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Christmas is normally a very hectic yet magical time of year, a season that brings family & friends together to make new memories & traditions. Presents are wrapped & placed under the tree while warm or colorful lights make the world seem to sparkle. However, Christmas of 2023 became an unimaginable nightmare for residents of Friendswood, Texas & the lives of so many people were forever changed in an instant.
One day before Christmas Eve of 2023, on Saturday, December 23, a 911 call was placed at 8:51 pm to the Friendswood Police Department dispatch reporting gun shots that were coming from inside a nice neighborhood within a two-story, single family brick home at 1805 La Salle Street in Friendswood, Texas in Galveston County. Friendswood is a peaceful town situated 22 miles (35 km) southeast of Houston.
Multiple 911 calls came through regarding the gun shots, including one call that was placed from the home in question from someone who was hiding in a bathroom. The caller said that they heard two gunshots & told the dispatcher there were other people inside the home.
Sergeant M. Schmidt & Officer B. Milling arrived on the scene at 8:52 pm & noticed a female talking with a white male who was sitting on the curb at the end of a concrete walkway that led to the home. Officers learned that this was 17-year-old Connor Lynn Hilton who was visibly distraught. When the officers asked him if anyone was hurt, he nodded his head yes & when they asked who was hurt, he motioned toward his house & said that he believed that there were two teenagers inside who were both dead.
As the officers entered the home in question, they spoke with the unidentified male who had placed the 911 call while hiding in the bathroom, possibly another friend of Connor’s who he invited over that evening. This person told the officers that after he heard the two gunshots, it was suddenly silent in the house. As he hid in the bathroom, he heard Connor walk past; he was crying as he said, What have I done?
When Officer Milling entered the home, he found a teenage boy, 18-year-old Ethan Riley, laying on the floor wearing a black t-shirt & black shorts with blood pooled around his head. A second teen, 19-year-old Benjamin Bliek, was lying on his back. Each victim had suffered a gunshot wound to the head while a revolver with a teal handle & a grey finish was sitting on a table.
Ethan was transferred to Clear Lake Hospital where he tragically later died, while Ben was transported to UTMB Clear Lake Hospital. Meanwhile, Connor was taken down to the Friendswood Police Department where his hands were swabbed for gunshot residue. After he was read his Miranda Rights, he agreed to talk with investigators & fully confessed to shooting both of his friends.
Connor told the detectives that he had been wanting to commit a homicide for a long time. When he invited Ethan & Ben over that evening, he told them that he wanted to show them the new gun he’d talked his mom into buying him. He confessed that he wanted the gun so he could shoot someone and/or himself.
Ethan & Ben arrived at Connor’s house together & while they were gathered in the main area of his house, he showed them his new gun. There had been no arguments or issues between himself & his friends, but regardless, Connor decided to shoot his friends.
Connor explained that he stood up, raised the gun & shot Ethan first in the left side of the head. He then turned to his right & shot Ben in the left side of the head. Since Ben had just witnessed his friend getting shot, he had the opportunity to raise his hands in defense before Connor pulled the trigger. While Connor was at the station, he said he understood what he had done & that he should be held accountable.
Ethan Matthew Riley was born on October 13, 2005 to parents Tara & Matthew Riley. He was born two minutes after his twin sister Elise was born & he also had a sister named Abby. He was a kind person who was a friend to all he met. His father described him as a bold person, but through his boldness, he never hesitated to express his love toward his family. Ethan was the type of person who would never leave the house before telling his family that he loved them.
By the time Ben arrived at the hospital, the medical team found that he had been critically injured & he ended up spending two weeks in the intensive care unit as well as one month of in-patient rehab where he recovered from his injuries. During his hospitalization, Ben was given his nutrition through a feeding tube & initially, he was barely able to sit up & had to use hand signals to communicate with yes/no questions. He also needed to relearn how to talk & walk.
