Connor Hilton-A Texas teenager whose case drew national attention after a deadly 2023 shooting inside his Friendswood home has pleaded guilty to murder and received a 50-year prison sentence.
Connor Hilton was 17 when he shot two of his friends, 18-year-old Ethan Riley and 19-year-old Benjamin “Ben” Bliek, on December 23, 2023.
Riley died from his injuries. Bliek survived but suffered serious injuries that required weeks of hospitalization and extensive rehabilitation.
Nearly two years after the shooting, Hilton pleaded guilty in September 2025 to murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. A Galveston County judge sentenced him to 50 years in prison for Riley’s death.
The resolution followed a closely watched legal battle that included an unusual defense argument involving isotretinoin, the prescription acne medication commonly known by the former brand name Accutane.
What Happened at Connor Hilton’s Friendswood Home?
The shooting occurred shortly before Christmas on December 23, 2023.
Hilton was at his Friendswood home with other teenagers when gunfire suddenly erupted.
Police were called to the residence shortly before 9 p.m. after another teenager inside the house hid in a bathroom and called 911 upon hearing gunshots.
When officers arrived, they discovered Riley and Bliek suffering from gunshot wounds.
Hilton was found outside the residence.
Riley, who was only 18, later died from his injuries.
Bliek survived, but his injuries began a lengthy medical and rehabilitation journey.
Connor Hilton Case Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Defendant | Connor Hilton |
| Age at Time of Shooting | 17 |
| Location | Friendswood, Texas |
| Shooting Date | December 23, 2023 |
| Victim Killed | Ethan Riley, 18 |
| Surviving Victim | Benjamin “Ben” Bliek, 19 |
| Charges Pleaded To | Murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon |
| Guilty Plea | September 2025 |
| Murder Sentence | 50 years in prison |
| Court | Galveston County |
| Defense Issue | Alleged psychiatric effects associated with isotretinoin |
| Case Status | Guilty plea and sentencing |
Ethan Riley Killed, Ben Bliek Survives
At the center of the case are two young men whose lives were changed forever.
Ethan Riley was 18 when he was fatally wounded.
What began as time spent at a friend’s house days before Christmas instead ended with his family losing a son and loved one.
Benjamin Bliek survived the shooting but suffered severe injuries.
According to accounts of the case, Bliek remained hospitalized for weeks and later underwent extensive rehabilitation.
His survival did not erase the consequences of what happened that night, as his recovery became another lasting part of the tragedy.
Hilton’s Statements Became Important to the Investigation
Court documents indicated that Hilton initially provided investigators with different explanations about the shooting.
He eventually admitted that he had shot Riley and Bliek.
Prosecutors maintained that the shootings were intentional.
As the criminal case developed, however, Hilton’s attorneys pursued a defense centered on his mental state and the prescription medication he had been taking.
That argument would eventually become one of the most widely discussed aspects of the case.
Accutane Defense Becomes Central Legal Issue
Hilton’s defense argued that isotretinoin, a prescription medication commonly associated with the former brand name Accutane, contributed to serious psychiatric symptoms.
Hilton later said in interviews featured by CBS News’ 48 Hours that he experienced suicidal and homicidal thoughts while taking the medication.
A defense expert argued that Hilton had suffered from a medication-related psychotic disorder.
Prosecutors disputed the defense’s explanation.
The argument also raised a crucial legal question: whether the defense would be permitted to present the medication theory to a jury as part of Hilton’s murder trial.
A judge ultimately ruled that the proposed medication-related defense could not be used at trial.
The claims made by Hilton and his defense concerning isotretinoin should not be interpreted as establishing that the medication caused the shooting.
Guilty Plea Ends Prospect of Murder Trial
With the proposed defense rejected, Hilton ultimately chose not to proceed to a murder trial.
In September 2025, he pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The guilty plea meant a jury would not be asked to determine whether he committed the offenses.
A Galveston County judge sentenced Hilton to 50 years in prison for the murder of Ethan Riley.
The sentence ensures that the consequences of the December 2023 shooting will follow Hilton through much of his adult life.
For the victims’ families, the court proceedings brought a legal resolution but could not reverse the consequences of that night.
Shooting Changed Three Young Lives
The tragedy is particularly striking because all three central figures were teenagers or young adults.
Riley was 18.
Bliek was 19.
Hilton was 17.
A gathering shortly before Christmas ultimately resulted in one young man losing his life, another surviving serious injuries and a third receiving a decades-long prison sentence.
For Riley’s family, no sentence can restore what was taken from them.
For Bliek, the shooting became the beginning of a difficult physical recovery.
And for Hilton, the events of December 23, 2023, resulted in a murder conviction and a future largely defined by incarceration.
Case Draws National Attention
The unusual legal arguments surrounding Hilton’s case eventually attracted attention well beyond Friendswood and Galveston County.
CBS News’ 48 Hours examined the shooting, Hilton’s statements about his mental state and the defense’s attempt to connect his psychiatric symptoms to medication.
The national coverage introduced the case to audiences who had not followed the original Friendswood investigation.
It also placed the proposed isotretinoin defense under greater scrutiny.
Whatever debate surrounds that aspect of the case, the central facts remain that Riley died, Bliek survived serious injuries and Hilton ultimately pleaded guilty rather than proceeding to trial.
Remembering Ethan Riley Amid Attention on Connor Hilton
Much of the public discussion surrounding the case has focused on Hilton, his defense and the unusual legal questions raised before his guilty plea.
But the tragedy began with the loss of Ethan Riley.
He was 18 years old when his life ended.
The shooting left his family and friends facing a loss that continues regardless of how the criminal proceedings concluded.
Bliek and his loved ones also faced consequences that extended well beyond the night of the shooting as he underwent treatment and rehabilitation.
Their experiences remain an essential part of the story as national attention returns to the case.
Friendswood Shooting Case Reaches Legal Resolution
Connor Hilton’s 50-year prison sentence represents the culmination of a criminal case that began with gunfire inside a Friendswood home days before Christmas 2023.
The case moved from the initial investigation to disputes over Hilton’s mental state and proposed medication defense before eventually ending with his guilty plea.
Hilton accepted criminal responsibility in court for murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
For the families affected, however, the story extends beyond a conviction and prison sentence.
Ethan Riley’s loved ones continue to live with his absence, while Benjamin Bliek and those close to him have dealt with the consequences of his injuries and recovery.
The Friendswood shooting remains a devastating example of how a single act of violence can permanently alter several families and the lives of everyone involved.
Disclaimer
This article is based on information concerning the December 23, 2023 Friendswood, Texas shooting and the subsequent criminal case against Connor Hilton. Hilton pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and received a 50-year prison sentence for Ethan Riley’s death. Claims that isotretinoin contributed to Hilton’s psychiatric symptoms were advanced by Hilton and his defense, disputed by prosecutors, and the proposed medication-related defense was not permitted at trial. Nothing in this article should be interpreted as establishing that isotretinoin caused the shooting or that similar effects occur in other patients.