Transcript

Coached to Kill | Full Episode

From 48 Hours · Episode page · Watch on YouTube

· 42 min · 5,414 words · 60 timestamped sections

This is the full, timestamped transcript of "Coached to Kill | Full Episode", an episode of 48 Hours published January 9, 2026 (42 min, about 5,414 words). It mentions 15 people, works and ideas, including Shea Briar, Jay County, Shelby Hiestand, Ben Schwartz, Kristi Sibray.

What this episode is about

The narrative follows the investigation of Shea Briar's murder after he was found critically injured on a roadside, revealing a mysterious bullet wound that ultimately proved fatal. Family and friends describe him as a beloved and caring individual, prompting law enforcement to delve into his life to uncover the circumstances surrounding his tragic death.

Key takeaways

  • In rural Jay County, even a mundane shift can unravel mysteries that shock a tight-knit community.
  • Shea Briar's fun-loving spirit masked the dark reality: a sudden death by unexpected violence sends ripples across families.
  • No enemies, no motives; in a small town, sometimes danger lurks where you least expect it.
  • When tragedy strikes, locals swiftly mobilize—communication is the lifeblood in a town where everyone knows everyone.
  • Shea's story illustrates that life can pivot dramatically; one moment you're helping at church, the next, a homicide unfolds.

Who speaks in this episode?

What is discussed, and when

  1. – 5:00: Shea Briar, Adams Memorial Hospital, Angela Smiley, Jay County
  2. – 10:00: Jay County, Shea Briar, Ben Schwartz, Esther Jane Stephen
  3. – 15:00: Shea Briar, Ben Schwartz, Jay County, Kristi Sibray
  4. – 20:00: Ben Schwartz, Jay County, Shea Briar, Shelby Hiestand
  5. – 25:00: Shelby Hiestand, Hannah Knapke, Kristi Sibray
  6. – 30:00: Hannah Knapke, Jay County, Kristi Sibray, Shea Briar
  7. – 35:00: Angela Smiley
  8. – 40:00: Shelby Hiestand, Hannah Knapke
  9. – 41:48: Shea Briar

Notable quotes from "Coached to Kill | Full Episode"

  • We were able to remove his wallet out of his pocket, and then I see the name on the I.D., which was Shea Briar.
    about Shea Briar · at
  • I'm the elected prosecutor in Jay County.
    about Jay County · at
  • On Sunday, January 12, 2020, when 31-year-old Shea Briar didn't show up for church, Pastor Angela Smiley knew something was wrong.
    about Angela Smiley · at
  • Ben Schwartz was one of the lead detectives assigned to the case.
    about Ben Schwartz · at
  • Kristi Sibray has known E.J. Stephen for years.
    about Kristi Sibray · at
  • And soon, they told her friend Shelby Hiestand was also being questioned.
    about Shelby Hiestand · at
  • E.J. said they had to move furniture before church the next day and that another friend, 18-year-old Hannah Knapke, met them there.
    about Hannah Knapke · at
  • Wes Schemenaur and Zec Landers prosecuted the case.
    about Wes Schemenaur · at

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

  • Shea Briar — Person · 9 mentions · first at
  • Shelby Hiestand — Person · 7 mentions · first at
  • Ben Schwartz — Person · 3 mentions · first at
  • Kristi Sibray — Person · 3 mentions · first at
  • Hannah Knapke — Person · 3 mentions · first at
  • Wes Schemenaur — Person · 2 mentions · first at
  • Angela Smiley — Person · 2 mentions · first at
  • Tiffany McLaughlin — Person · 1 mention · first at
    It wasn't long before Shea's aunt, Tiffany McLaughlin, and his grandmother Sharon Taylor heard Shea was missing.
  • Sharon Taylor — Person · 1 mention · first at
    It wasn't long before Shea's aunt, Tiffany McLaughlin, and his grandmother Sharon Taylor heard Shea was missing.
  • Tracy Hoevel — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Shea's mother, Tracy Hoevel, was living all the way in Hawaii at the time.
  • Sydney Hoevel — Person · 1 mention · first at
    Sydney Hoevel, Shea's half-sister, was only 17.
  • Esther Jane Stephen — Person · 1 mention · first at
    The future mother of his child was Esther Jane Stephen, a local high-school softball coach, who also ran a daycare and went by the name E.J.

