He was on his way to visit friends in Alabama. But when Aaron William Davis didn’t arrive, his family worried something was wrong.
On Saturday, his body was found in Rome, his college ID from Brigham Young University-Idaho still in his pocket, according to police. Davis, who lived in Cumming, had been stabbed to death. He was 21.
“He was the glue in our family dynamic with special ties to each of his siblings and parents,” his father said in a Facebook post shared on a fundraising page. “He was loved by his friends. We are still trying to make sense of this tragedy and why this happened.”
According to investigators, the car belonging to Davis was found in a ditch behind the Heritage Park levee. Later Saturday, his body was found about 3 miles away on Tumlin Road, according to the Rome Police Department.
Credit: Rome police
Credit: Rome police
“He was positively identified at the scene by his college identification,” a news release stated. “Criminal investigators arrived and collected crime scene evidence. Witnesses on the scene were cooperative with investigators and provided information that led them to identify the suspect.”
Brandon Christopher Risner, also 21, was arrested the same day and charged with murder, police said. Investigators believe he stabbed Davis multiple times and then attempted to hide his body.
Risner, who lives in Rome, was also charged with aggravated assault, obstruction and concealing the death of another, his arrest warrant states. He was denied bond at his first court appearance and remained Tuesday in the Floyd County jail, records show.
Davis’ father said his son and Risner were close friends growing up in Forsyth County, according to The Deseret News, based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“We’re heartbroken and we feel betrayed because it’s a friend who’s been accused,” Randy Davis told the Deseret News.
Randy Davis said his son and Risner had been members of the same Latter-day Saints congregation as teenagers before the Risner family moved to Rome. Risner had stayed in the Davis home many times. Risner also attended BYU-Idaho for one semester, according to the report.
“He was like our son as well,” Randy Davis said. “We don’t understand what happened.”
A GoFundMe page has been created to assist the family with funeral costs. The family plans to bury Davis in Massachusetts.
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