When doctors learned that Ben had been a former basketball & baseball player who loved to exercise, they thought that pickleball would be a great part of his rehab. This was something that ended up becoming an integral part of his recovery since it incorporates balance, flexibility & coordination. It became something he loved as despite his brain injury, he was still able to play & actually quickly became one of the better players at a monthly pickleball outing.
As Ben continued to play, he went from wearing a large brace on his leg for stability while a therapist stood behind him in case he lost his balance, but as the months went by, the brace got smaller until the point that he no longer needed it at all. Ben is now able to quickly move from side to side, jump & has regained much of his mobility. This progression gave him the confidence to believe that he can continue to accomplish the goals he sets for himself in both rehab & after. His future goals include dunking a basketball & completing a 450# leg-press, both of which he was able to do prior to his injury.
Because the bullet entered the left side of Ben’s head & passed through his brain to the right side, most of his body function was affected. He worked tirelessly with therapists who taught him to speak again & his mom, Shannon, recalls crying when she arrived at the hospital & her son was finally able to verbally greet her. Although his voice was only a whisper, it was so encouraging to see him talking.
Ben’s recovery has been the hardest thing he has ever had to overcome & in addition to speech therapy, every week he had three sessions with physical therapists & occupational therapists who taught him to stand, walk, write & dress himself. Through it all, he managed to maintain a positive outlook & felt that the whole incident put his life in perspective.
When Connor was first arrested, he was only charged with two counts of aggravated assault with bodily injury when he was booked into the Galveston County Jail with a bond that was set at $1 million. By midday on Christmas Eve, he was able to post bond & walk out of the jail to spend the holiday with his family.
People who were friends with Connor on social media couldn’t help but remember the post he made only days before his arrest when he posted a video of himself rapping to a song with the lyrics, you better run or you ‘bout to meet my gun.
Connor spent the majority of Christmas Day with his family, but by that evening, he was re-arrested on a more serious charge of murder after Ethan died in the hospital. Police surrounded his family’s home at 7:40 pm with guns drawn & with a bullhorn, they were ordered to come to the door with their hands in the air. After someone opened the door, Connor was taken from the home in handcuffs.
After he posted his $1 million bond from the Galveston County Jail, his attorney indicated that he did so in order to see a therapist. On his release, he was fitted with a GPS ankle-monitoring device & was said to be staying at a new address with relatives in Harris County. He was ordered to stay home with the exception of leaving for a doctor’s or lawyer’s appointment. He surrendered his passport & was instructed to stay off of social media.
According to his attorney, J.L. Carpenter, her client was genuinely remorseful & she confirmed that he had been seeing a therapist before the shootings due to mental illness issues.
Despite this statement & the fact that he confessed to his crime, Connor pleaded not guilty, claiming that the Accutane acne medication he had been taking triggered a drug-induced psychosis at the time of the attack. Although he had been taking the medication since July 2022 to treat acne that caused large, painful cysts & bleeding across his body, for unknown reasons, he upped his prescribed dose on the day of the shootings. An expert indicated that he’d taken four 80-milligram pills on the day of the shooting which was far in excess of a typical dose. Defense attorney, Rick Detoto, said that his client had been a normal kid before he started using Accutane.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Accutane, or isotretinoin, is a type of retinoid medication that treats severe acne. It’s an oral vitamin A & according to the FDA, the medication has been linked to some mood changes, depression, personality shifts as well as thoughts of suicide & homicide in some users, although these cases are rare.
According to psychiatrist, Dr. Sadaf Javaid, she evaluates kids & adolescents prior to their dermatologists starting them on Accutane because of the known side effects of depression.
Judge Rebecca Millo denied this defense & indicated that Connor’s defense team could not use the drug-induced psychosis theory during the trial, but if Connor was found guilty, they could potentially use this defense as a point of error on an appeal.
Days before his trial was set to begin on September 8, 2025, nearly 2 years after the shootings, Connor pleaded guilty to murder & aggravated assault after he indicated that he didn’t want to force the grieving families to testify. Because Connor fully confessed to what he’d done, without the blame of Accutane causing psychosis, the defense had little to work with.