Places & events

Full transcript with timestamps

♪♪ -I was working the 5:00 p.m.-to-5:00 a.m. shift. It was mid-January, Northeast Indiana. It's cold. It's windy. We've had some rains for several days, so we had a lot of flooding in the area. The only thing that dispatch put out was that there was a man down in the roadway. -So you had no idea what you were getting into. -I had no idea what I was coming on. When I first got to the scene here that night, this is kind of how I approached it. -This almost sort of seems like a road to nowhere, really. -Yeah, there's really nowhere else to go.

-And, so, what can you see? -So, at 2:00 in the morning, you see absolutely nothing. There was a vehicle that was pulled off the side of the road, which was the people that had found him. And then, as I came up onto the bridge, he was laying right around here.

We were able to remove his wallet out of his pocket, and then I see the name on the I.D., which was Shea Briar. -[ Sighs, mumbling ] -The only thing I'm really getting out of him, as far as a response, is just moans and groans. There was a little bit of blood underneath his head, but he'd been, you know, hitting his head on the concrete. It was probably another 10, 15 minutes after I got on scene before medics even arrived. They took him straight to the ambulance. -What happens with Shea after that? -He's immediately transported by ambulance to Adams Memorial Hospital.

It was at the hospital where they ended up finding the bullet wound in his back. There was no exit wound. It was actually in his heart. He passed away. -I got a phone call from our sheriff, who said, you know, we had a murder. -My name is Wes Schemenaur. I'm the elected prosecutor in Jay County. The first thing you do is you start talking to family, those close to him. Who is this person? -He was one of a kind. He was the best brother I could ever have. He was fun, very sweet, very caring. -Fun-loving and goofy. -[ Laughs ] -He was a good kid. He had a kind heart.

-Everybody that we talked to, we asked if they would have any idea of who would want Shea dead. -Shea didn't have enemies. -We talked to his co-workers, probably six or seven of them, and not a single one of them could think of anyone that would want to do him any harm at all. -You start investigating and you end up arresting not one person, not two people, but three people. Is that how you expected this to go? -No, not at all. The three individuals that were involved -- that would have been the last thing on our mind.

-Normally, when you have a case like this, they've at least been on the radar, and these individuals were not on the radar at all. -Did you think, "When this goes public, this town's going to be shocked"? -Absolutely. ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -On Sunday, January 12, 2020, when 31-year-old Shea Briar didn't show up for church, Pastor Angela Smiley knew something was wrong. She had just seen him the night before. -We served a noodle dinner. He's there walking the old ladies out. We were the last ones in the church. He said, "I'll beat you here in the morning."

I'm like, "You always do." And when I came up over the hill and didn't see his truck, I'm like, "This isn't good." For weeks and weeks and months and months, he was always the first one at the church. Always. Shea Briar was not late. -In Jay County, Indiana, word travels fast. It wasn't long before Shea's aunt, Tiffany McLaughlin, and his grandmother Sharon Taylor heard Shea was missing. -I started calling the hospitals, the sheriff's department, everybody, and nobody would give me any information. Nobody. -But then Shea's roommate called Tiffany, letting her know police were there.

When Tiffany arrived at Shea's home, an officer told her the unthinkable. -He said that Shea had been shot. And I said, "Well, is he okay?" And he said, "No, he... died on the operating table." -Shea's mother, Tracy Hoevel, was living all the way in Hawaii at the time. Her sister and mother called her to deliver the news. -I'm like, "No!" I mean, I think I must have screamed so loud. We're in shock. -Sydney Hoevel, Shea's half-sister, was only 17. -I remember my mom just fell over on the couch, basically, like, crying and screaming.

I still can't believe it to this day. It doesn't even seem real. -At that point, did anyone have any idea what happened to Shea? -No. We had no idea what happened to Shea. -Ben Schwartz was one of the lead detectives assigned to the case. -Jay County is a very rural farming community. It's certainly not like working in a big city, where it's back-to-back calls. And as soon as this happened, it was a pretty big deal. It's isolated, where he was found. We wondered how he got there. And we just had to start from ground zero.

-Ground zero meant digging into who Shea Briar was and what he had been up to. He was born in Indiana, but was raised in Hawaii by his mom and stepdad. What sort of kid was Shea? -A little rascal. -[ Laughter ] He was very polite. He would open doors. He was fun. He loved his G.I. Joes. He always wanted to be in the military from a really small age. -So it was no surprise when, after high school, Shea joined the Navy. And it was also no surprise when, after he was discharged, he returned to live in Jay County. -Shea was always an Indiana boy.

