48 Hours takes deep dive into case of Friendswood teen who shot 2 of his friends, killing 1 of them

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas — 48 Hours is taking a deep dive into the murder trial of a Friendswood teen who pleaded guilty to shooting two of his friends, killing one of them, in December 2023.

In September 2025, a judge sentenced the teen, Connor Hilton, to 50 years in prison.

Hilton was 17 when he shot and killed 18-year-old Ethan Riley and seriously injured 19-year-old Benjamin Bliek. He blamed the acne drug Accutane for the shooting.

KHOU 11’s Shern-Min Chow spoke with 48 Hours corresponding to Tracy Smith about the case ahead of their piece that airs on KHOU 11 at 9 pm on Saturday.

Smith said the Hilton’s defense of acne medication failed in a pretrial hearing when the prosecution’s witness testified there was no link between the drug and psychosis, leading the judge to rule that the acne medication could not be used as a defense.

Chow asked Smith what options the defense had after the acne medication angle fell through.

“They didn’t have much,” Smith said. “They could bring it up during sentencing, but when the prosecutor offered a plea deal, they seriously considered it. And, actually, this happened right after, like moments after, our interview with Connor and his parents. He was facing a possible life sentence. They offered a deal of 50 years if he pleaded guilty. And so they discussed it, and he took the plea.”

By taking the plea, Hilton waived his right to a trial and his right to appeal.

“One of the teenagers who was shot and survived spoke directly to Connor in court after the plea, how is that victim doing today?” Chow asked Smith.

“That was a powerful statement in court,” Smith said of Benjamin Bliek. “He’s a walking miracle. We got a chance to sit and speak with him. You know, he’s paralyzed on one side of his body, but his recovery is going pretty well. Pickleball has actually been instrumental in his recovery and I got a chance to play a little pickleball with him. I’m so excited for you to see that.”

You can watch the full episode of 48 Hours on KHOU 11 Saturday at 9 pm