As part of a plea deal, Judge Rebecca Millo sentenced 18-year-old Connor Hilton to 50 years in prison for the murder charge & she added 20 years for the aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, sentences that will run concurrently & he will be eligible for parole in 25 years. At the time of his sentencing, he was days away from turning 19 & he will have no chance of release until he’s 44-years-old.
As his charges were read aloud, Connor struggled to stand. Meanwhile, by this point, Ben had recovered enough to speak at the sentencing & he had very strong words for the boy he once considered a friend, Stop sniveling. Stop crying. You did this to yourself. Secondly, the grief you have caused the Rileys & my own family, I will never forgive you. Pucker your butt cheeks.
Ben’s mother, Sharon Bliek, was next given the opportunity to take the stand. She recalled getting the unimaginable phone call that every parent dreads, a call that came through in the early morning hours of Christmas Eve. When she arrived at the hospital, officers were waiting to tell her what happened. She described the surgery her son was forced to undergo, how he fought for his life. She also discussed the struggles that have continued throughout his recovery & the challenges he will face for the rest of his life.
According to Sharon, her son doesn’t like to talk about what happened & the fact that he needed to relearn how to speak & move his arm. As she turned to Connor, her tone softened as she said, Connor, I’m sorry that evil got over you. I pray for you & I know if you ask the Lord he will give you what you need.
Sharon then turned her attention to Connor’s mom, Johnece Hilton, when she questioned how Connor was given access to a firearm & asked why anyone would allow their child to have a firearm.
According to both police officers as well as Connor’s attorneys, his mom hadn’t broken any laws when she purchased the gun for her 17-year-old son in regards to how the weapon was stored or how her son accessed it. As the legal proceedings unfolded, Connor’s attorneys argued that the gun did not belong to him, it was purchased by his mother for her own safety & kept in a locked safe.
The final impact statement came from Ethan’s father, Matthew Riley, who spoke while his wife & Ethan’s mom, Tara Riley, stood behind him. Matthew, who was understandably emotional, struggled to speak the words, I sit here with so much love, love in my heart for my son, Ethan Matthew Riley. And I am here with so many people that love Ethan, a profound love that will never diminish & will only strengthen over time. He was a beautiful soul full of love & light. You could see that light in his eyes & hear it in his laughter. It’s a light that will continue to overcome the darkness of your evil thoughts & actions.
The courtroom was adjourned & Connor was taken into custody to serve his sentence in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility.
Although justice was delivered in this case, with tragedies like this, there are no true winners. This case is a reminder of how quickly a single moment can shatter lives forever. While one family continues to endure the unimaginable loss of a child, another family faces a long & difficult road to recovery. The community of Friendswood suffered a loss of innocence with friendships broken & lives forever changed,
References:
- Connor Hilton probable cause affidavit
- Law & Crime: ‘You better run’: Teen who posted $1M bail on Christmas Eve after double shooting rearrested & charged with murder
- Law & Crime: ‘You did this to yourself’: Teen who blamed acne meds for shooting 2 friends, killing 1, but told cops he ‘wanted to commit a homicide,’ learns fate
- Fox 26: Connor Hilton murder case: Did acne medication drive the teen to kill? Judge denies defense request
- The Facts: Teen killer pleads guilty, sentenced to 50 years
- ABC 13: Friendswood teen charged with friend’s murder released on $1 million bond, records show
- ABC 13: Captures re-arrest of 17-year-old charged with murdering 18-year-old in Friendswood
- Daily Mail: Teen sobs in court as he’s sentenced for killing his friend.. Despite telling cops he wanted to commit homicide
- Audio Boom: True Crime Today: Tragedy strikes Friendswood, Texas as teen faces murder charge in shooting incident
- TooFab: Teen who ‘wanted to commit homicide’ sentenced for killing friend, confronted by second victim
- Jeter Memorial Funeral Home: Ethan Matthew Riley
- Pressreader: San Antonio Express News: Pickleball therapy