He loved the tractors. He loved all the land. -And that's where he wanted to put down roots. -He really wanted to have a girlfriend, get married, and have a family. -But things didn't quite happen in that order. In 2018, Tracy got a phone call from her son. -He's like, "Hey, Mom. Guess what. You're going to be a grandma." And I was like, "What? I didn't even know you had a girlfriend." -The future mother of his child was Esther Jane Stephen, a local high-school softball coach, who also ran a daycare and went by the name E.J.

-I don't think they were boyfriend and girlfriend. You know, I think it was just one of those things. -In January 2019, Shea and E.J.'s daughter was born. It was only after her birth that the two decided to start dating. They soon were engaged, but Shea's family felt it was forced. -They weren't all lovey-dovey for, you know, the lack of a better word. -I tried to tell him -- "Is this how you want to live your life? With someone that's really not who you're meant to be with?" -You felt that? -Oh, definitely, because they did not have a connection.

-They must have sensed something, because in September 2019, just weeks before the wedding, E.J. called it off. Was he disappointed? -Yes, because he wanted a family. -It was around that time that Angela says Shea began coming to church. -He needed God and he needed a friend. He started hanging out with men in our church that were active fathers, and he wanted that for his daughter. -But Angela and Shea's family say, for reasons unbeknownst to them, E.J. made it difficult. After the engagement is broken off, what sort of access did Shea have to his daughter?

-He doesn't. -None. He went quite a long time without seeing her. -And he was trying to see her and -- -Yeah. -That's why he finally got a lawyer. -Shea told his mother that when E.J. found out, she wasn't happy. -He told me she said to him, "If you go through with this, you'll be sorry." -But that didn't stop Shea. In November 2019, he filed this court document, seeking to establish paternity and to provide custody, support, and parenting time. -He wanted to provide for her and he just really wanted to have some visitation.

-He also wanted his daughter to have his last name, something E.J. had decided against. Why was it important for Shea to be in his daughter's life? -Shea really did not know his dad. He just did not want to be a biological dad. He wanted to have a good relationship with his kids and be a good role model. -But two months later, before the case made its way to court, Shea was murdered, and Tracy and Tiffany suspected E.J. may have had something to do with it. -Because there wasn't anyone else. -But, as it turns out, there would be other suspects.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ -Less than 24 hours after Shea Briar died... Detective Ben Schwartz and his partner called E.J. Stephen, Shea's ex-fiancée and the mother of his child, into the sheriff's office. -We talked to her and told her about what happened to Shea.

She really didn't have a whole lot to say. -Did you find her reaction curious? -Yeah. I would have expected a little bit of emotion out of her, but that didn't happen. And I would have expected a lot more questions, but she really didn't ask too many questions at all. -And Detective Schwartz says that wasn't the only thing that stuck out. -She said that the last time she talked to Shea would have been the week prior. -But he knew she was lying. Shea's phone records revealed she was the last person to call him, at around midnight, within hours of him being found on that bridge.

-That was a huge red flag. -A red flag, but not proof she committed murder. Detectives chose not to confront her about the phone records that day. There was still a lot of work to be done, a lot of questions to be answered. And the next day, a call from this woman would help investigators out. -She unloaded and told us a lot of interesting stuff. -Kristi Sibray has known E.J. Stephen for years. She used to umpire softball games that E.J. played in and took her kids to the daycare that E.J. ran out of this church. How would you describe her?

-Very quiet. Great with kids. She's very involved in the community activities. -Over the years, Kristi says she became a mentor of sorts to E.J. -She always would just stop by here and there, say hi, or just stop in if something was bothering her. -Kristi had never met Shea Briar, but she knew he was the father of E.J.'s daughter, and when she learned he was murdered, she started to panic. -I just dropped everything and I just started screaming. I was like, "Oh, my God. Oh, my God." And then I contacted a friend that was still in the city police department and I said, "I need to talk.

Pick me up now at work." -Kristi, a former police officer, soon found herself inside a Jay County Sheriff's Office interview room. She began by telling Detective Schwartz and his partner that she received a call from E.J. a few days prior to Shea's death. She said E.J. asked her to babysit that weekend, something she had never asked her to do before. -And I'm like, "Yeah, not a problem." So, all day Saturday, I'm like, "Okay, what time am I getting her?" I had not heard anything. We were, like, getting down for the night.

