Teen claims popular acne drug made him shoot his friends
In December 2023, 17‑year‑old Connor Hilton shot his friends Ethan Riley and Benjamin Bliek inside his home in Friendswood, Texas. One of the teens died from his injuries.
When officers arrived, Hilton appeared visibly distressed. In interrogation and body‑camera footage later featured in a CBS News “48 Hours” report, he cried and told police he knew he had done something wrong and needed both punishment and mental health help.
At different points, Hilton gave conflicting accounts of what happened. Immediately after the shooting, he said he had acted in self‑defense during an argument. Later, at the police station, he told officers he believed he needed to be placed in a mental hospital and said he had struggled for a long time with violent and self‑destructive thoughts.
Hilton and his family have argued that a prescription acne medication played a role in his mental state at the time. His defense team pointed to isotretinoin — formerly sold under the brand name Accutane — a powerful retinoid used to treat severe acne when other treatments fail. While effective, the medication carries a “black box” warning for potential psychiatric side effects, including depression, hallucinations, aggressive behavior, and psychosis.
Some researchers believe isotretinoin may affect brain chemicals involved in mood regulation, such as serotonin and dopamine. In one documented case study from 2014, a 27‑year‑old man developed acute psychosis shortly after starting the medication, with symptoms resolving after he stopped taking it.
According to police transcripts, Hilton told investigators he had been experiencing disturbing thoughts and had persuaded his mother to buy a gun for him. Records indicate that he missed a dose of the medication the day before the shooting and then took a double dose the following day.
Doug Bremner, a professor of psychiatry and radiology at Emory University School of Medicine, told CBS that many patients worldwide have reported psychiatric side effects from isotretinoin. Bremner, who reviewed Hilton’s case, said he believed the teen experienced drug‑induced psychosis and recurring violent thoughts that were not present before he began the medication.
Hilton’s legal team intended to use this argument as part of his defense, citing a similar case in Colorado in 2018. One of his attorneys, Rick DeToto, said their expert believed Hilton could not control his actions due to a psychotic episode linked to the drug. However, the judge ruled that this evidence could not be used to determine guilt, and Bremner was not allowed to testify.
Hilton ultimately pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated assault. In September 2025, he was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
In a separate civil case, Ethan Riley’s parents, Matthew and Tara Riley, were awarded $60 million. The court found that Hilton’s mother, Johnece Hilton, had been grossly negligent in failing to secure the handgun she purchased and prevent her son’s access to it.
If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of self-harm or experiencing a mental health crisis, you can call or text 988 in the United States to reach trained counselors 24/7.
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