DID A POPULAR ACNE MEDICATION DRIVE A TEENAGER TO SHOOT HIS FRIENDS?

"48 Hours" Reports in "The Rx Defense" Saturday, Feb. 7 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT on CBS and Streaming on Paramount+

Watch a Preview

48 HOURS: "The Rx Defense"

AIR DATE: Saturday, Feb. 7 at 10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network and streaming on Paramount+.

CORRESPONDENT: Tracy Smith

LOCATION: Friendswood, Texas

STORY DETAILS: On Dec. 23, 2023, police were called to a Texas home where two teenagers had been shot. Eighteen-year-old Ethan Riley died from his injuries, while 19-year-old Ben Bliek survived. Their friend, 17-year-old Connor Hilton, was arrested and later confessed to the shooting. Hilton and his parents sat down for an exclusive interview with 48 HOURS. He claims the shooting was triggered by a reaction to a popular prescription acne medication, saying it caused him to experience homicidal thoughts. Prosecutors, however, reject that explanation and say the evidence points elsewhere. 48 HOURS correspondent Tracy Smith reports in "The Rx Defense."

FEATURES INTERVIEWS INCLUDING:

· Connor Hilton

· Ben Bliek

· Johnece Hilton, Connor Hilton's mother

· Neal Hilton, Connor Hilton's father

· Shannon Bliek, Ben Bliek's mother

· Nick McCanless, former detective at the Friendswood Police Department

· Adam Brown, J.L. Carpenter, Rick DeToto, Connor Hilton's defense team

· Kayla Allen, lead prosecutor on the case

· Dr. Douglas Bremner, professor of psychiatry and radiology at Emory University School of Medicine

***

Judy Tygard is the executive producer of 48 HOURS. Watch 48 HOURS on CBS News 24/7, CBSNews.com, Paramount+, YouTube, and Netflix. The 48 HOURS free, advertiser-supported streaming (FAST) channel is available on Pluto TV, Paramount + and Paramount partner channels. Download the CBS News app on your phone or connected TV. Follow 48 HOURS on X, Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram. Listen to the 48 HOURS collection of original podcasts from CBS News.

Now in its 38th season, 48 HOURS remains Saturday's #1 non-sports primetime show, reaching 61.5 million viewers for a total of 30.2 billion minutes consumed across linear and streaming last season. On social, 48 HOURS leads the true crime space with more than 1.7 million TikTok followers, over 2 million YouTube subscribers, and 13.5 billion minutes watched on YouTube. Its podcast portfolio is also at record highs, with downloads projected to grow +24% in 2025 and the franchise consistently ranked as one of America's top true crime podcasts.

Source: Sept 24-Aug 25. Nielsen, Live+35 Days; CBS Monthly Internal Data, Adobe Analytics, Super Service Dashboard. CBS News co-viewing from Nielsen applied to CTV Streaming minutes.

Reach 1 min qualifier, Live +35 Days playback