Ryan Poston Murder: Breaking Point & Obsessed | Full Episodes | Forensic Files

Now, a special [music] two-part edition of 48 Hours. murderers come in all shapes and sizes
and ages. Didn't matter how [music] young she was, how pretty she was, how smart she was,
she wanted to kill him. She intended to kill him. >> Kim County 911. >> Ma'am, I have a call. I I killed my
boyfriend in self-defense. >> Okay. Where are you? >> I'm standing about 10 ft from his dead
body. >> Okay. >> On October 12th of 2012, which was a Friday night, Shanny Ubers had called
the police and said that she had killed her boyfriend in self-defense. I went immediately to the Highland
Heights Police Department. >> You want something to drink? You want some water? >> She had already been transported there
by the first responders to the scene. >> Okay. What was his name? >> The man that I killed her,
>> Ryan Carter Poston. >> Ryan Poston in 2012 was a 29-year-old lawyer. He did mostly civil law.
He was very successful. Um had a very good practice. >> Smart. Oh, so smart. When he walked into
a room, he immediately demanded attention [music] and he got it. He was a very good-looking guy. And [music] he
had a very big heart. >> And your name is Shaya. >> Shaya Huber. Shaina at the time was a 21-year-old
recently graduated college student from uh the University of Kentucky with a psychology degree. Very very bright,
smart individual and and obviously she was very pretty too. They were together for a few months at a time and then they
were apart for some time period. >> To say that their relationship was on and off would probably be an
understatement. It was a roller coaster. He was throwing me around the room like
picking me up and like had my face and stuff. >> I was in an adjoining room with a video
monitor so I was watching this live. >> Pulled me by the ponytail of my hair >> and she talked non-stop.
>> If you go to jail, are you allowed to keep your phone >> hour after hour? >> I knew he was violent. I knew he was
crazy. >> 2 hours and 40 something minutes, I believe. >> I had my head banged into a few
different things tonight. The facts and the evidence did not support her claim of self-defense.
>> Picking me up and throwing me against the bookshelf and calling me a hillbilly.
>> My [music] name is Michelle Snodgra. I am the prosecutor in the case against Shaina Hubers. [laughter]
>> I really love her. >> She was putting on a show. She was dancing. >> She was laughing. She was snapping her
fingers and saying, "I did it. >> I did. >> Yes, I did." >> It was like an [music] evening with
Shaina Hubers like on Broadway. >> I have never seen someone who was [music] so desperate to tell her story
to anyone who would listen. >> Can I talk to you? Can I have somebody to talk to?
I never saw one emotion that would have indicated remorse. >> He had guns laying on the table.
>> If she [music] was that afraid, she could go out the door. >> Is your daughter a murderer?
>> Shaina Hubers is not a murderer. No, she is not. >> [music] >> Are [snorts] you sure that he is dead?
He's dead, man. He's completely dead. >> Okay. >> I think about him every day. You don't think something like that is
ever going to happen to someone, you know. >> Matt Herren still struggles to make
sense of what happened the night of October 12th, 2012 when his close friend Ryan Poston was killed.
>> Is there something I could have done that could have prevented that? And I know a lot of people in his life had to
have felt the same way. >> How did things spiral so out of control between Ryan and his girlfriend Shaina
Hubers that she shot him to death, insisting it was to protect herself? >> What was lost when your friend was shot
and killed? He's the type of person that you want in your life. Not just a friend, but a loving son,
a protective, adoring older brother. He had three younger sisters that he absolutely adored.
>> Ryan's family was close-knit, even though his parents divorced when he was little. He was extremely close to his
father Jay Poston. And when his mother remarried to Peter Carter, Ryan thought of him as a second father.
>> He had two men who loved him like a son. He wanted to express how big of a role
both of those men played in his life. So he had his middle name legally changed to Carter. He was very proud of that.
What did he want to do and what did you see him doing in the years ahead? >> You know, I used to joke that I would
run his first political campaign for him for free. >> Hi, baby. >> Sarah Robinson, who grew up with Shaina
in Lexington, Kentucky, says Shaina's future seemed promising as well. >> And how smart was she?
>> I thought she was close to genius in my opinion. I mean, she always was in AP
classes, always getting A's and everything. >> Shaina received countless awards for
academic excellence and leadership. >> She liked to succeed at anything and everything that she did.
>> And that included music and drama. >> Was she a good actress? >> She thought she was.
>> Sarah says back in high school, Shaina also had a real flare for the dramatic
when it came to boys. if a guy like broke up with her or something or if a guy just said they weren't interested in
her, she would take it pretty hard, crying and maybe a little screaming. She didn't really like to let things go.
>> It was a sight of Shaina Ryan would come to know all too well. Shaina went to school in Lexington, more
than 80 miles away from Ryan's condo in Highland Heights. The two probably never
would have met if it weren't for Facebook. He spotted provocative photos of her and they started dating in the
spring of 2011. He was 28 and a lawyer. She was 19 and a college student. And was she happy?
>> Um, yeah. She seemed to be happy. I mean, she never said that there was anything wrong in the relationship. She
was just always there. But according to Ryan's friend, Ally Wagner, there was plenty wrong right from the start.
>> How did Shaina react when she first met you? She was so cold. You could just immediately tell that she was just
obsessed with him. I think she had a goal in the beginning to make him settle down with her. And when she wasn't
becoming successful, that became a problem. >> He was very busy with work. He wasn't
really looking for anyone. He had tried to end things uh a few times. >> But Ryan was having a tough time getting
Shaina to let go. Shaina admitted in a text to a friend. He says he's only with me because I make him feel so awful
about it when I cry. >> He didn't want to hurt her feelings. Unfortunately, she just refused to take
no for an answer. And so the two were on again, off again [music] for 18 months.
>> She would come by his place when she was in town >> to show up unannounced. >> Absolutely.
>> As Shaina became more possessive, Ryan's exasperation and concern grew. In a text
to his cousin, he wrote, "This is getting to be restraining order level crazy. She shown up at my condo like
three times and refuses to leave each time. He also complained about Shaina's obsessive behavior in a Facebook message
to Ally. >> Literally probably the craziest person I have ever met. She almost scares me. I
wish I had said if she scares you or if she's crazy, just walk away. >> Instead, he kept taking her back.
>> I think it was playing mind games with her. Ryan's neighbor, Nikki KS, claims
there's another side to this turbulent relationship. Shaina complained to her that Ryan was emotionally abusive.
>> She would always tell me that he would say she needed a boob job or a face lift
and um that she was fat. She needed to lose some weight. >> Why wouldn't she have left?
>> I guess because she was young and she always told me she loved him. She picked
up his laundry. She did his laundry. She took his dog out. Um, she went and bought him food. She did everything for
him. >> Could there have been a Ryan that you didn't know? >> No. >> Someone that had a dark side?