About 10:00, 10:30, here she comes with the child. -It was Saturday, January 11, 2020, just hours before Shea was found shot. -She goes, "Okay, I'll be back in a little bit." And I'm like, "Okay, what are you doing?" And she goes, "Oh, we're just going out." She came in by herself. -Kristi says E.J. didn't return until around 1:00 a.m. -I had heard her open the back door, so I got up and I met her there. And I said, "E.J., what were you doing?" She goes, "Nothing," and she was real standoffish. I said, "Come on, E.J. What were you doing?"

And she goes, "I can't tell you, but I'm sure you'll hear about it in the paper in the next couple days." And she left. -You must have been thinking about that all night. -Yes. -But that was just the beginning of what Kristi told police. She said that in the months leading up to Shea's murder, E.J. came over a lot, and she wasn't alone. -Shelby was always in the car with E.J. -"Shelby" is Shelby Hiestand. She was 18 years old. E.J. was 29 and used to be her high-school softball coach. After Shelby graduated, she became E.J.'s assistant coach at another nearby high school...

[ Crowd cheering ] ...just over the border, in Fort Recovery, Ohio. Shelby also worked at the daycare with E.J. Did you think it was odd that here's E.J. hanging out with Shelby. -Mm-hmm. -There's a good 10 years between the two. -Mm-hmm. I think everybody thought it was odd. -From what I have been told, they were pretty well inseparable. -Detectives had heard Shelby's name before. Shea's family had mentioned her. -Shelby was always around in the picture. I think there was some major jealousy between Shelby and Shea.

You know, he never came out and said it, but he kind of insinuated things. -What did he insinuate? -He thought maybe there was something more going on. -More than a friendship? -Possibly. -And Shea wasn't the only one who suspected something. -I just assumed that maybe they were a couple. -E.J. and Shelby would later deny being anything more than friends. Kristi told investigators that the two began stopping by shortly after Shea filed that court document to establish paternity. -Shelby pretty much stayed with the child, and E.J. would sit with me at the kitchen table.

-And she said E.J. wanted advice. -She just asked me, "What do I do?" Because I have been divorced. She didn't want to share the baby. That was her baby. That was her child. Some of the conversations at the table would be, "How can we get rid of him so we don't have to go to court?" And I'm like, "How do you get rid of him? You're not gonna get rid of him." -Kristi insists she didn't think anything at the time. -Anybody who goes through a breakup, don't think they didn't say, "Oh, I wish he was gone" or "I wish he was dead," but do we act on it?

And that's what I'm thinking. I've been divorced twice. I'll tell you, I probably said it. -And Kristi says she had that same mind-set when, over time, the conversations grew more detailed and various methods were discussed. -I just really thought she was venting. I did not think this was for real. -But when Kristi heard Shea was murdered, she says she immediately viewed all those conversations in a different light. At that point, do you think E.J. is involved in this somehow? -Yes. -And she knew she had to go to police.

-I didn't even think about it. As a police-officer standpoint, I felt like I failed, because how did I miss this? How did I miss these signs? I could have prevented this and I didn't because I didn't think she could. -And this was your opportunity to do something? -Yeah. Sorry. -It was just kind of unbelievable. -After Kristi was done talking, Detective Schwartz says there was one thing on his mind. -We've got to get E.J. back in here. -So you say, "Come on in, E.J." -Yep. We just want to know the truth and what happened to Shea.

♪♪ ♪♪ -On January 14, 2020, just two days after Shea Briar was murdered, E.J. Stephen was back inside the Jay County Sheriff's Office. Detective Ben Schwartz and his partner first confronted her about those phone records, which revealed she called Shea shortly before he died, something she had previously been dishonest about.

-She said that she butt-dialed Shea. -Did you believe her? -No. We kind of pressed her on that a little bit, and then, finally, she said, "Okay, yeah, we talked, but it wasn't for very long." -E.J. insisted she didn't see Shea that night, but detectives didn't believe her. And soon, they told her her friend Shelby Hiestand was also being questioned. -Okay, this is not a game. -Her demeanor kind of changed a little bit, and that was the turning point. -In a cool-and-calm tone, E.J. cracked and began to tell detectives what happened that night, starting with how she dropped her daughter off at Kristi Sibray's.

