day he was born. He’s a kind and gentle person who never ever showed a sign of violence in his life. He showed kindness. He was part of the Davis family.”
Davis was killed Nov. 11, 2022, while staying at Risner’s home in Rome, Georgia.
Risner stabbed Davis multiple times in the head, chest, torso and extremities before removing body parts, including a portion of Davis’ small intestines, Salt Lake City’s NBC affiliate KSL reported, citing court documents.
“The defendant purportedly placed the deceased body into Mr. Davis’ vehicle, drove to another location, and buried Mr. Davis in a shallow unmarked grave,” the court documents said.
After family members didn’t hear from Davis, an investigation was launched into his disappearance.
Davis’ abandoned car was quickly found. His remains were uncovered in a dirt-covered hole in the ground that had been created by a giant uprooted tree, Court TV reported, citing police reports. Risner was indicted for the murder in January 2023.
Among the evidence authorities said they found were song lyrics Risner wrote before and after the murder, according to East Idaho News.
“He screamed ’til he choked on his own tongue and blood. His scream became a gargle as he swallowed his tongue,” the lyrics said, the news outlet reported.
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