Episode
48 Hours: The Rx Defense
Overview
On December 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. 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.
Details
- Series
- 48 Hours
- Season
- Season 39
- Episode
- Episode 16
- Air date
- 2026-02-07
- Runtime
- 42 min
Episode context
The Rx Defense is Episode 16 in Season 39 of 48 Hours. It aired on 2026-02-07. The runtime is 42 min.
Previous / Next
Episode 15: The Sneak Attack on Katlyn Lyon
When Katlyn Lyon Montgomery died in October 2022, her mother turned to TikTok to share her grief and demand justice. As the case evolved from a possible accident to a homicide, she built an online community to help hold Katlyn’s killer accountable.
Episode 17: The Girl from Wahoo
In 1969, 17-year-old Mary Kay Hesse was stabbed to death in Wahoo, Nebraska. For more than 50 years, the murder remained unsolved. But advances in investigative techniques and renewed focus by law enforcement helped piece together long-overlooked evidence, ultimately leading to an arrest.
More episodes from this season
Episode 14: The Mother I Wish I Knew
When Debe Atrops was murdered, her daughter, Rhianna Stephens, was just 8 months old. More than 30 years later, a cold case team from Washington County took a fresh look at the case by talking to witnesses and running new tests on old evidence. The team thought they had enough to prosecute Debe’s estranged husband at the time of her murder, Bob Atrops, who is also Stephens’s father. Stephens is convinced they have the wrong man—after losing her mother, she fears losing her father too.
Episode 18: Sade Robinson and the Secret Beach
When a college student in Milwaukee vanishes after a first date, investigators race to retrace her final movements. Using data from an app on her phone, law enforcement begins to piece together where she went—and whom she was with. As the investigation focuses on a man named Maxwell Anderson, chilling security camera footage and evidence discovered on a secluded beach raise urgent questions about what happened to Sade Robinson.
Episode 13: Melissa Rocuba's Final Moments
A Pennsylvania man claims a freak accident while handling his gun caused the death of his wife, Melissa Rocuba. Bruno Rocuba was not arrested or charged with any crime. Years later, investigators uncover disturbing new evidence that challenges Bruno Rocuba’s story, including surveillance audio capturing his wife’s final moments. The recording raises haunting questions about what really happened in that bedroom and whether Melissa Rocuba’s death was truly an accident.
Episode 19: The Woman Who Died Twice
When a woman’s remains found in a swamp outside Savannah are identified, friends are stunned. They had been told Mindi Kassotis died in a hospital. But five months later, authorities say she was murdered. Investigators work to unravel how she appeared to die twice, and what really happened in the months between.
Episode 12: The Gaslighting of Hannah Pettey
When a gravely ill young woman is rushed to the hospital, doctors make a shocking discovery: she has an “astronomical” amount of lead in her body. What begins as a medical mystery quickly becomes a criminal investigation. Hannah Pettey, a young mother from Alabama, suffered debilitating pain and lost more than 45 pounds in the months prior as her health rapidly declined. Investigators focus on the two people she trusted the most as the police work to uncover who was poisoning Hannah, and why.
Episode 20: Jocelyn Peters and the Notebook
The murder of third grade teacher Jocelyn Peters baffled investigators in St. Louis, Missouri, from the start. The crime scene contained unusual clues, such as potato fragments splattered near the victim, and the behavior of a person of interest before a police interview caught detectives’ attention. Why did this man eat pages from a notebook when facing questions about Jocelyn’s murder? What did investigators believe the notebook might reveal?
Episode 11: Coached to Kill
When a high school softball coach and one of her former players are arrested for the murder of Indiana man Shea Briar, the coach places all the blame on the player. Prosecutors, however, say the coach orchestrated the killing.
Episode 21: What the Neighbors Saw
Late at night in Barron County, Wisconsin, a couple watches as a rolled-up carpet is carted out of a nearby home. Soon after they learn the combative neighbor who lived there, Gary Herbst, is missing.
Episode 10: Joe Hunter's Mission
Joe Hunter's emotional tribute to his late sister Joanna became one of the most talked-about moments of season 48 of "Survivor". Joanna’s death was officially ruled a suicide, but Joe says she was murdered and has made it his mission to uncover the truth.
Episode 22: Denise and Aaron Quinn Get the Last Word
A high-profile kidnapping case that drew national attention, and was the subject of a 2024 Netflix docuseries, takes a new turn. Denise Huskins Quinn and Aaron Quinn worked with law enforcement to help uncover additional crimes committed by their attacker, Matthew Muller. In doing so, the Quinns helped bring justice to other victims and found a way to reclaim their own story.