She told them Shelby was in the car waiting. From there, we retrace their steps based on E.J.'s account. How does she tell you the night unfolds? -From there, they came to the church. At the time, it was a daycare also. -It was the daycare where E.J. and Shelby worked. E.J. said they had to move furniture before church the next day and that another friend, 18-year-old Hannah Knapke, met them there. Hannah also sometimes worked at the daycare, and E.J. used to coach her in softball, too. -So, this is the daycare. -What do they do here after they move that furniture?

-After they moved the furniture, they were planning on how to get rid of Shea, basically. -She said, earlier that day, she had picked Shelby's rifle up from Shelby's house and that, while in the daycare parking lot, Shelby got the gun out and fired a round.

According to E.J., after Shelby fired that shot, all three of them got into Hannah's parents' van with the rifle in the back. So, where do they go from the daycare? -From the daycare, they drove around, still discussing whether or not they should follow through with killing Shea. And somewhere along the line, E.J. called Shea.

-After they picked Shea up, with Shelby driving, E.J. said they headed to that bridge. So, about what time do they get out here? -I think it was right around 1:00 in the morning. They stopped the van right over here. E.J. and Shea get out of the van.

There was no tears or any remorse that I saw. -She's talking about the father of her child being shot in the back next to her. -Right. Yeah, it was shocking. -E.J. told detectives she didn't know Shelby was going to shoot Shea, despite conversations they had had earlier.

But detectives believe E.J. knew exactly what was going to happen that night. They believe she cold-heartedly planned it and that the cruelty continued after Shea was shot, because when police located Shea, his cellphone was nowhere to be found.

E.J. said that after they began driving away from the bridge that night, they turned around. -They're driving right past him, through here, and they stop right there, where my car is sitting, and E.J. and Shelby get out.

-E.J. said she knew Shea was still alive. He would lay on that bridge, helpless, for about an hour before he was found clinging to life. E.J. Stephen was arrested and charged with murder. Down the hall, only after being confronted with what E.J. told police, Shelby Hiestand admitted pulling the trigger.

Shelby was arrested and charged with murder. Later that day, detectives flew to Iowa, where Hannah Knapke had returned to college. She, too, eventually admitted involvement. Hannah told detectives she didn't know what she was getting into when she met up with E.J. and Shelby that night, but that the conversation took a turn.

Hannah was also later booked on a murder charge. The case soon hit the news. -A third person has been arrested in the fatal shooting of a 31-year-old Jay County man. -And even though Shea's family had suspected E.J.'s involvement, they were horrified to learn the details. -To find out that there were two other people that were involved, it was like, "What?" -It was shocking. I think it really did shock the community. -But despite those three taped interrogations, the case was far from over, because E.J., Shelby, and Hannah would all plead not guilty, and it would be up to prosecutors to secure convictions, starting with E.J.

-I felt like, going into it, that it was, "Okay, you know, she's guilty. She's going to be found guilty." And then I'm like, "Wait a second. What's happening here?" I was scared. ♪♪ ♪♪ -In March 2021, E.J. Stephen was first to go on trial for Shea Briar's murder. Wes Schemenaur and Zec Landers prosecuted the case. -It was intense. It was standing room only most days. We had lots of interested folks just wanting to come and see what was going on. -Shea's mom, Tracy, traveled from Hawaii to attend. -That was my first time really ever being in a courthouse.

-It was also her first time hearing and seeing much of the evidence, including that dash-cam video. -It was horrible. It was just this long car ride. I think I had bruises on my legs because I just was squeezing my legs so bad. And then, when he pulls up there to the bridge, I could hear him. -[ Sighs, mumbles ] -I would love to have been there and hold his hand. You know? I wish. [ Sniffles ] -Even though E.J. didn't pull the trigger, prosecutors sought to convince a jury that she orchestrated Shea's murder. -This was all for her benefit.

I think she saw this as a way to eliminate a problem in her life. -They told the jury about that court petition Shea filed and they argued it infuriated E.J., so much so that she and her friend Shelby Hiestand devised a plan to kill him. They pointed to E.J.'s own words. The jury heard her interrogation in full.

-She didn't want Shea involved in her life or in her daughter's life. -The prosecution's star witness was Kristi Sibray. She testified about those visits she said E.J. and Shelby made to her house. One discussion, she said, was particularly alarming in hindsight. -I go, "You couldn't shoot somebody." I think that's what I said to E.J. And Shelby goes, "Oh, I could." -And Kristi testified about another conversation that she had also shared with police. -They did talk about how they, one time, did put pills in his tea and tried to O.D. him.