>> No. In the 10 years I knew him, never once raised his voice. He's always been
the same. Super nerdy, super sweet. Ryan hoped Shaina had finally gotten the message when he told her he wasn't going
to see her that weekend of October 12th, 2012. What he didn't tell her was that he had
a date with a worldass beauty. >> Ohio Audrey Boly, Miss Ohio USA 2012, whom he also met on Facebook. But he did tell
Ally, a former beauty pageant contestant herself, who knew Audrey. >> She's very beautiful, very personable,
and all that kind of stuff. So Ryan was the perfect match for her. He was really
excited to go. >> Ryan and Miss Ohio were supposed to meet at a bar that Friday night,
but Shaina showed up at his condo, and Ryan never made it. He beat me and tried to carry me out of
the house and I came back in to get my things and he was right in front of me and he reached down and grabbed the gun
and I grabbed it out of his hands and pulled pull the trigger. >> And how long ago did you shoot him?
>> I don't know 15 10 15 minutes. Not even that long >> 10 or 15 minutes ago. >> Yeah.
>> Someone shooting someone and then waiting 15 minutes to call. That in itself was bizarre.
Lieutenant Dave Fornach and his partner were the first to arrive on the scene. >> I want you to go to your front door. I
want you to open it up. Walk outside the door with your hands in front of you. >> Okay, I will. In your hand,
>> we instruct her to get on the ground. As I entered the apartment, I saw Ryan Poston's body on the floor in the dining
room behind the dining room table. >> Police escorted Shaina to the station knowing she had shot Ryan to death. and
I picked up the gun. >> But was it to save her life? Or had she entered Ryan's condo [music] with a plan
to take his even seasoned investigators could never have imagined what would unfold in the
hours after Shane Hubers killed Ryan Poston. >> It was crazy. You just wouldn't believe
it. From the moment Lieutenant Dave Fornash brought her into that interrogation room, Shaina's behavior was bizarre.
>> Do you smoke? >> I will if I can. >> As he started to leave, she started making noise as if she was crying or
trying to cry or wailing. >> I'm leaving just a second. You're fine. >> As soon as he walked out of the room,
she stopped immediately. >> Police Chief Bill Burkenhower was immediately suspicious.
>> Like a light switch. Exactly. >> And what are you thinking when you see that?
>> Right off the bat, I'm thinking that she's, you know, pretending. She wasn't crying. No tears came out of her eyes.
>> Says, "You have the right to remain silent." >> Shaina was then read her rights and
although she asked to see a lawyer, >> I do want an attorney. >> Okay. So, I can't ask you any questions
at all. >> She found it impossible. >> I was so out of it. >> To remain silent. >> I was like, "Is this self-defense
killed? And can you come to the scene?" Shaina talked constantly. >> I was raised really really Christian and
murder is a sin. >> It just seemed like she was constantly just babbling. >> You have very pretty teeth. Did you have
an orthodontia? >> She talked so much that the officers were wanting to leave the room.
>> I had to go to jail. Can you shower there or do you just get really dirty? >> They were switching off so they wouldn't
get burned out. >> What are they going to do with me? >> I don't know. They told me they can't
come here and sit with you. >> For almost 3 hours, Shaina told anyone who would listen about an alleged
history of abuse by Ryan. >> He's pulled guns on me as jokes before. >> Leading up to a fight in which she says
she feared for her life. >> And I shot him in self-defense because he's done stuff before where I've hit my
head on a headboard, >> okay, >> and could have died. But the more she talked, the more her
words would come back to haunt her. >> This story never stayed the same. >> Beginning with exactly how Ryan's gun
ended up in her hands. >> He was screaming at me, telling me I was Ellie that he hates me.
>> By all accounts, Ryan, who owns several guns and was licensed to carry, had a
habit of placing his handgun on the dining room table after coming home from work.
and I just picked up the gun and in the middle of him doing something with his arm or saying
something crazy, shot him. >> This time she told police that she picked up the gun off the table while
Ryan was yelling at her. But remember, Shaina had told the 911 operator a different story about wrestling the gun
away from him. and he reached down and grabbed the gun and I grabbed it out of his hand and pulled the pulled the
trigger. >> But Shaina didn't stop at one bullet. As she described the final moments of
Ryan's life, the details were beyond disturbing. >> And he was laying with his face on the table
like twitching. And so I knew he was going to die. I walked around the table and I think that's when I shot him
in the head. I shot him probably six times. Shot him in the head. He fell on the ground. He was like laying like
this. His glasses were still on. He was twitching some more. I shot him a couple
more times just to make sure he was sad cuz I didn't want to watch him die. >> She didn't say that she was worried
about him suffering. She said that she couldn't stand to see that is why [music] she finished him
off. If someone's wounded on the ground, someone that you love, wouldn't you attempt to resuscitate to save rather
than shoot him or call 911? >> Instead, Shaina admitted she waited at least 10 minutes to call for help.
>> If we were to pause right now for 10 minutes, it would be interminable to this audience how long a period of time
that is. and she's not calling 911. Why do you believe that's the case? >> If he was to live, then he would have a
story to tell. He was helpless. >> Prosecutor Michelle Snodgrass. >> He laid there helpless and she walked
over and shot him again and again and again. That's not self-defense. >> I knew he was going to die or have a
completely deformed face. He's very vain and wants to get a nose job off. just that kind of person. And I shot him
right here. I gave him his nose job. He wanted >> My jaw hit the floor and I said to
myself, "Did she really say that?" >> And Shaina had plenty more to say. >> I did. Yeah, I did.
>> Even when Shaina wasn't speaking, her actions spoke volumes to the investigators who were watching from the
other room. Not only did she dance and twirl, She even sang Amazing Grace. >> How do you respond to what we're looking
at here is a woman in shock. >> Someone who is in shock does not piouette. Within hours of putting six bullets into
Ryan Poston and watching him die, she danced and sang. Here's what's going to happen right now,
Shaya. Okay. With everything that we have, um, we're going to I'm going to char I'm going have to charge you with
murder. >> Shaina Hubers was arrested for murder. >> What degree? >> Murder. There's no degree.
>> Ryan had been shot six times. >> Pretty much every side of his body he'd been shot at.
>> Doesn't that fit someone who fears for her life at that moment that she's being
attacked, that she has to use excessive force to put down the threat? It it it more likely indicates somebody who's
very angry. >> The investigation was far from over. Shaina claims Ryan had a dangerous
temper and she can prove it. The chessboard today is how it was on the day Ryan died midame
with the pieces unchanged from where it was then. >> Ryan Poston's friend, mentor, and chess
rival attorney Ken Holly relished those competitive matches that would sometimes
stretch out over days. and I haven't been able to let it go really. >> But now that chessboard sits in his
office, frozen in place, a metaphor for a life cut short. >> When somebody is erased at an early age
like that and you know what has the world lost by not having the benefit of what they would have come to be? Ken and
his legal assistant, Lorie [music] Zimmerman, had offices in the same building as Ryan. They witnessed
Shaina's obsessive behavior and the toll it took on him. >> If she couldn't get him on his cell
phone, she'd call the receptionist and ask for him or she'd show up here. Um, I mean, it was relentless.
>> She would text him 50 to 100 times a day. She would just wear him down and exhaust him to the point where he would
say, "Okay, Shaina." And he just kept doing the easy thing, which was staying with her.
>> When Ryan left work for the last time the evening of October 12th, 2012, he told Lorie about his big date,
>> and he said with a big smile on his face, "I have a date with Miss Ohio tonight."
