Kriti Mehrotra
It was June 21, 2016, when everything turned upside down for the tight-knit family of Justin Kenneth Hilbert as he was found killed near Lake Mathews in one of the worst ways conceivable. He was actually beaten, stabbed, and shot to death, as chronicled in NBC’s ‘Dateline: Wrong Turns,’ yet what arguably hurt his loved ones more is the fact they unfortunately didn’t have any answers until earlier in 2024. They were unwaveringly the loudest voices to demand justice for this late 25-year-old over the years so as to give him true peace through some much-needed closure, and they finally got it.
Justin Hilbert Proudly Hails From a Blended Family
Although born on August 23, 1990, as the son of Cathy Jean Hudson and Kenneth Hilbert, Justin was reportedly partly raised by his stepfather Steven Hudson, too, all the while being surrounded by his three siblings. They are Jesse Cole Kirkendall, Mallory Marie Hilbert, as well as Danielle Marie Hudson, all of whom he reportedly always considered blood despite some technically being his half or step siblings. Thus, it’s no surprise every single one of them remembers him as a kind, empathetic, and caring man who was also genuinely excited for his future with fiancée Tonya Bischoff and their newborn son.
In fact, Jesse once candidly stated that his Moreno Valley, California-based younger brother “Justin didn’t have any enemies; he was finishing school and trying to provide a life for his family.” That’s just part of why it was a complete blow to their blended family when they learned all the heinous details of his murder, later asserting it was simply “undeserved — it wasn’t warranted.” “The amount of damage that was done… discovering that was heartbreaking, devastating,” Jesse said before asserting that neither he nor anyone else in their brood will stop until justice is served.
Jesse has since also iterated, “I believe that there’s forgiveness, but I won’t be one of them… What [the killer] did to my brother was uncalled for and I would ask the public to give you up.” In other words, he has continually been urging people to come forward with tips if they know anything about this homicide, all the while declaring he will see through the whole process. Nevertheless, in the end, even after the assailaint/s has been positively identified, arrested, tried, as well as sentenced, he doesn’t plan on forgiving them because of how merciless they were.
Justin Hilbert’s Family Has Been Trying to Continue Leading a Normal Life
Justin’s loss undoubtedly hangs over the heads of his loved ones like a dark cloud to this day, yet they all seem to be trying to move on because they know it’s what he would have wanted. They also appear to be doing their best to keep his memories alive in their hearts while also keeping in touch with his then-fiancée Tonya (who has since changed her last name to Hilbert) and their now 8-year-old son Logan. The fact they finally got justice in June 2024 with Justin’s killers being sentenced did bring them a small sense of closure too. Coming to their individual standings, while most of them likely still reside in Moreno Valley, his parents understandably prefer to keep well away from the limelight these days.
Therefore, all we know for sure about Cathy, Kenneth, as well as Steven is that they all seem perfectly content at the moment thanks to the fact they are often surrounded by their kids and grandkids. As for Jesse, this happily married and undoubtedly proud father of three is also a California resident to this day, where he currently appears to be serving as a delivery pick-up driver for FedEx. Then there’s Danielle Marie Hudson, about whom not much concrete information is publicly known apart from the fact she is a family woman too and that she now usually goes by Danielle Shorya.
Last but not least, there is Mallory Marie Hilbert, aka Mallory Marie Goins, considering she has long since tied the knot to be in a blissfully content and stable union with fellow Californian Dylan Goins. They actually share three children, too, with their last one being born in late 2023 or early 2024 and being their only girl — they have named her Delilah, or Lila for short. Unfortunately, though, they have had to be in and out of hospitals recently as their youngest suddenly stopped breathing on her own on September 20, 2024. She was looked at by a few doctors and diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy called Infantile Spasm Syndrome, shortly after which a GoFundMe page was created to help the family with their medical expenses. With this, we can only hope everything soon gets resolved for Justin’s loved ones in the way they desire.
Read More: Jared Bischoff: Where is Tonya Bischoff’s Ex-Husband Now?
