Murder Case Involving Ohio High School Softball Program Featured on CBS' '48 Hours'

A former high school softball coach, her assistant coach, and a former player were convicted of killing the father of her young daughter in January 2020 and featured on CBS's investigative journalism show "48 Hours" on Sunday night.

Now streaming: Did a high school softball coach recruit one of her former players to kill? #48hours pic.twitter.com/E5oSIexkv0
— 48 Hours (@48hours) January 5, 2026

Esther Jane "EJ" Stephen, her assistant coach Shelby Hiestand, and former player Hannah Knapke were all charged with the murder of Shea Briar.

Stephen was the head coach at Fort Recovery High School in Ohio at the time of the murder.

According to the report, the three women plotted to kill him over a custody dispute. Stephen and Briar shared a child.

On the night of Jan. 12, 2020, Briar was found clinging to life in rural Jay County, Indiana. He had been shot in the back with a rifle and left to die.

"There was no exit wound … It was actually in his heart," Jay County Sheriff's Detective Ben Schwartz told "48 Hours" correspondent Anne-Marie Green. "He … passed away."

An investigation was launched and police immediately heard from a woman named Kristi Sibray. Sibray, a former police officer, told investigators that Stephen confided in her regarding her broken engagement and custody dispute.

"She didn't want to share the baby. That was her baby. That was her child," Sibray told "48 Hours."

Sibray also said Stephen had told her that she wanted to get rid of her ex-fiancé, including an instance when Stephen and Hiestand told her they put pills in Briar's tea.

"They crushed up ibuprofen, I believe … And he did drink the whole glass, but nothing happened to him," Sibray told "48 Hours." "I'm like, 'are you serious?' ... I didn't even … believe her. … Because I just could not see her doing that."

The day after speaking to Sibray, detectives brought in Stephen and Hiestand for questioning. The two initially denied any involvement but, as the questioning progress, admitted to the crime.

Despite Stephen's effort to place all the blame on Hiestand, and said she went along with crushing up pills because she thought it was an innocent science experiment.

Hiestand told detectives that she blacked out and fired the gun.

Both women were charged with murder and pleaded not guilty but it didn't hold up with the jury. Stephen and Hiestand were found guilty and sentenced to 55 years in prison.

As for Knapke, she pleaded guilty and agreed to a plea agreement that requires her to serve 10 years in prison and spend 7.5 years on probation. She was the driver for Stephen and Hiestand.

Stephen and Briar's daughter was place in the custody of Stephen's family.

Briar's family gets to see the child once a month.

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