They crushed up ibuprofen, I believe, and he did drink the whole glass, but nothing happened to him. -Did you say to her, "What are you doing?" -Yeah. I'm like, "Are you serious?" I didn't even believe her, because I just could not see her doing that. -Prosecutors argued Kristi's testimony was proof of planning. -They've discussed it. They've even maybe tried to kill him before. This wasn't just a thing that happened on a whim without, you know, E.J.'s knowledge. -But the defense countered that prosecutors had it all wrong and put E.J. on the stand.

She declined our request for an interview, and her trial attorney has since died. What did she tell the jury? -That she was essentially shocked and surprised that Shelby did this, that all of this talking and planning had been done as a joke. -As for those pills in Shea's drink, E.J. testified that it was Shelby's idea and that she only went along with it because she thought it was an innocent chemistry experiment. The defense placed all the blame on Shelby and alleged that, unbeknownst to E.J., Shelby wanted the baby and E.J. all to herself and that Shea was in the way.

Shelby had told detectives how much she disliked him. The defense claimed E.J. had no reason to want Shea dead and said that E.J. and Shea were talking about getting back together that night on the bridge. Prosecutors rejected that. -She's the one who went and got the gun from Shelby's house. They took the gun with them to the church. They test-fired the gun at the church. To me, you can say you thought it was a joke all you want. In my view of it, the minute you take that gun out and you fire it to see how loud it's going to be, that's like, "Okay, now this is real," right?

-But E.J. offered an explanation. She said Shelby would often go hunting, so she didn't think anything of it when Shelby fired that round in the church parking lot. But what about what E.J. did after the murder? -E.J. retrieved this guy's cellphone and threw it in the creek for the sole purpose of him not being able to call for help. -Remember, she admitted that to police.

-His only lifeline was that cellphone, possibly. Who knows whether he could have had the wherewithal to call for help at that point. And you left him there to die in the cold. -But on the stand, E.J. said she only threw Shea's phone in a moment of frustration after being unable to unlock it to call 911. She told the jury her own phone was dead. -It's just nonsense. There were two other girls with her. You're not going to convince me that their phones were dead. You're not really going to be able to convince me that Esther's phone was dead either.

And, on top of that, they passed so many different places that were open that they could have stopped in and called for help. -As the defense wound down, E.J.'s attorney maintained E.J. had no idea Shelby planned to shoot Shea and drew the jury's attention to where E.J. told police she was standing at the time. The defense argued if E.J. knew Shelby was going to shoot Shea, why would she put herself in the line of fire? Shea's family worried jurors would be swayed by E.J.'s testimony. -I thought we were going into this and it's a no-brainer.

I mean, she did it. She's going to be found guilty. And, yeah, I mean, it was scary. -The trial spanned three days, and then the case went to the jury. -"Nerve-racking" is an understatement. We were in the office Monday-morning-quarterbacking ourselves, you know, like you always do. -One hour of deliberations passed, then two. -The longer the jury is out, the more of that second-guessing comes into play. -Then they received a call. A verdict was in. -The heart rate goes up to about a million. The palms start sweating.

You're just on pins and needles. -We were, all three, holding hands and just holding our breath to see what was going to happen. ♪♪ ♪♪ -As a prosecutor, you grow close to these people. You see just the unbelievable amount of suffering that they're going through as a family, and you want to do your best for them. You want to get them justice for Shea. -After nearly 2.5 hours of deliberations, Shea's family finally heard the word they were waiting for -- guilty. What is that feeling like? -Like a big relief. -That that much is over.

-E.J. Stephen was later sentenced to 55 years in prison, the recommended sentence for murder in Indiana. Shea's pastor, Angela Smiley, was there when the sentence was handed down. -You would think that you would see some kind of repentance. I didn't see it at all. Nothing. -Three months after that, in August 2021, Shelby Hiestand went on trial. Shea's mom, Tracy, was in court again, sitting through all the evidence for a second time, including that dash-cam video. -Tracy sat right there and watched it again. -And didn't cry.

She said she didn't want them to have the satisfaction that they had hurt her so badly. -You were really thinking that? -Yeah, I was -- No, they're not going to -- I'm not letting my head hang. I'm holding it up as high as I can. This is for Shea. It was hard, but... -This is the boy you gave birth to. -Yeah. It just makes me... so mad. He didn't do anything wrong. ♪♪ -At Shelby's trial, the defense called no witnesses, but argued Shea's death was unintentional. Shelby, her parents, and her attorney chose not to speak with us.