>> Ohio. His news gave Lori an uneasy feeling about Shaina. >> And I said, I I'm very nervous about
what you're doing tonight because I who knows what Shaina will do. You need to get her gone. I need you to call the
police. I need you to call a locksmith. I need you to make it very final. And and that was when he said, "Hey, Lori,
I've got this. Don't you worry about me." >> Hours later, Ryan was dead. I knew she was a stalker. I thought that
she was perfectly capable of causing a scene, but murder. What do you think happened the night he died?
>> I think that she went over there, tried to talk him out of breaking up with her.
>> Ryan's friend, Ally Wagner, >> and I think he just stood his ground for the first time. I think he just said,
"No, like this isn't working." I think she picked up the gun and shot him. >> In her mind, this was a failure of
sorts. And Shaya didn't fail. Shaina Hubers is someone who is used to getting her way.
>> The movie Fatal Attraction comes to mind. >> You won't answer my calls. You change
your number. I mean, I'm not going to be ignored. Dan, >> he was trying to break up with her, and
I think that Shaina was not going to be broken up with. Chief Burkenhower says the proof is in an astonishing trove of
texts and emails investigators discovered in numbers unlike anything they'd ever seen.
>> Hundreds of thousands of messages. >> Hundreds of thousands. >> Yes. And most of the messages were from
Shaina. For every one message Ryan sent, she probably sent 50. She couldn't stop
herself. Here it was, a look inside this tortured relationship. Back in February of 2012, 8 months
before Ryan's death, he wrote Shaina, "You can tell people you broke up with me." Part of her reply, "I love you
dearly, far more than you deserve." Then in March, Ryan pleaded, "Shaina, stop texting me." And in April, he texted, "I
no longer have the patience to deal with you." >> Now, Ryan's a bright guy. He's a lawyer.
Why didn't he get a restraining order? >> Well, under the law in Kentucky, he didn't qualify for a restraining order.
The law in Kentucky basically requires the two to have been living together or to have been married.
>> Instead, Ryan tried to take matters into his own hands. Another text in April.
this time from Ryan to his cousin. She came to my place on Sunday morning and I literally had to pick her up and throw
her into the hall. Still, Ryan just couldn't close the door on their relationship.
The two were back together that summer, [music] but things soured again in late August. And Ryan texts Shaina, "I'm
turning off the phone and padlocking the door." And then she keeps texting. And there were at least 100 messages until
finally it's some 9 hours later under this barrage. Ryan says, "I'm not reading any of these. Stop." What does
that tell you about Shaina's behavior? >> Well, this goes back to she's obsessed
with Ryan Poston. >> Shaina once again showed up at his door. She had her own key. Ryan had to leave
his own condo and leave Shane in there and go spend the night with his father because she would not leave and she
continued arguing with him. >> While the prosecution insists Ryan was the one being stalked and living [music]
in fear. >> Shaina told police that at times she was also afraid of him. >> The guns. He keeps loaded guns in the
house. Has picked up a gun, pointed at my face as a joke. What would you do if I
>> A lot of information is going to come out about this relationship and about what happened that night.
>> Defense attorney John Paul Ryan. >> This was not a case of anything but self-defense. This is a case where
Shaina was acting to save her own dignity and her own safety. The defense team claims there are plenty
of Facebook messages Ryan sent his friends that show he was a young man consumed by anger. He'd had a falling
out with his ex-law partner who was suing him. >> August 16th, 2012, less than two months
before he was shot and killed. He says, "And I want to rig explosives to everything I see." Well, I don't think
anybody's denying that Ryan wasn't going through an emotional time. He was upset
about being sued by his former law partner. His rage was never in any of these messages directed at Shaina
Hubers. Not one. >> October 4th, 2012, Ryan writes this. There's nothing I want more than to just
scorch the effing earth and leave this entire city in a pile of burnt rubble. He's fantasizing about doing a violent
act. And just days later, according to Shaina, he attacks her. >> But that wasn't a violent act directed
to any person. And you have to put it in context. He does not say he wants to hurt a person.
>> Pressure is building up. He's got a girlfriend that won't let go. He finally snaps. Why shouldn't we believe that?
>> There's no evidence at the crime scene to indicate that Ryan Poston went after
Shane Ubers. Nothing was knocked over. No signs of a struggle. >> None. >> Are you buying this notion of
self-defense at all? >> Not one bit. Not one bit. >> These photos [music] of Shaina taken
after her arrest show some light bruising, but police still insist there's no evidence of a life or death struggle.
Now, the young woman suspected of cold-blooded murder heads to court to ask a judge to let her out of jail.
[music] This case was always to me about a [music] senseless act. senseless. Could
never quite make sense of what [music] happened on October 12th. I could never make sense of why Ryan Poston's life was
ended. >> Why couldn't Shaina Hubers, a brilliant and [music] beautiful grad student,
simply walk away from her troubled relationship with Ryan Poston? >> I think it's really sad. It's just it's
kind of heartbreaking. Shaina's childhood friend, Sarah Robinson, barely recognizes the sweet, kind-hearted girl
she once knew. >> I saw a mug shot. That was I think the first thing that I saw that really made
me take a step back and just be like, "Oh my god." >> What did it look like? >> It looked like someone was who was angry
and like someone who had just been through hell. >> It is June 10th, 2014. Almost two years
since Ryan's death, Shaina has remained in jail the entire time. She has hired a
new defense team led by David Mahia. At a bail hearing, they are joined by Shaina's mother, Sharon Hubers.
>> Shaina was in the gifted and talented program in the >> Sharon, a retired school teacher, is
proud of her child's academic success. She graduated kum lad in three years at the University of Kentucky. Shaina was
pursuing a master's degree in school guidance counseling at the time of this tragedy.
>> And what do you want people to know after reading that? What do you want them to know in relation to this case?
Shaina Hubers is not a child, a girl, a person that would murder someone that would
wake up and say, "Okay, I'm going to shoot somebody. And I want the world to know who Shaina is, and I want them to
hear it from her mother." Through Sharon's testimony, we also learn about the 24 hours leading up to
Ryan's death. Thursday, October 11th, 2012, the night before Ryan died. >> Welcome to the first and only vice
presidential debate. >> The vice presidential candidates were slugging it out in a televised debate.
>> Ryan brought Shaina over to his mother and stepfather's place to watch it. and
then she slept over at his condo. >> He wants to break up with her. Talk about mixed signals. Why is she staying
the night at his place? >> That is a question that I think a lot of people want an answer to. I don't know
if it was part of Ryan's attempt to let her down easy. I I just don't know. >> Ryan had already said he didn't want to
see her that weekend. Perhaps that's why a distraught Shaina called her mother from Ryan's shortly after 3:00 a.m.
>> Was she emotional, upset? >> Yes, she she wanted mama. And yes, she was. I knew something was wrong.
>> Sharon says she met up with her daughter at Ryan's place around [music] 5:30 that
morning. >> When he woke up, he saw that Shaina Huber's mom was inside his condo.
Shaina's mom was inside his condo. >> Absolutely. >> Had come in on her own >> in the middle of the night. Had driven
from Lexington to sit with her daughter. >> She wanted to lay on the couch and put
her feet in my lap. And she did. >> Shaina's relationship with her mother. What was that like?
