Shivangi Sinha
In March 2014, Arrijana Hill’s brother returned home from school to discover the house in disarray. It was shortly after that her father found her stabbed to death in her bedroom. Police quickly arrived at the scene in Pearland, Texas, and launched an investigation. What initially appeared to be a botched robbery soon took a more complex turn when authorities learned she was pregnant with twins at the time of her death. The case is explored in ID’s episode of ‘Murder Under the Friday Night Lights’ titled ‘Futures Ruined,’ which provides a detailed account of the police investigation that led to the arrest of her killer.
Arrijana Hill Was Four Months Pregnant With Twins When She Was Killed
Arrijana Cymone Hill was born on June 18, 1997, to Opal and David Hill in Webster, Texas. She was a bright and energetic young woman who particularly shared a close bond with her mother. Her two brothers, Khistler and Corstian Hill, also adored her, and their home was filled with love and joy. The family later relocated to Pearland, Texas, where they settled in a gated community on East Cedar Hollow Drive. They were deeply religious and were active members of their church and the local community. Arrijana herself participated in various activities and was always eager to contribute in different ways.
Arrijana was a student at Glenda Dawson High School in Pearland, where she excelled academically. She had a strong passion for sports, and growing up with two brothers gave her a competitive edge. She participated in track and volleyball, took culinary classes, and was also a member of the school choir. Her parents were incredibly proud of her and supported her in every way possible. In early 2014, when she revealed that she was pregnant, they were initially shocked but remained steadfast in their support. They were even happy to know that she was expecting twins.
Arrijana decided to transfer schools due to her pregnancy and was in the middle of the process. On March 21, 2014, her younger brother returned home to find the house turned upside down, and even the furniture moved from its usual places. He called out for his sister, but when he received no response, he assumed she wasn’t home and went to the neighbors to contact his parents. When David arrived, he checked his daughter’s room and discovered her lying in a pool of blood next to her bed. Items from her wardrobe were scattered across the floor. He immediately called the police, who pronounced her dead at the scene. The autopsy later confirmed that she had been strangled and stabbed.
Arrijana Hill’s Killer Gave a Different Set of Clothes to the Police When Questioned
Due to the state of the crime scene, the police initially suspected that the incident was a robbery. Some items from Arrijana Hill’s parents’ bedroom were also in disarray. However, this theory was soon debunked when investigators found no signs of forced entry, which led them to conclude that the crime scene had been staged. As they spoke with her friends and family, they learned that she was last seen with Ryan Matthews, her boyfriend and the father of her unborn twins. When questioned, the latter provided an account of his day and stated that he had walked home with Arrijana and a third friend but had left about an hour later. He insisted that she was alive and doing well when he last saw her.
However, many of Ryan’s statements and his timeline did not align with the evidence. The police grew suspicious when he transferred schools shortly after Arrijana’s death. Their concerns deepened when they reviewed CCTV footage and noticed that the clothes he was wearing when he left school did not match the ones he later handed over to investigators. Additionally, messages he had sent to Arrijana revealed his frustration about the pregnancy and showed that he was pressuring her to get an abortion.
Friends also stated that Ryan was highly focused on his varsity football career and viewed the pregnancy as a threat to his future. Some even alleged that he had a violent temper and had previously been abusive toward an ex-girlfriend. When the police checked the CCTV footage of the house, they did not see him leaving on the day of the murder, and he said that he had left through the back door. When they checked the footage of the other times he had left the house, they noticed that Arrijana used to walk up to the main door and bid him goodbye. By May 2014, the police had gathered enough evidence to charge him with capital murder and arrested him.
Ryan Matthews is Serving a Life Sentence Today
Ryan Matthews’ trial began in April 2015, during which the prosecution presented DNA evidence confirming that he was with Arrijana Hill shortly before her death. The defense argued that this only proved they had been intimate and did not directly link him to the murder. However, the case took a critical turn when Ryan admitted to lying about the clothes he had provided to the police. He had given them a different set than the ones he was wearing on the day of the crime. Ultimately, he was found guilty of two counts of capital murder. Despite being only 17 at the time of the crime, he was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison. Now 27 years old, he is incarcerated at the Michael Unit in Texas and will be eligible for parole in 2054.
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