-Her defense was more of a "It was a mistake, it was an accident," that her intent to kill wasn't there. -How did they go about trying to prove that? -Well, if you look at what she said in her interview, they tried to keep pointing to this "I blacked out" type of language.

They tried to just essentially characterize what she said is not technically admitting to murder, not technically admitting to shooting at Shea, but simply just pulling the trigger. -Is there any way that this could have been an accident? -No. You don't take out your gun and point it at anybody if you're not intending to kill them. -And to prove this was no accident, prosecutors pointed to this text message that Shelby sent E.J. about a month before Shea's murder. It reads, "I'm killing that bastard with my own two hands."

-They've talked about this together for a long time. -And one of the things that was odd to me, if you look at that text message, is E.J.'s name in Shelby's phone is "Bay." -Bay, as in a term of endearment. -Right. -Why do you think Shelby was willing to do this? -You know, it's speculation. She had a lot of animosity towards Shea, as evidenced by what she said in her interview about him. And she was very angry at Shea over his attempts to interfere with or insert himself into the daughter's life. And so, you know, I think that that sort of fed into that maybe power dynamic with E.J.

-What do you mean by that? -Well, there's a huge age difference you know, between E.J. and Shelby. I think it's clear that Shelby looked up to E.J. and, you know, wanted her approval. I think she had her own feelings. I think she had maybe some manipulation there, as well. -At the end of her three-day trial, Shelby Hiestand was also convicted of murder. At her sentencing hearing, unlike E.J., she apologized to Shea's family. -Shelby was looking right at me and she said she was sorry, and I believed her. I mean, it didn't change anything, but I believed her.

You know, she had the chance. She had the chance. -Shelby Hiestand received the same sentence as E.J. Stephen -- 55 years in prison. For Shea's family, the thought of a third trial was too much to bear. -I didn't want to go to another trial. -Well, I don't think my mom could have handled another one. -I don't think any of us could have. I mean, it was awful. -They approached prosecutors, and, ultimately, a plea deal was reached. Hannah Knapke and her attorneys also declined our request for an interview. In September 2021, she pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for a sentence that could see her released as early as July 2026.

At her sentencing, she also apologized to Shea's family. -I remember telling her, in my impact statement, that, "You know, you weren't the mastermind, you weren't the shooter, but you were still involved in it. You were still involved in Shea's murder." -And I said, "You could have made a difference. You could have said, 'No.' You could have said, 'Let's get out of here.'" -But not one person, but three people made the decision to murder him. -Right. Three opportunities for someone to do the right thing. -Yeah. -Yes.

-And none of them took that opportunity. -Very well put. Very well put. -Yeah. -Shea Briar's grave sits next to the little white church that he loved. His gravestone says "Daddy"... a role his sister says he was so looking forward to fulfill. -My brother wanted to be there for his baby. He loves her so, so much, and he has the best view right now of her. Even though he's in heaven, he is laughing, he's probably giving her wind tickles, and he's keeping an eye out on her.

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "Coached to Kill | Full Episode"?

Wes Schemenaur (Guest), Angela Smiley (Guest), Tiffany McLaughlin (Guest), Sharon Taylor (Guest), Tracy Hoevel (Guest), Sydney Hoevel (Guest), Ben Schwartz (Guest), Kristi Sibray (Guest).

What is "Coached to Kill | Full Episode" about?

The narrative follows the investigation of Shea Briar's murder after he was found critically injured on a roadside, revealing a mysterious bullet wound that ultimately proved fatal. Family and friends describe him as a beloved and caring individual, prompting law enforcement to delve into his life to uncover the circumstances surrounding his tragic death.

What is mentioned in this 48 Hours episode?

15 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Shea Briar, Jay County, Shelby Hiestand, Ben Schwartz, Kristi Sibray, Hannah Knapke. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "Coached to Kill | Full Episode"?

The episode runs 42 min; the transcript is about 5,414 words in 60 timestamped sections.

More from 48 Hours

About this transcript: the episode's spoken words as captioned on YouTube, split into timestamped sections. Reclip.Me locates every person, work and idea in the text, keeps the time it is first named, and quotes the words around it verbatim. Last updated January 24, 2026.