The Rx Defense | Post Mortem | Forensic Files

Welcome back to Postmortem. I'm your host, Ann Marie Green, and today we are discussing the case of 17-year-old
Connor Hilton, who shot two of his friends, Ethan Riley and Benjamin Bleke, after they arrived at his home in Texas
for scheduled hangout on December 23rd, 2023. Ben miraculously survived. But when
Ethan died in the hospital, Connor was charged with murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. And his
defense that he was on a prescription acne medication called Accutane that completely altered his thoughts and
behavior. So joining me today to talk about this fascinating case is CBS News correspondent Tracy Smith. Tracy, thank
you so much for joining us. >> Hi Amarie, thanks for having me. Um, I want to remind the listeners if you
haven't uh listened to this 48 hours episode, the audio version, head on over to your podcast feed. You can find the
full audio version um just below this episode in the feed. Go take a listen and then come on back for this
conversation. All right, Tracy, let us get into this very unique uh defense strategy.
Connor's defense team found an expert in isot retinoid, which is the generic version of Accutane. And through this
expert, Connor's defense team argued that Connor was driven to kill due to the side effects of Accutane,
which the expert says caused Connor to have a recurrent homicidal ideiation that he simply wasn't able to control.
Now, I know that Accutane comes with side effects and and sometimes those side effects can be, you know, quite
powerful, but I never heard of anyone being driven to kill because of it. Yeah, I hadn't heard of it either. If
you look at the label, the label does warn of risk of depression, psychosis, suicide, and aggressive or violent
behaviors. And there have been other homicide cases that uh people have tried to use Accutane as a defense, but none
of those have been successful. As a mom, I know kids who've been on Accutane, and
it's a wonder drug for a lot of teenagers uh who struggle with acne and uh a lot of people are on this drug and
don't suffer any severe adverse reactions. Um, and we did reach out to JG Pharma about this case and they did
not respond to our requests for comment. They are the folks who uh distribute the
Accutane that Connor Hilton was on at the time of the shooting. >> So then let's talk about the science
that the defense's expert presented. What do we know about it? >> The defense's expert is Dr. Doug Brener
and he's a professor of psychiatry and radiology at Emory University School of Medicine. And Dr. Brener says he's done
extensive research on the drug isotenino which is the generic version of Accutane. He showed these brain scans
where he says you can see the difference between the brain without isotenino and
then the brain when someone is on isot retino. The scans show that there's less activity in part of the brain that
regulates emotions when a person is on isotenino. And according to Dr. Brener. He believes that in Connor's case, he
was suffering from a medication psychotic disorder at the time of the shooting. And it's important to note
that Connor told Dr. Brenner that on the day of the shooting, he took double the
prescribed dose of his acne medication. Okay. So, here's the thing, though. He had been taking this medication for a
while. You spoke to his parents and you asked them whether or not they had seen any red flags in terms of his behavior.
They didn't see any. Did anyone else see red flags? >> Yeah, they said they didn't, but uh the
police spoke to his friends. I spoke to Ben and his friends said that that gun was out at the house all the time. It
was not locked up where it was supposed to be. Um and he also said concerning things. Um, there's one story that
Detective McCandless and also Ben's mom, Shannon, told me that a week before the
shooting, the 15-year-old who was hiding in the bathroom on the night of the shooting, a week before the shooting,
Connor had invited all of his friends over for to watch a movie, and the kids didn't want to watch a movie. And this
15-year-old uh was sitting with Connor, and Connor turned to him, and according to the 15-year-old, Connor said, "Have
you ever thought about killing one of your friends? Um, there are also social media posts
that Connor had made that showed a fascination with murder. And in fact, his school uh received two anonymous
reports from the same person about 8 months before the shooting um about these social media posts about murder.
And they called in Connor's mother. They talked to Connor. They investigated and they determined that there was no
threat. Um, we dug in to the timeline a little bit just to try to figure out if this fascination with murder happened
after Connor went on Accutane and he did struggle with anxiety prior to going on
Accutane. He didn't want to go to school, but Connor said this fascination with murder happened after he was on
Accutane. Now, does that mean that there's a cause and effect here? The prosecution says absolutely not. acne
medication has nothing to do with this horrific act that Connor committed. >> You know, Tracy, as I was watching the
hour, that's kind of like one of the things that I was going back and and forth with, right? Um I I know that that
there can be experts to argue almost anything, but I believe this expert that, you know, perhaps Accutane could
have had these dire side effects. What I wasn't sure of was whether or not that could be a defense. And the prosecution
sort of basically argued that, too. In fact, they argued against the science in in court. The prosecution um introduced
a more recent study that found that I saw retinoid generic Accutane uh that that those users actually do not have
increased risk of suicide or psychiatric conditions. And then the lead prosecutor