>> I think she was very close to her mom. I think her mom for a good portion of her
life could have very well been her best friend. That child has been a blessing to me. She's my whole life.
>> Sharon Hubers would like her daughter to be released to her custody, but prosecutor Michelle Snodgrass believes
Shaina is a flight risk because of what she told police. >> Part of me wanted to get my keys and get
in my car and leave because I knew my word against his and he's dead. You know, how is anyone else
to know that it's self-defense? To get bail, Shaina needs to convince the judge that she's not a flight risk and despite
shooting Ryan, not a threat to society. On the stand, she paints a picture of herself as a model girlfriend.
>> Ryan was going through a lot and he needed moral support and I was always good to him.
>> But she also suggests she had a reason to fear him, claiming Ryan was obsessed
with guns. Wherever you were in the house, you were always at an arm's length from a gun or a weapon of some
sort. And >> that concerned you? >> Oh, yes. You know, just laying everywhere. He'd pick one up and shoot a book on a
shelf or something and did that with Shaina in the condo on numerous occasions. >> Is it true that Ryan on at least one
occasion did target practice inside his own condo? We don't know if he did target practice inside his own condo. We
do know that there was a book that had, you know, wood on it and and some holes.
>> Bullet holes. >> Yes. >> He was always very careful in his handling of firearms.
>> Ryan's friend Matt Haron insists he was a responsible gun owner. It was never
something that I worried about. >> But Shaina insists she was worried enough to shoot Ryan in self-defense.
And she thought that when she explained it to police that night, they would release her.
>> I believed in my innocence and I wanted to see my mother and go home. >> Now the witness stand is about to turn
into the hot seat. >> He told you he needed to not be around you. >> Didn't he say that?
Ryan Poston's volatile relationship with Shaina Hubers had become a house of mirrors. Nothing was as it appeared. His
friend Lorie Zimmerman says that while the couple appeared to have reconciled in the weeks before his death, their
romance was rocky. He wasn't happy about dating Shaya Hubers again. From the very start, he
was working to not date Shaina Hubers anymore. >> Ryan's neighbor, Nikki KS, says from
what she witnessed in the months leading up to Ryan's death, the relationship was
toxic. >> I was awoken out of my sleep by some screaming and yelling outside and they
were arguing. This is something that was like happened quite often. >> Was this a nasty argument?
>> Yeah. Everyone has a breaking point. Had Ryan reached his? >> I think Shaina reached hers.
>> Prosecutor Michelle Snodgrass believes rejection and rage sent Shaina over the
edge. Snodgrass confronts her about Ryan's repeated attempts to break up with her.
>> Did he invite you over? >> Which night? >> Well, let's say the night you put six
bullets in him. How about that night? Did he INVITE YOU OVER THAT NIGHT? They'd broken up time and time again and
gotten back together. Why did she get violent this time? >> That's a good question. I think that she
believed it was over for good and she wasn't going to have that. >> The fireworks continue at the bail
hearing over Shaina's different accounts of [music] how Ryan's gun ended up in her hands. You told 911 that you had to
grab the gun out of Mr. Poston's hand. Is that correct? >> I did say that. >> But you told the police something
different, didn't you? >> It was a handgun that I used. The gun was this big. I picked it up off the table.
I did have to release the suit. I did. I remember it now. I can see it in my eyes.
>> This is a Sig Sauer P238 380 caliber semi-automatic handgun. This is the weapon that was used in the shooting of
Ryan Poston. She released the safety, pointed the gun at Ryan Poston, and shot him in the
right side of the head. >> Chief Burkenhower believes Shaina's admission that she released the safety
on the gun is evidence of premeditation. I believe as soon as she released the safety, she made the decision that she
was going to kill him. It is a sign in my opinion that she had time to think about it.
>> Show me how she released the safety. >> The safety, which right there, you you
can't pull [music] the trigger. In order to make this gun operate, you have to release the safety. Now, the gun's ready
to go and then you just pull the trigger. It is an extra step that you have to think about. The gun itself also
contained [music] critical forensic evidence, a trace of Ryan's blood. >> And what did that tell you?
>> One or more of the shots were so close to the body when the trigger was pulled,
the blood came out and it landed on the gun. >> Meaning Chief Burkenhower believes that
Shaina moved closer to Ryan for the final kill shots. There was never a time after the first shot that he was on his
feet. >> But Shaina now insists it was Ryan who was moving towards her. Despite what she
told police after Ryan's death, >> he was still moving. He was still coming toward me.
>> First two shots we thought were firecrackers and then there was four more and then we knew it was gunshots.
Ryan's downstairs neighbors, Vernon and Doris West, heard gunshots that night, but no fight. And what was the sequence
of the shots? >> Bang bang, bang, bang, bang, bang. >> Did either of you hear any arguing in
that condo above you? Did you hear any shouting? >> Never. >> Never. >> Never did. Never did, sir.
>> No. If there had been a fight going on up there, a physical struggle between the two of them, Shaina being thrown
across the floor, would you have heard it? >> Yes, >> I believe I would. >> The prosecutor insists that even if
Shaina initially thought Ryan was a danger to her, she didn't need to keep shooting him.
>> She had the door behind her with no obstructions. Why didn't she just go? The defense maintains that Kucky's
so-called stand your ground law says a person does not have a duty to retreat prior to the use of deadly physical
force. But the prosecutor believes Shaina's decision to keep shooting proves a murderous intent.
>> She knew that Ryan Poston had somewhere else that he had to be and someone else
that he was meeting and she wasn't going to let that happen. In his questioning of Shaina, [music]
defense attorney David Mahia turns the table on the prosecution, driving home Shaina's contention that she had to use
deadly force to save herself. >> Now, what did you believe would happen if he got out after having been shot
twice? >> He would shoot me. He would hurt me. As you well know, Shaina has been portrayed as strangely
obsessive, a liar, a murderer. >> It's been horrible. She grew up in the church. She's not a murderer.
>> The word evil has been used to describe your daughter. >> She's far from evil. Shaina has a heart
of gold. She's like her mommy, a loving spirit. That's what I want the world to know.
>> In the end, Judge Fred Stein sets bail at $1.5 million. Too much for Shaina's
parents to afford. Now, as the case heads to trial, how will the defense team overcome the one
witness who could destroy any claims of self-defense? that witness the twirling, singing,
loquacious Shaina Hubers. >> If you go to jail, are you allowed to keep your phone?
48 hours. Don't miss an episode. >> [music] [music] [music] >> This special two-part [music] edition of
48 Hours continues. [music] The psalmist were affirm that statement Shabbat made be the truth the whole
truth. I don't know why, where in her life something steered her so wrong to make her become so obsessive.
Ryan Poston was trying to end the relationship with Shaina. She was obsessed with him.
>> How did Shaina and Ryan meet? >> They met on Facebook. >> What was the attraction, you think?
>> Well, you've seen pictures of them. They're both beautiful people. And in addition to that, they're both
very intelligent. He was a young lawyer who [music] had a great practice that was starting.
