'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Dateline's upcoming episode is all set to shed light on the murder of Justin Hilbert, which remains an intriguing mystery even now due to the lack of details surrounding his 2016 murder. The 25-year-old father was found brutally shot, stabbed, and beaten to death near Lake Mathews in the early hours of June 21, 2016. Since then, the circumstances surrounding his murder have been a mystery.
This murder is the subject of Dateline season 33 episode 2, which is slated to premiere on October 4, 2024, at 9 PM EST on NBC. The official logline for the episode reads:
"A new father is found dead on the side of a road. Then the stabbing of a young woman leads police on a high speed chase. Could these two chilling murders be connected?"
Trending
While the murderer of Justin Hilbert was never discovered, another murder that took place weeks after Hilbert's seemed to hint at a potential suspect. However, due to a lack of evidence, the police never followed this up, and Hilbert's murder remains unsolved as of today.
Who was Justin Hilbert and what happened to him?
Justin Hilbert was born on August 23, 1990, to Kenneth Hilbert and Cathy Hudson. One of the four children in the Hilbert household, Justin grew up in a loving and caring environment and reflected these values in his day-to-day activities.
Justin was renowned for his ability to form a bond with anyone and everyone, sharing good relationships with whoever he came across. He was also a very intelligent person and was exceptionally good with numbers. Due to this ability, he became a licensed machinist in the aerospace industry.
This was also the time he met Tonya Bischoff. They fell in love almost immediately and went on to get engaged soon after. They also had a child together and were looking forward to creating a beautiful life.
However, before their plans could materialize, a huge tragedy struck them. On June 21, 2016, in the early hours, the police made a shocking discovery. Authorities reportedly found the remains of a man who was later identified to be 25-year-old Justin Hilbert on the intersection of La Sierra Avenue and Tin Mine Road near Lake Mathews.
He was allegedly shot, beaten, and stabbed to death in one of the most brutal manners imaginable. Though the authorities started this homicide investigation very soon, they found no leads until another incident shook the town.
Was Jared Bischoff connected to Justin Hilbert's murder?
As authorities continued their investigation, they discovered that Tonya had a former husband, Jared Bischoff, who she left due to his violent tendencies. According to reports, Jared's girlfriend, Bailey Sharp, had reached out to Justin and Tonya on Facebook.
This connection probed the police to investigate Jared, who claimed that he was indeed on the Riverside on June 20, but had left in the evening to return to his base. With no further lead, the police did not pursue it. That was until Jared Bischoff reportedly murdered his girlfriend Bailey Sharp just weeks after this incident.
He was arrested and charged for the murder and the authorities started believing that he was also behind the murder of Justin. However, despite their best efforts and strongest suspicion, they could not recover any evidence to connect Jared to Justin's murder.
While many continue to believe that Jared murdered Justin Hilbert, the case officially remains unsolved as of now.
The upcoming episode of Dateline on NBC will cover this case in further detail.