told you that this case is simple. What she believes is that it's not a side effect from medication, that some people
are just evil. You sat down with Connor um for an interview. I'm curious. I mean, how did he come across to you?
>> You know, we talked to him right before he took the plea. At that point, when we
spoke to him, um, he thought he was going to trial. So, he at the advice of his attorneys didn't talk a lot about
what happened that night, but I feel like we really did get a sense of who he was. And one of the things that stuck
out to me was he was almost unnervingly polite. um he would say yes ma'am and no
ma'am. At one point he actually kind of stopped the interview to ask if I was feeling okay. I actually have a a clip
of that. I had asked him um about his friends who he shot and this is what he said.
>> Can you tell me anything about your friends about Ethan and Ben? [snorts] [snorts]
>> I'm sorry. >> [snorts] >> All I'm going to say is that they were very good friends to me. [snorts] That's
all I'm going to say. >> And you didn't have any disagreements with them? >> No, I never hated them. I never hated
him. >> There was no argument. >> No, ma'am. >> How do you explain what happened?
I don't know. Um I mean I just need a water break. Just a water break. >> Of course.
>> I'm I'm sorry. >> It's okay. >> Yeah. Like are you okay? Am I not like freak out or anything?
>> No, of course not. And it's understandable why you would get emotional. I >> I'm just worried about you. Like are you
okay? I'm fine. [snorts] >> He's worried about you. >> Yeah, I'm just worried about you. Like,
I don't know about you, Amarie, but I've never had someone say that to me in an interview before.
>> Absolutely not. Clearly, you're asking him a very uncomfortable question, a question that he's struggling to answer.
Um, and so I'm I'm trying to figure out if that response is, you know, kind of a
authentic interest in what's going on with you or if it is a kind of a stalling tactic. But it reminds me a
little bit of him in the police cruiser when he asks like the officer about how his Christmas is going.
>> Yeah. Are you having a good Christmas? I mean, every time I see that, it I I gasp. It's just it's so unusual. And the
detectives said when they brought [music] him down to the station right after that, it was the same sort of
thing. This yes, sir, no, sir. um this remarkable politeness. Welcome back. Let's talk about the victims. After
entering Connor's home, police find 18-year-old Ethan Riley and 19-year-old Benjamin Bleke. They're lying on the
floor. Each of them have gunshot wounds to the head. Both miraculously still alive when first responders arrive at
the scene. But Ethan later dies in the hospital. It is Christmas Eve. >> Yeah. I mean, the timing of this is just
heartbreaking. Connor was released on bond for the first time the same day that Ethan died. So, it's hard to fathom
what's going on here at Christmas time with these families. You have one family who has their son at home, the son who
shot these two boys, and those two boys families are in the hospital. I want to talk about Ethan just a little bit. Um
his parents described him as handsome, athletic, bold, good-hearted. Um they said he could carry a conversation with
anyone. And it was interesting, it struck me that both his father and Ben in describing him used the word light.
Um his dad said in court that he was full of love and light. And uh Ben when he was talking about Ethan to me, he
said that this is the kind of guy who always looked at things in a positive light that he was just this outstanding
guy. >> Um and we learn actually this is sort of like almost the highlight in the hour is
that Ben survives and the way he's revealed as he sort of walks around the corner. Um it was shocking and thrilling
and I mean if you've got to have like something kind of positive to hang on to there he was.
>> Yeah. I mean walking miracle, right? And just um >> I feel so lucky to be able to sit with
Ben and his mom and to see his remarkable recovery and also his sense of humor as I'm sure you got watching
this hour. He has this astonishing sense of humor. um a quick story that his mom
shared with me. Um when Ben couldn't talk, she had his friends put together a playlist of his favorite songs. Uh and
she would listen to that when she was with Ben and a song from Toto. You know, I guess it rains down in Africa, Toto,
comes on and Shannon, his mom, just bursts out laughing like this is ridiculous. And she looks over at Ben
and he has a smile on his face and she just knows like my son is back. Like that sense of humor is intact. Um, you
know, he has no memory of what happened that night. Um, but Ben is very crystal clear about why it happened and he says
it has nothing to do with the acne medication. >> In fact, he called it he called the
defense horsesh. >> Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's Yeah. He doesn't mince words. That's a little bit
of his humor, too, there. >> I you know, I wonder if it's a blessing that she that he actually can't remember
the details of that night. I wonder if it's actually helped him in terms of his recovery. Was Ben close to Connor?
>> Ben wasn't super close to Connor, but he was friends with Connor through Ethan
cuz Ben was super close to Ethan and Connor's house was kind of the hangout house. Um, so they would hang out as a
group at Connor's house. Ben was a little bit older than the other guys. He was already taking college classes. Um,
and that's another part of this tragedy is that he was so independent, uh, you know, really starting his life
and his mom said it was like having a baby again that she just had to redo everything with him. He had to learn to