He was kind and he was compassionate. I think she had a goal in the beginning to make him settle down with her. And
when she wasn't becoming [music] successful, that became a problem. >> Ryan was the one that initiated, "I love
you, Shaina." I really thought that he meant it. I I really thought that he did.
>> She wouldn't stop texting him, obsessively texting him, and he would not respond except to say, "If you do
not stop, I'm turning off my phone. And in fact, I'm going to padlock my door." She showed up unannounced all the time.
Ryan said that Shaina was restraining order crazy. Ke County 911. >> Ma'am, I have I I killed my boyfriend in
self-defense. >> Six shots rang out in this condo. Police say it was murder, but Shaina Hubers
claims she defended herself against a man with a violent temper. >> They were right in front of me and he
reached down and grabbed the gun and I grabbed it out of his hand and told the trigger. Ryan didn't beat on me every
day, but he did put hands on me a handful of times. >> She said she gave him the nose job that
he wanted. >> I knew he was going to die or have a completely deformed face. He's very vain
and wants to get a nose job. Just that kind of person. And I shot him right here. I gave him his nose job. He wanted
>> I don't know what more you can say after that. I don't know if anyone will ever want to
marry me if they know that I killed a boyfriend in South [music] [music] >> [music]
[music] >> Okay. What was his name? >> The man that I killed her. Ryan Carter Poston.
>> [music] >> In April 2015, 2 and a half years after Shaina Huber's gunned down, her on-again
off-again boyfriend Ryan [music] Poston, her trial is set to begin. Central to both the prosecution and the
defense will be what Shaina told police. and I just picked up the gun and in the
middle of him doing something with his arm or saying something crazy, shot him. Shaina claims she shot Ryan in
self-defense during a heated confrontation at his condo. Prosecutor Michelle Snodgrass contends
that the only person whose life was in danger on October 12th, 2012 was Ryan Poston.
I think in the midst of that, my love turned to hate. >> My love turned to hate. I think at that
point in time, we knew what Shaina Hubers was thinking. And it certainly wasn't that she needed to act out of
fear. She acted out of hate. >> Prosecutors say trouble had been brewing long before that tragic day. Ryan's
cousin, Cararissa Carile, who was also Shaina's friend, testified about the tumultuous relationship.
>> He said to me, "This is getting to be restraining order level crazy. I'm not kidding. You need to talk to her. She
needs help." And I say that without exaggeration. She just really needs help. >> What did you learn about Shaina's
personality? The word obsessive is is a good word for her. An obsession that police chief Bill Burkenhower says can
be seen in the thousands of text messages Shaina sent Ryan. >> We know from text messages back and
forth that when Ryan would end it sometimes Shaina would just show back up and not leave.
>> Refused to leave. >> Yes. Refused to leave. >> By the fall of 2012, investigators
believe Shaina was nearing a breaking point. 11 days before the shooting, Shaina sent a friend an ominous text.
>> She says when she goes to the shooting range with Ryan tonight, she wants to turn around, shoot, and kill him and
play like it's an accident. >> Shaina [music] texted similar disturbing comments to another friend and sent a
gun toing picture. >> She was already making a plan to make sure Ryan did not leave her.
The state believes Shaina confronted him at his condo because Ryan had told her he didn't want to see her that weekend.
Although investigators don't doubt an argument took place, they saw no evidence of the violent struggle Shaina
had described. >> He was throwing me around the room like picking me up and like had my face and
stuff. Shaina claimed Ryan had also thrown her against this bookshelf. >> As you can see, this bookcase is covered
with items that would have shifted that would have been in a different position.
A number of pipes along that shelf, some bullets on this shelf. And if you look at this photograph that shows a little
bit of a closer angle, none of them are disturbed. But what really made investigators skeptical about Shaina's
story, >> I know what happened, >> right? >> Was her claim that at one point during
their clash, Ryan [music] had locked himself in his bedroom. >> So, what was Miss Huber's Googling how
to do it? >> She first Googled how to unlock a house door with a bobby pin. That was a Google
search. >> She found a way to unlock his bedroom door and get in there. By now, the
argument had moved into the dining room with Ryan on one side of the table and Shaina standing on the other side.
Ryan's loaded handgun was on the table. >> He was screaming at me, telling me I was
Ellie, that he hates me, that he hates my speaking voice. I hate everything about you.
[music] >> The jury would hear Shaina's own account of the shooting. And he was he had it
sitting on the table and he wasn't completely standing up. He was like this. He was like he was sitting he was enough
that when I he was went like this literally that's when I knew he was dead or close to it and twitching.
>> Despite Shaya's description that Ryan was nearly dead after the first shot. She went on to shoot him five more
times. But the defense maintains Ryan was still a threat. He was moving when these shots were fired.
>> The prosecution doesn't buy it, and they say they have the science to prove it.
>> All right, have a seat. >> Forensic expert Howard Ryan testifies that Shaina's first shot was to Ryan
Poston's head. A significant fact because there was no blood on the front of his shirt. If he was in an upright
position, the gravity would have brought it down straight down the shirt and through the pants through the bottom of
the shirt to the pants. >> Using the very bloodstained table taken from Ryan Poston's condo.
>> How do you think this went down? >> Snodgrass demonstrates why investigators are convinced that Ryan was sitting and
never stood up after the first shot. when she shoots him in the right forehead. At that point in time, his
head goes down on the table. As you can see, this exposes the upper portion of his right back,
which we believe was the second shot. At that same time as well, his right arm is
dangling, which again opens up the area where the third shot occurred, which was
under his right arm. >> And where's his body going? And then at that point in time, Ryan starts [snorts]
to fall out of the chair. He ultimately ends up laying on the floor. >> While Ryan was down on the floor,
Snodgrass says Shaina then finished him off. >> He was helpless. That's not self-defense.
>> And raise your right. >> To bolster their case, the prosecution calls three jail house informants who
befriended Shaina behind bars. Are you a convicted felon? >> Yes. >> Yes, I am. >> Yes, I am.
>> The women who have a history of drug abuse and multiple arrests say they came
forward because Shaina had shown no remorse. They deny receiving any special treatment for their testimony.
>> And what did she say had really happened? >> What really happened? That she was the
aggressor in the fight. She said she was going to plead insanity, but then she she said that she
was too smart because she has an IQ of Einstein and so she's going to plead the wife battered syndrome.
>> Okay. >> And say that he beat her. >> I see no remorse. Um she I she played more the victim
role. >> According to this last informant, Shaina knew that Ryan had a date with this
woman. Ohio. >> Former Miss Ohio USA Audrey Bolty. >> We were going to meet at a local bar and
grab a few drinks and play pool and just have a low-key fun time. >> Shaina Huber strongly denies she knew
about the planned date. As the state's case winds down, Ryan's parents tell the jury of their profound
loss. >> Ryan was my world. When people would ask me about my child, I wouldn't say that
he [music] was beautiful even though he was or he was brilliant even though he was. I would say my son has a kind
heart. >> I can tell you one thing. I was the luckiest woman on earth for 30 years.
>> But the defense is about to turn the tables on the prosecution. That child has been a blessing [music]
to me. She's my whole life. My life didn't happen until [music] Shaina was born.
