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On October 2, 2017, 50-year-old Aaron Friar was reported missing from his Medford, Oregon home, prompting a police search that quickly turned into a homicide investigation. His two youngest daughters discovered blood in the living room and alerted family members, leading to a welfare check by officers.
Both Aaron and his 15-year-old daughter, Ellie Friar, were unaccounted for, raising concerns of foul play. Within hours, Ellie was found walking with her 19-year-old boyfriend, Gavin MacFarlane, and his friend, Russell Jones. According to multiple sources, all three were soon taken into custody and questioned separately.
As per a CBS News report dated April 18, 2025, a casual cigarette break during Russell Jones' interrogation led to a confession. He ultimately revealed the location of Aaron Friar's body, which was found off a remote embankment.
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Investigators later confirmed that MacFarlane killed Friar with a baseball bat. He allegedly acted under the belief that he was protecting Ellie from abuse, a claim not supported by evidence.
The case will be featured in 48 Hours' April 19, 2025, episode titled First Love, Then Murder, airing at 10/9c on CBS.
Aaron Friar was fatally struck with a baseball bat, a fact Gavin MacFarlane later confirmed during interrogation, even reenacting the act for investigators
Aaron Friar’s murder followed a series of events that began with a teenage relationship and ended with fatal violence. On October 2, 2017, his two youngest daughters found blood inside their Medford, Oregon, home. They reported that both their father, Aaron Friar, and older sister, 15-year-old Ellie, were missing.
The discovery triggered a large-scale investigation that eventually led to a confession during a cigarette break, as detailed in 48 Hours' upcoming episode First Love, Then Murder airing April 19, 2025.
Aaron Friar’s body was later recovered from a remote area after 22-year-old Russell Jones agreed to guide officers there. According to a CBS News report dated April 18, 2025, Jones had been speaking with Detective Bill Ford outside the station. He agreed to lead them to Friar’s remains, stating:
“Yeah, I’ll take you to him.”
During that drive, Jones admitted to helping move the body but claimed he did not commit the killing. The investigation quickly shifted toward 19-year-old Gavin MacFarlane, Ellie’s boyfriend.
The motive behind the killing
According to multiple sources, Gavin MacFarlane later admitted to beating Aaron Friar with a baseball bat while he was asleep. He believed Ellie was pregnant and claimed he was acting to protect her from alleged abuse. A taped interview quoted MacFarlane as saying, as cited in the Oxygen report dated March 3, 2024:
“I was just trying to protect Ellie....That’s what set me off.”
However, medical reports later confirmed Ellie was not pregnant, and no evidence of abuse was ever found.
MacFarlane’s account was further corroborated when he physically reenacted the murder during questioning, demonstrating how he used the bat to strike Friar. Prosecutors later confirmed that Aaron Friar died from blunt force trauma, and the murder weapon, a baseball bat, was recovered near the dump site.
Ellie Friar, meanwhile, initially claimed that Russell Jones had attacked her father with a machete, but this story quickly fell apart under scrutiny. Jones contradicted her version, stating that MacFarlane allegedly carried out the assault and added that Ellie allegedly participated in disposing of the body.
He added that she was the one who threw the murder weapon near the embankment, a claim supported by forensic evidence.
Legal consequences and the 48 Hours feature
As per the Oxygen report dated March 3, 2024, MacFarlane pleaded guilty to murder, tampering with evidence, and conspiracy to commit murder. He received a life sentence and will be eligible for parole in 2043.
Ellie Friar also accepted a plea deal, receiving 25 years for conspiracy to commit murder and burglary. Russell Jones entered a no-contest plea and was sentenced to 15 years for his role in the cover-up.
As per the Oxygen report, lead Detective Bill Ford described Jones as unemotional. He stated:
"He’s not emotional. He’s not upset. It’s all just like matter of fact, like it’s just another day."
That unemotional attitude continued as he revealed the location of the body and the sequence of events. The upcoming episode aims to explore the full scope of Aaron Friar’s murder, the manipulation and motives behind it, and the long-term impact on the surviving family members.
Sentences and impact on the Friar family
- Gavin MacFarlane was sentenced to life and can seek parole starting in 2043.
- Ellie Friar received a 25-year sentence and will be considered for parole in 2041
- Russell Jones: 15 years, expected release in 2031
The episode First Love, Then Murder premieres Saturday, April 19, 2025, at 10/9c on CBS and will also be available to stream on Paramount+.
Aaron Friar’s two youngest daughters are now growing up with the memory of their father’s death in their home. 48 Hours revisits the case to provide additional details on an event that impacted the community.
Stay tuned for more updates.
