FRIENDSWOOD – A Galveston County jury has awarded $60 million to the family of an 18-year-old who was shot and killed by his friend, Connor Hilton, in 2023, with jurors finding Hilton’s mother mostly responsible for negligence in the death.

In December 2023, Hilton invited two friends, Benjamin Bliek and Ethan Riley, to his home, where he shot both teens, killing Riley.

Hilton was previously sentenced to 50 years in prison as part of a plea deal in the criminal case. In the civil trial, the jury found Connor Hilton negligent in Riley’s death but determined his mother, Johnece Hilton, bore 75% of the responsibility for causing or contributing to the death, compared with 25% assigned to her son.

The jury awarded $30 million each to Riley’s parents, Tara and Matthew Riley, totaling $60 million in compensatory damages.

Jurors also found Johnece Hilton grossly negligent, while Connor Hilton was found to have acted with malice. The case has been split into phases, with a second phase still to come to determine the amount of exemplary damages. A final judgment will be entered after that phase concludes.

Court records show Connor Hilton, now 19, is being held at the George Beto Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. He will be eligible for parole in August 2050.