>> Retired school teacher Sharon Hubers can't comprehend how her daughter stands
charged with murder. Now she's poised to stand by her only child as the defense puts on its case.
>> Shaina Hubers has never said anything to anybody in this case other than, "I had
to do it to save my life. I did this in self-defense." Defense attorney David Mahia [music]
doesn't deny that Shaina Hubers shot and killed Ryan Poston. But he must now convince the jury that
Ryan was the aggressor that night. >> Is the defense ready to proceed? >> Defense calls Mr. Sharon Hubers. Sharon
Hubers. >> Sharon is the first to take the stand. >> Be the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth. >> Yes, sir. She wants everyone to know about her wonderful daughter.
>> She enrolled at Eastern Kentucky University. She decided she wanted to be a school guidance counselor.
>> In every way, she's been brilliant. >> Sharon then testifies about the time leading up to Ryan's death, describing
that frantic call from her daughter shortly after 3:00 a.m., some 18 hours before Ryan was shot.
Shaina was at Ryan's and complained of chest pains. >> She was sick. She was in pain.
There was fear in her voice. >> Later that day, clearly feeling better, Shaina and her mother went shopping. But
much of that time, Shaina was furiously texting Ryan, writing in part, "I'm being placed on medicine that will help
my blood pressure." And later, I am so thankful that my mom came and took me to the doctor.
>> None of it was true. >> None of it was true. >> Why was she saying these things?
>> To get his sympathy. If he felt sorry for her, then maybe she still had a chance. [music]
>> That evening, Sharon left Shaina in front of Ryan's condo complex. Hours later, she receives another
frantic call. Ryan was dead. She reveals to the jury that Shaina called her first before calling 911.
>> She was hysterical, terrified, in shock. >> What were your words to Shaina? >> Shaina, call 911 and tell them where you
are and exactly what happened. Why would Shaina call mom instead of the police after this traumatic experience
and having to shoot her boyfriend? >> I have no idea why she would do that. This is the only thing that I can
surmise from it is that she was trying to come up with her defense. >> She threw me across the room
and and I was very startled. I was laying on the floor. The night of October 12th, 2012, the defense argues
Ryan Poston had reached his boiling point. >> And he's got a lawsuit confronting him
that he can't take. >> He was being sued by his former law partner. They point to Facebook messages
he sent weeks before he died. >> Referring to the man who's suing him, Ryan writes, "I want this piece of S
destroyed. bury him neck deep at low tide, throw darts at his head. That's a threat.
>> I don't know if it's a threat or if it's a comment about his dislike for the individual that he's talking about.
>> The defense maintains these messages show Ryan had a dangerous temper fueled by drugs he was prescribed.
Eight months before his murder, he wrote to a friend, "The stuff they put me on fills me with rage from what I can
tell." >> And he was taking some pretty strong drugs. >> Ryan's friend, Ally Wgner, says Ryan had
turned to the drugs to cope with the stress of the lawsuit. >> He said, "I'm taking Adderall to wake
up, and I'm taking Xanax to go to bed." >> But she insists he was still the same
guy she met 10 years earlier. >> He was still normal. I mean, I saw him the day before he died and he was fine.
>> All right. Would you call your witness, please? >> Dr. Sortani. Say Jordani. >> Now, a toxicologist takes the stand.
>> Sir, if you would have a seat. >> Who says the mixing of those prescription drugs could have
frightening effects. What these drugs do, they basically um cause incidents of behavioral dis control and hostile
outbursts. >> The defense contends Ryan snapped, attacking [music] Shaina. >> And then this look came out of his eyes.
It was like capable of anything. And he takes I think I told you he takes like a
lot of drugs. >> Mahia reminds jurors what he believes happened. that Ryan Poston was standing
and moving when Shaina shot him six times. >> Even Shaina's own words do not support
the theory that was presented in court. She never said that he was standing. >> I walked around the table
and I think that's when I shot him. in the head. I shot him probably six times. Shot him in the head. He fell on
the ground. He was like laying like this. His glasses were still on. He was twitching some more. I shot him a couple
more times just to make sure he was dead. >> Raise your right hand. Do you sound
>> a former medical examiner for the state of Kentucky, Dr. George Nichols, testifies Ryan could still have been a
threat to Shaina even after he was shot. He could move the chest wounds, the front and back wounds, the armpit
wounds, they would not cause him to to lose the ability to walk at least some or move some. Shaina Hubers, the young
woman who couldn't stop talking to police, doesn't [music] take the stand, but her
attorney will demonstrate >> the gun is on the table. >> How he believes the shooting went down.
Her statement was he reached for the gun and I grabbed it. Self-defense. [music]
[music] As closing arguments begin, defense attorney David Mahia mocks the prosecution's claim that Shaina Huber's
obsession led to Ryan's murder. She keeps calling her boyfriend and he can't get rid of her. She's a murderer.
She keeps hounding him and hounding him with texts and emails. And so she's a cold-blooded murder. Are you buying
that? Now, in a case that never lacks drama, >> we're going to take a moment to bring
out the table. >> Mahia reenacts Ryan's shooting with Cole Council Rachel Nent playing the role of
Shaina Hubers. >> Her statement was he reached for the gun and I grabbed it. First shot
to the head as he's reaching down to her as she's below him. remember. >> But in a dueling demonstration,
>> again, the evidence doesn't lie. >> Prosecutor Michelle Snodgrass argues that Mahia's theory is not supported by
the forensic evidence. >> The trajectory was in a downward downward angle. There is no way that
from the ground that that shot occurred. It's just not physically possible. Snodgrass wants jurors to focus on
Shaina's behavior, which she likens to a performance. >> When the cops walk out of the room,
watch what the actress does. >> Do you do you smoke? >> I will. I'll get your cigarette, too.
Just a second. You're fine. >> The minute he walks out of the room, the crying stops. That's the actress. Within
hours of putting six bullets into Ryan Poston and watching him die, she danced and sang.
>> I did. >> Yes, I did. >> She shown us that she's a liar. She shown us that she's a manipulator.
And most importantly, what she showed us on October 12th, 2012 is that she's a murderer.
The case goes to the jury shortly before 6:30 p.m. on April 23rd, [music] 2015. Family and friends anxiously wait as
deliberations go late into the night. Then just before 11:30, a verdict is reached. It is time for Shaina to learn
her fate. We a jury find the defendant Shaina Hubers guilty of murder. >> Guilty. 24year-old Shaina Hubers, once a
promising graduate student, is now a convicted murderer. For Ryan's family, there is enormous
relief that justice has been served. For Shaina's mother, there is shock and disbelief. And what was that moment like
for you when you heard guilty? >> That's difficult to explain, Peter, because it I was terrified and and uh it
was surreal. It I didn't see how on earth that that it could have been that that could have been the outcome.
>> [bell] >> Court reconvenes the next morning as jurors will now hear testimony from both
sides to determine Shaina's sentence. Her lawyers ask the jury for lenience. >> The accomplishments, the good deeds
should not and cannot be ignored. Right. Miss Carter, would you raise your right
hand? >> Katie Carter, one of Ryan's sisters, takes the stand to share her heartache.
He made us complete and without him there is always a chair that's going to be empty.