walk, talk, swallow again, just starting it all over. So, you know, we learn about the defense
that's coming, right? This the side effect of this very common medication. But then two weeks before Connor Hilton
is set to stand trial, he ends up taking a plea deal. Uh prosecutors offered him
50 years in prison if he pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Can you talk a little bit
about that? Cuz when I heard 50 years, I I actually thought that didn't seem like
much of a negotiation. That's, you know, it's a pretty hefty sentence. I I suppose it could have been worse. It
could have been life. >> Here's the thing. When we were talking with Connor, they the attorneys had
gotten had just gotten the plea deal and uh so as we're as I was leaving, they went into a conference room to talk
about this plea deal. And uh yeah, it's it's a little surprising. In Texas, a defendant gets to choose if they want
the jury to sentence them. And the sentencing guidelines for murder are pretty broad. They're between five and
99 years or life. So you figure if he rolled the dice, he could and he came off as this polite, sympathetic kid,
maybe he could have gotten a lighter sentence. So in this plea deal, he's eligible for parole in 25 years. If he
would have rolled the dice and gotten a life sentence, he would have been eligible for parole in 30 years. So it's
a difference of five years. So it is kind of surprising that he took the deal. And his parents told us that after
sentencing that he called them and said he regretted taking it, but he agreed to
this. He signed something saying he understood what he was doing. He waved his right to a trial. He waved his right
to an appeal. >> Um Ben gave a victim impact statement at the plea hearing and he told Connor that
he was never going to forgive him for the grief that he caused his own family and for the Riley's. He came across as
very very strong, but it's it's clear that this has had quite an impact on Ben. Um I know you asked him how he was
doing and I want to play some of that sound. >> Through this all, you've managed to so
show such perseverance. You've been so strong through all of this. What has kept you going?
>> I want to get back to where I was. >> What do you mean by that? What do you want to be able to do?
>> I know it sounds dumb, >> but I want to dunk a basketball. >> That doesn't sound dumb. That basketball
was so important to you. You want to be able to dunk. You were You could dunk before.
>> Yeah. >> So, you want to be able to dunk again. >> You know, Tracy, sometimes we can be
distracted by a person's presentation, right? His speech is a little slower. It's a little tougher for him to move
his body. We can see in the hour, but when he speaks, I and I obviously never knew Ben until, you know, watching this,
but you can almost see who he was before this when he speaks, you know. >> Oh, yeah. I so agree. I so agree. And
and getting out and playing pickle ball with him really gave me a chance to see who he was, that strength. I mean, he he
absolutely kicked my rear end um in pickle ball. And it's funny like that of all sports for this young guy to be
into, but he started it in rehab. They had this group of other people who had suffered spinal injuries, brain
injuries, and they would all get together to play and he really took to it. Um, so he's kept playing and he and
his mom have actually joined a group of older people playing pickle ball and they joke that the older people beat
them all the time, but my guess is that's not going to be for long. >> No, definitely not. um you know that I
have a teenager at home and in watching this hour it really made me think you have to be on your teenagers all the
time and I certainly have been guilty of I don't know everything that my kid looks up online. I'm constantly
surprised by her awareness of things in the world. When I ask her where she got it from, she says social media or
YouTube. Um but I just hope when parents watch this they realize like it is okay
to be nosy. you know, get up in that get up in that computer and see what your kid is looking up and what they are
writing on social media. >> That rings for me. I have teenagers, too. And that idea that we need to be on
them and we need to sometimes be the parent and not the friend and say no has stayed with me.
>> Yeah. Um well, I hope that this is one of the messages that people get when they watch the hours. I I'm glad that
the victim's families and Ben did not have to go through a trial, but I would have been very interested in hearing the
argument and counterargument and whether or not it would hold up as a defense. It's a very unique case. Tracy, thank
you so much. >> Oh, my pleasure. Thanks for having me. >> If you like this episode, please rate
and review on Apple Podcast or Spotify.

48 Hours correspondent Anne-Marie Green and CBS News correspondent Tracy Smith discuss the case of Connor Hilton, who was 17 in 2023 when he shot two teen boys and claimed his prescription acne medication drove him to kill.

Crime. Social justice. Impact. "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

Connor Hilton shot two friends; defense claims Accutane caused his actions, but prosecution disagrees.

Key points

The Case of Connor Hilton. 17-year-old Connor Hilton shot two friends, leading to a complex legal battle.
The Unique Defense Strategy. Connor's defense argues that Accutane caused his violent behavior, a controversial claim.
Ben's Miraculous Survival. Despite being shot, Ben Bleke survives and shows remarkable recovery.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

I never heard of anyone being driven to kill because of it.

Discussion about Accutane's side effects and its relation to the case.

1:43WatchFeb 14, 2026

Tension

65/ 100Some tension

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