Brothers plead not guilty to killing missing Moreno Valley teen
Two brothers accused of killing a 16-year-old Moreno Valley girl who went missing over a month ago pleaded not guilty today to a murder charge.
Gary Anthony Shover, 21, and Owen Skyler Shover, 18, were arrested last month in connection with the death of Aranda Briones. They’re both charged with murder and a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait.
The pair appeared this morning at the Riverside Hall of Justice before Superior Court Judge Eric Keen, who set a March 28 felony settlement conference.
Each man is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside. Neither has documented prior felony convictions.
According to sheriff’s officials, the brothers were identified as prime suspects in Briones’ disappearance and death following a weeks-long investigation. The siblings were taken into custody without incident on Feb. 11 at their Hesperia residence on Grevillea Street, near Old Ranch Road.
Briones was last seen Jan. 13 in Moreno Valley Community Park, at the intersection of Cottonwood Avenue and Frederick Street, where she had been visiting with friends and relatives.
Sheriff’s Lt. Chris Durham said Owen Shover — a friend of Briones from Moreno Valley High School — was the last person to have seen the girl alive. Durham said investigators spoke to Shover, who allegedly claimed he had dropped Briones at the park, where she was picked up by somebody in a four-door sedan. But Durham said that surveillance cameras from the area undercut Shover’s story.
“The camera system was reviewed and ultimately it destroys the timeline that he provided,” Durham said last month.
A neighbor of the Shovers told reporters that she saw sheriff’s investigators digging in the backyard of the brothers’ home, where they unearthed clothing and blankets.
“Evidence was collected that confirmed … Miss Briones was the victim of a homicide and points at these two brothers,” Durham said.
Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for the killing.
The victim’s loved ones were searching for the teen, distributing flyers throughout the city and surrounding locations bearing her photograph and other information.