He will never be able to get married. He'll never be able to have kids. [snorts] He will never be able to have
all the things that he deserved to have in his life. >> It takes the jury only about an hour to
make its recommendation. We the jury fix the defendant Shannon Huber's punishment
for the offense of murder at 40 years confinement in the penitentiary. >> 40 years. The judge will later decide
whether to accept the jury's suggested sentence. For Ryan's parents, it doesn't ease [music] the pain of their loss.
It's >> a shallow victory jury. Our son is dead. I'm so sorry. >> Never for one second did we ever think
that there was any any physical violence from a young man who had a kind and gentle heart.
>> 3 months later, they are back in court for a hearing. >> We are here on a number of issues,
folks. >> The defense wants a shorter sentence for Shaina. So, they're trying to prove that
she was a victim of domestic violence at the hands of Ryan. That would make her eligible for parole after serving eight
years. But first, under Kentucky law, the defense must prove the two live together despite what she told police.
>> I don't live with him. >> Okay. Is that his address? >> That's his >> Okay. What's your address, sweetheart?
>> Shaina had an apartment in Lexington, more than 80 miles away. Now she takes the stand trying to convince the judge
she was Ryan's living girlfriend by reading texts the two sent each other. >> Shaina says I'm going to fry boneless
chicken breast for dinner. Does that sound good? Ryan says that sounds good. >> But the prosecutor confronts Shaina with
evidence that she was also seeing other men. No. Were you with 10 other men during that during this whole time that
we're talking about 2012? 10 different men. H >> how are you saying was I with them? Like
are you saying that I was I friends with them? Did I sleep with them? >> You slept with 10 different men during
2012. >> In answer to your question, sure. I may have slept with 10 guys in 2012, but I
don't see how that's relevant to any of the >> The judge finds that Shaina and Ryan
were not domestic partners. It's now up to the judge to issue his final sentence, and the defense will make one
last desperate call. It has been nearly three years since Shaina Huber shot Ryan Poston,
including a final bullet as he helplessly twitched on the floor. >> All right. How many witnesses do each
side propose for sentencing? >> Now, at her sentencing hearing, her defense team wants to make sure [music]
the judge hears about Ryan's alleged history of aggressive behavior. Raise your right hand. Do you solemnly swear
affirm that the statement you're about to make would be the truth or truth? Nothing at
>> Did she ever approach you and discuss with you any acts of violence between her and Ryan?
>> Yes. >> In a story not told at trial. >> They were out there arguing. >> Ryan's neighbor [music] Nikki KS says a
few months before the murder, Shaina came to her in tears. She had came to my door crying and her arm probably from
like here to here. She had a big red mark on her arm. She said that Ryan had slammed her arm in the door and threw
her on the floor in the hallway. >> And when she told you this story, what did you see on her face?
>> She was clearly upset. There were handprints on her arm. >> But Shaina's cellmate, Holly Nons,
testified at trial that Shaina made the whole thing up. And she would purposely like pull her arms up so the neighbors
would see bruises on her arms. >> Did she say how the bruises got there? >> She inflicted them.
>> I'm sorry. >> She inflicted them on herself. >> And sir, I'll remind you you're still on
the roof. All right. >> Defense expert psychologist Ed Connor, who evaluated Shaina, diagnosed her with
narcissism and low self-esteem. I think Shaina was a person who had extreme difficulty with rejection and and
tolerating it. >> Anything else? >> Let's call Shaina Hubers. >> Hubers, come forward, please.
>> Now it's up to Shaina to [music] convince the judge that somehow she deserves sympathy.
>> It's sad when someone pushes you away and pulls you back in and pushes you away and pulls you back in. There were
times when he had my head going 10 different directions to where I didn't even know if that was my boyfriend or
not or what he was to me. >> Shaina seems filled with resentment. >> I feel like I was let on. I feel like I
was manipulated, used, and abused. And no, Ryan didn't beat on me every day. I'm not I'm not going to sit up here and
exaggerate and lie and say that he did, but he did put hands on me a handful of times. And I guess we're just [music]
>> prosecutor Michelle Snodgrass circles back to what she believes is at the heart of this case.
Rejection. >> Isn't it true that you sat here and you heard Dr. Connor say that you do not
take rejection? Well, >> Dr. Connor did say that I were rejected. Whether it had been earlier in the day
when Ryan told you, I don't want to see you. Whether it was the other times where he said, you know, we're done.
This is it. No more. I need space. You were rejected by him. Not just once, but many times.
>> If I killed Ryan over rejection, he would have been dead. >> I ask you what you killed Ryan over. I
asked you if you were rejected by him. >> I've been rejected. I've been rejected.
>> Nothing further, your honor. >> But if that were motive, there'd be a graveyard further, your honor.
>> All right. Did Shaina's plan to persuade the court to be lenient backfire? >> I've never claimed to be perfect.
>> As court reconvenes, she [music] offers an apology for the first time. >> And I'm sorry to my family, and I'm
sorry to my friends for letting them down. I am sorry for the money that my parents have had to spend on attorneys.
But the young woman who is diagnosed a narcissist never apologizes to Ryan's family. [music]
Instead, she talks about herself. >> I I do want to help people. I I do want to be um something better. And I and I
do want to continue to grow and learn. And I just don't think that a 40-year sentence will
help me. I don't think it would benefit me any. I don't think that it would rehabilitate me in.
>> Now it's Judge Fred Stein's [music] turn to speak and he has some choice words for Shaina.
What I think happened in that apartment was little more than coldblooded murder.
It's probably as cold blooded an act as I've been associated with in the criminal justice system in the 30 plus
years I've been in it. He upholds the jury's recommended [music] sentence of 40 years.
And >> that's about all there is to say. >> As Ryan's family leaves the courthouse,
they can barely contain their anger. >> Is there anything you'd want to say to Shaya?
>> Oh god, no. Rotten hell. She is going where she deserves to be. Where she's going, her mommy can't help
her. >> Mommy will always be there. Shaina's mother will never accept that her beloved, brilliant daughter is
anything but a victim who had to defend herself. >> I'll draw my last breath helping that
baby. [gasps] She doesn't deserve this. She's done nothing wrong. >> But this emotional roller coaster is not
over. One year after Shaina's conviction, there is a dramatic development [music]
no one predicted. >> A judge orders a new trial today for Shaina Hubers. >> Today, she learned she will get a new
trial. >> Shaina is granted a new trial after her lawyer discovers a member of the
original jury was a felon. According to Kentucky law, he should have been barred
from serving. We will jump through as many hoops as we have to jump through to get justice for
my son. If we have to do this a 100 times, we'll do it a 100 times. >> Ryan Poston's family is braced to endure
more [music] painful testimony. And Shaina Hubers is about to show just how far she'll go.
