Incident and Initial Response
Police responded to a Friendswood, Texas residence just before 9 p.m. on December 23, 2023. Initial police contact with Connor Hilton, 17, revealed statements of culpability. Hilton indicated that two individuals were injured.
Upon entering the home, officers located 18-year-old Ethan Riley and 19-year-old Benjamin Bliek. Both had sustained gunshot wounds to the head. A 15-year-old, identified as the 911 caller, was located in a bathroom within the residence. The 15-year-old described hearing two gunshots shortly after entering the house and noted Hilton's distress. Paramedics attending to Riley and Bliek identified signs of life.
Investigation and Confession
Hilton stated a need for mental health hospitalization. He initially claimed self-defense, stating an argument occurred and one victim attempted to assault him. Hilton subsequently provided detectives with a revised account of events during an interrogation. Detective Nick McCanless characterized Hilton's interview as an emotional disclosure.
"The idea of murder is super interesting" to him.
Hilton disclosed to detectives that he had experienced suicidal and homicidal thoughts for an extended period, admitting to fabricating his initial statements. He stated that "the idea of murder is super interesting" to him. Detective McCanless characterized the interview as one of the most candid he had experienced with a suspect, noting Hilton's apparent relief. Hilton stated he had planned the shooting with no specific targets, intending to shoot friends who visited. The 15-year-old was not targeted due to being in a locked bathroom.
Hilton was initially arrested on two counts of aggravated assault with serious bodily injury and released on bond. Following Ethan Riley's death, Hilton was rearrested on a murder charge on Christmas night. Benjamin Bliek survived the shooting. Shannon Bliek attributed her son's survival to a miracle and described his recovery as exceptionally resilient. Ben Bliek prioritized his recovery.
The Accutane Defense
Connor's father, Neal Hilton, stated his belief that his son was not in his right mind at the time of the incident. Neal Hilton researched isotretinoin, the generic version of Accutane, which his son had been prescribed for acne. The drug's label includes warnings about potential side effects such as depression, psychosis, suicide, and aggressive or violent behaviors.
Connor Hilton described experiencing painful cysts since childhood, which at times impeded his mobility, leading to his prescription for Accutane in July 2022 at age 15. Court records indicate Hilton reported feeling symptoms of depression approximately one month later and stopped taking the medication.
During an interview with Dr. Doug Bremner, a professor of psychiatry and radiology engaged by the defense, Hilton disclosed that he had not been fully transparent previously and began experiencing homicidal thoughts after starting the medication. Hilton reported that these thoughts diminished when he stopped taking Accutane but returned after he resumed the medication in January 2023, albeit at a lower dose. Hilton informed Dr. Bremner that on the day of the shooting, he had taken a double dose of Accutane, having missed a dose the previous day.
Dr. Bremner's opinion was that Hilton developed psychosis due to Accutane, leading to recurrent, uncontrollable homicidal ideation.
Dr. Bremner's opinion was that Hilton developed psychosis due to Accutane, leading to recurrent, uncontrollable homicidal ideation. He cited the onset and remission of thoughts correlating with Accutane use as evidence of a causal link. Dr. Bremner stated that the lack of prior conflict or motivation supported his conclusion of psychosis. JG Pharma, the medication's distributor, did not respond to a request for comment. Defense attorneys presented Hilton as remorseful, arguing the incident was not a deliberate rampage.
Legal Proceedings
Lead prosecutor Kayla Allen characterized Hilton's actions as "evil," dismissing the Accutane defense. A hearing was held to determine if Dr. Bremner could testify. The defense argued that Hilton's alleged psychosis from Accutane meant he could not act intentionally or knowingly, thereby negating the elements required for a murder conviction.
Dr. Bremner testified that isotretinoin impacts brain areas regulating emotion. He presented a study indicating decreased brain activity in areas associated with depression and impulsivity after Accutane treatment. Ben Bliek rejected the Accutane defense. Shannon Bliek found Dr. Bremner's initial testimony convincing, but felt it weakened under cross-examination. Prosecutors highlighted that Dr. Bremner had not performed a brain scan on Hilton.
Prosecutor Allen expressed doubt that a jury would accept the Accutane defense. Prosecutors cited a recent study suggesting isotretinoin users do not have an increased risk of suicide or psychiatric conditions. Prosecutor Allen proposed that Hilton desired to experience killing someone, unrelated to the medication.
Prosecutor Allen argued Hilton was lucid, citing his immediate attempt to construct a self-defense claim as evidence against a state of psychosis.
Allen argued Hilton was lucid, citing his immediate attempt to construct a self-defense claim as evidence against a state of psychosis. She referenced Hilton's confession of planning the act and his statement acknowledging his actions were wrong and he deserved punishment. Allen stated her belief that some individuals are inherently "evil."
Friends reported Hilton expressing desires for importance and legacy, and making comments about killing people prior to the incident. Detectives found Hilton's online activity included downloading murder-related videos and social media posts, with one post hours before the shooting containing lyrics about killing. Defense attorneys maintained these behaviors were chemically induced by the medication.
Defense attorneys cited friends' observations of Hilton isolating and developing an interest in true crime and becoming a homicide detective during his sophomore year, after starting Accutane, as supporting their case. Prosecutor Allen contended that Hilton's behavior was unrelated to Accutane, noting he had problems, such as school avoidance, before starting the medication. Hilton had been prescribed the antidepressant Prozac prior to Accutane, which he attributed to typical teenage anxiety.
A judge ruled that Dr. Bremner's testimony would be restricted to the punishment phase of the trial, if a guilty verdict was reached.
Plea Deal and Aftermath
Two weeks before trial, prosecutors offered Hilton a plea deal of 50 years in prison for guilty pleas to murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, which included waiving his right to appeal. Connor's parents expressed their belief that Accutane was the cause of his actions and initially opposed the plea deal.
Hilton accepted the plea deal, with his attorneys supporting his decision given the risk of a life sentence. Prosecutor Allen stated her primary concern was Hilton's age, and the potential reluctance of a jury to impose a life sentence, rather than the Accutane defense. The plea offer was made after confirmation with the victims' families.
On September 2, 2025, Hilton formally pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Ben Bliek and his mother questioned the sincerity of Hilton's tears, suggesting they were due to imprisonment rather than remorse. Both Ben and Shannon Bliek dismissed the notion that Accutane played a role, noting other acquaintances had taken the medication without similar outcomes.
During his victim impact statement, Ben Bliek addressed Hilton directly, expressing his inability to forgive and criticizing Hilton's emotional display. Shannon Bliek addressed Hilton's mother, Johnece Hilton, in court, stating that she held her responsible for purchasing the gun.
While Hilton and his mother initially stated she purchased the gun for him, they later denied this in a subsequent interview, with Johnece Hilton claiming it was for herself. Johnece Hilton was not charged; she maintained she was unaware of her son's homicidal tendencies despite purchasing the firearm less than two months before the incident. Johnece Hilton stated she did not perceive her son's interest in murder cases, social media posts, and videos as warning signs. Johnece Hilton expressed regret and a sense of responsibility, stating she wished she had not purchased the firearm or allowed her son to take the medication.
Matthew Riley, Ethan Riley's father, delivered a victim impact statement, describing his son as a "beautiful soul." Ethan's mother, Tara Riley, was present but declined an interview. Connor Hilton will be eligible for parole in August 2050, at the age of 43.