Naman Shrestha
In NBC’s ‘Dateline: Wrong Turns,’ the focus is on the chilling and mysterious murder of a 25-year-old father named Justin Hilbert in the summer of 2016. When another brutal killing took place a few weeks later, the police could not help but wonder if the two murder cases were connected and if the same perpetrator was responsible for both killings. The episode also features insightful interviews with the loved ones of the victims, highlighting the key details of the case and the impact that the tragedy caused.
Justin Hilbert Was Engaged to Be Married to the Mother of His Child
The day of August 23, 1990, is when Justin Kenneth Hilbert entered the world of Kenneth Hilbert and Cathy Hudson and filled their lives with joy. Growing up with his brother Jesse Cole Kirkendall and sisters Mallory Marie Hilbert and Danielle Marie Hudson, he was known to make others smile and laugh, earning himself the nickname “Buddy.” Described as having a contagious smile, Justin could light up any room with his mere presence. He also had a stepfather named Steven Hudson, with whom he shared an amicable bond. Always eager to help others, Justin even used to mow the lawns of the elderly in his neighborhood and carry out other necessary chores for them. When he had time to spare for himself, he listened to music, went to the beach, and rode motorcycles.
His visit to the beach also meant that he would bring home numerous seashells from the shore, which his parents put on a display case. Given his sharpness in mathematics, he became a licensed machinist in the aerospace industry. His joyous and caring personality, coupled with his ability to lift people’s spirits and make them laugh, is what made Tonya Bischoff fall in love with him. When they realized they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, Justin and Tonya got engaged, promising to navigate through life’s ups and downs as one unit. One thing led to another, and the two welcomed their own bundle of love in the form of their son, Logan.
Justin Hilbert’s Life Was Cut Short in a Brutal Stabbing Incident in 2016
Along with being a responsible son, partner, and friend, Justin was a devoted father who wanted to do his best to ensure his son got all the best things in life. He had high hopes for his future and enrolled at the National Tooling and Machining Association Center in Ontario, where he was taking classes. He was working really hard to build a good life for his family. He doted on Tonya and their 6-month-old son and would drop by her place in Riverside every day after attending classes and working as a machinist to spend time with them.
Following the conclusion of his course in April 2016, Justin put all his focus on becoming a Military Weapons Designer and Mechanical Programmer. However, his dream remained unfulfilled as he was taken from this world on June 21, 2016. At 2:15 am that fateful morning, the police found the remains of a man near the intersection of La Sierra Avenue and Tin Mine Road. The exact spot of discovery was on the side of the road that lies west of Lake Matthews. Post identification, the authorities theorized that the 25-year-old was badly beaten, stabbed, and shot in the face someplace else and that the killer/s moved him to the spot later.
The Killer of Justin Hilbert Remains at Large Due to Lack of Evidence
Upon launching the murder investigation, the authorities held interviews with Justin Hilbert’s family and friends in order to paint a clearer picture of his life around the time of his brutal killing. Soon after he was murdered, his fiancee, Tonya Bischoff, proceeded to legally change her last name to Hilbert. Prior to being engaged to Justin, Tonya was married to a guy named Jared Bischoff, who was one of the people of interest in the murder case. During the interview with Tonya, the police learned that Jared’s girlfriend at the time, Bailey Sharp, had sent friend requests to the couple on Facebook and even exchanged a few texts with the victim via Snapchat.
About a week into the investigation, the detectives took a trip to the Naval Base San Diego to question the potential suspect, Jared Bischoff. He claimed that although he was in Riverside on June 20, he had left in the evening and returned to the base. Since there was no basis to place him under arrest, the police let him go. However, a couple of weeks later, on the evening of July 10, 2016, Jared and Bailey met near Calmhill Drive and California Avenue in Riverside. The meet-up ended up in the former allegedly stabbing Bailey multiple times, who later died in the hospital. The following day, after a hot pursuit from San Diego to Riverside, the police arrested the suspect and charged him with the murder of his girlfriend.
After his arrest, the detectives had every reason to suspect that he might be involved in the killing of 25-year-old Justin Hilbert as well. Thus, they obtained a search warrant for his parents’ Riverside house on July 12. When they could not find anything suspicious or connected to the case, they also went through his text and phone records on the days surrounding the murder of Justin. The lack of evidence against him or any other people of interest left many unanswered questions in the minds of his loved ones, making the grieving process even tougher. The tragedy forced Tonya to raise their child all alone, who would not have his father to lead him in his life. Since he did not have any enemies, as claimed by his brother, his murder still remains a mystery.
Read More: Jared Bischoff: Where is Tonya Bischoff’s Ex-Husband Now?