>> Would you raise your right hand? You saw >> to win back her freedom. >> He began beating my body with the door
over and over and over. The Campbell County Grand [music] Jury charges that >> Shaina Huber's second trial begins on
August 14th, 2018, almost [music] 6 years after Ryan Poston's death. >> The defendant committed the offense of
murder. A lot has changed. Shaina is now 27 and married. In a brief jailhouse ceremony
in June, Shaina wed a convicted drug trafficker named Richard McB. The two somehow met at the Campbell County Jail
where they were both locked up. In yet another twist, McB sometimes identifies as a transgender woman named Unique
Taylor. You may recall after killing Ryan, Shaina worried about finding love. >> I don't know if anyone will ever want to
marry me if they know that I killed a boyfriend and felt >> now. Newly wed Shaina is back in [music]
court >> and that same disturbing interview with police remains the strongest evidence
against her. >> He's very vain and wants to get a nose job. just that kind of person. And I
shot him right here. I gave him his nose job. He wanted >> Ryan was very aggressive with her. The
defense, led this time by attorney David Eldridge, is again claiming Ryan was abusive.
>> What started out that evening as a normal evening, ended that night with Mr. Poston being both sexually and
physically violent. Eldridge takes the jury on an X-rated journey to prove his case.
>> She could not reach orgasm when they had sex. It is a constant criticism. Mr. Post.
>> Okay. Your next witness. >> Call Shaina. >> It's a risky move. >> Ma'am, would you raise your right hand?
You saw me swear. >> But Shaina takes the stand, telling [music] graphic tales of rough sex. And
I started to bleed and it it was painful. >> That sometimes turned kinky against her
will. >> Ryan did something I didn't want him to do. >> How did that experience make you feel?
>> It felt degrading. >> She claims Ryan often humiliated her. and he told me that it was unattractive
that I couldn't orgasm. >> Despite the passage of time, Shaina easily recalls specific dates.
>> It was May of 2011, maybe November the 12th, January of 2012 >> and details of alleged unprovoked abuse
by Ryan. >> I was woken up to him just pushing me out of the bed and he just started
screaming at me. Why would Shaina stay with Ryan? >> Borderline personality disorder is a
chronic long-term condition. >> Defense psychologist Thomas [music] Shocked says she has a personality
disorder and PTSD from childhood sexual abuse, but there are no police reports to support Shaina's claims.
>> Miss Huber's psychological condition was seriously abnormal. Shaina admits she did not handle their
breakups well. >> I would often send him countless text messages. >> Did you ever show up at his condominium
uninvited? >> Yes. >> When she showed up at his condo the night of October 12th, 2012. Shaina
[music] claims Ryan exploded in anger and attacked her. >> He picked me up and threw me from the
doorway of his bedroom into the other room. He screamed at me, "You're a person and you're a person
because you're you were touched when you were a little girl." >> After the fight had moved into the
dining area, Shaina says she was left crying on the floor >> and he was reaching across the table and
I don't know if he was reaching for the gun or reaching for me, but I was still sitting on the floor at this point in
time. and I got up off the floor and I grabbed the gun and I shot him. >> It's not the same story Shaya [music]
told when she called 911 >> and he reached down and grabbed the gun and I grabbed it out of his hand and
pulled the pulled the trigger. >> Prosecutor Michelle Snodgrass pounces. >> We need to make sure we get this right.
Your story was different. After all these years, I really don't remember the 911 call.
>> But you remember every other detail, every other detail of relationship that started in 2011.
>> Snodgrass confronts Shaina with other inconsistencies. >> And in fact, you often times described
Ryan to your friends as being calm, didn't you? >> Ryan could be calm at times. >> You told him he was patient and kind.
Ryan was sometimes patient, kind, and nice. Yes. Sometimes he wasn't. >> You want to tell the jury what you told
your friend you about? >> She points out Shaina was a willing participant in the kinky sex.
>> Isn't it true that you told multiple friends how it was the best sex of your life?
>> I'm sure I said that. >> The way he looked at you was unreal. You said that. >> I'll take your word for it. don't
remember it, but guess >> I shot him probably six times. >> And Snodgrass reminds Shaina of what she
told police after pumping six bullets into Ryan. >> He was twitching some more. I shot him a
couple more times just to make sure he was dead cuz I didn't want to watch him die.
>> And you told officers that it was too painful for you. >> I said that to sit and watch him twitch.
Now, six years later, that story has changed as well. >> I also, when I first shot him, wasn't
sure where the shots had entered or if I had just made him more angry. >> Ladies and gentlemen, the respective
parties have rested their cases. The jury deliberates for nearly five hours and then
>> we the jury find the defendant Shaina Hubers guilty of murder. >> Shaina Hubers is guilty of the murder of
Ryan Poston for a second time. The jury reconvenes the next day to decide on a sentence.
>> Ryan had a heart of cold. He never ever left me without kissing me on the cheek
and telling me he loved me. >> Once again, Ryan's father and sister have to find the words to describe their
loss. >> This is Ryan's shirt. I'm sorry. un available right now. If you can leave a message, I will call YOU
BACK AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THANK YOU. >> That's it. That's all we have a voicemail.
[snorts] >> Shaina's devastated mother hopes [music] the jury will show mercy. My child's
life has also been taken. Her family also grieves. I'm not lessening or taken away from or trying to say that
I don't understand the grief of this family because I do. >> But the defense's bid for leniency
fails. We the jury fix the defendant Shauna Huber's punishment for the offense of
murder at life imprisonment. >> A life sentence more than the 40-year sentence Shaina received at her first
trial. >> Ryan's family is relieved. >> This is justice. >> This is justice from the system. There
is never closure. >> There will never be closure. He'll never walk through that door again. No.
>> And they will always wonder about what might have been. >> I will forever miss the possibilities.
We will never know. The incredible possibilities that Ryan Poston would have given to this earth. He was an
tremendously gifted young man. [music] >> [music] [music] [music] [music] [music]

A lawyer shot -- his girlfriend admits she pulled the trigger and then dances in a strange police video. Was it self-defense or love gone bad? "48 Hours"' Peter Van Sant investigates in this double episode that aired in December 2018. Watch more full episodes of "48 Hours" on Pluto TV.

00:00 Part 1: Breaking Point 42:16: 23 |Part 2: Obsessed

True crime. Real justice. "48 Hours" investigates the most intriguing crime and justice cases that touch on all areas of the human experience including greed and passion. "48 Hours," which premiered in 1988, has developed a rich history of original reporting and impact journalism that has helped exonerate wrongly convicted people, caused cold cases to be reopened and solved, and along the way changed lives.

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Brief Summary

Shaina Hubers shot her boyfriend Ryan Poston, claiming self-defense; she was later convicted of murder after a tumultuous trial.

Key points

A Deadly Relationship. Shaina Hubers claims self-defense after killing her boyfriend Ryan Poston, but the evidence tells a different story.
The Bizarre Interrogation. Shaina's behavior during the interrogation raises suspicions about her guilt and mental state.
The Text Message Trail. Investigators uncover hundreds of thousands of messages revealing the toxic nature of Shaina and Ryan's relationship.
Ryan's Desperate Measures. Ryan attempts to distance himself from Shaina, leading to a barrage of texts.
Shaina's Emotional Turmoil. Shaina's friend expresses sadness over her drastic change in behavior.
Shaina's Shocking Admission. In a startling statement, Shaina claims she shot Ryan to give him a nose job.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I think about him every day.

Matt Herren reflects on his friend Ryan Poston.

4:57WatchJun 4, 2026

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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