It was within the early morning hours of Jan. 12, 2020, when 31-year-old Shea Briar was discovered clinging to life on a rural highway in Jay County, Indiana.
Briar was unable to speak, and first responders have been initially uncertain of what had occurred to him, however when he arrived on the hospital, medical workers found a bullet wound in his again.
“There was no exit wound … It was really in his coronary heart,” Jay County Sheriff’s Detective Ben Schwartz instructed “48 Hours” correspondent Anne-Marie Inexperienced. “He … handed away.”
Inexperienced studies on the case in “Coached to Kill,” an all-new “48 Hours” airing Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.
An investigation was launched, and police quickly obtained a name from a girl named Kristi Sibray.
Sibray was an acquaintance of Briar’s former fiancée, 29-year-old Esther Jane Stephen. Stephen, who glided by the title E.J., was a neighborhood highschool softball coach. She and Briar shared a younger daughter collectively.
Sibray, a former police officer, instructed detectives that within the months main as much as Briar’s homicide, Stephen came visiting usually and that she was accompanied by her assistant coach, 19-year-old Shelby Hiestand.
Jay County Excessive College yearbook 
Throughout these visits, Sibray stated Stephen would speak in confidence to her about issues she was having with Briar. Stephen and Briar had lately damaged off their engagement, and Briar had filed a court docket petition to ascertain parenting time for the daughter they shared.
“He wished to supply for her … and he simply actually wished to have some visitation,” Tracy Hoevel, Briar’s mom, instructed “48 Hours.”
However in keeping with Sibray, Stephen wasn’t joyful about it.
“She did not wish to share the newborn. That was her child. That was her youngster,” Sibray instructed “48 Hours.”
Sibray instructed investigators that Stephen would talk about methods to eliminate Briar, however that she did not assume something of it on the time.
“I simply actually thought she was venting. I didn’t assume that was for actual,” Sibray instructed “48 Hours.”
And Sibray stated she had that very same mindset when, over time, the conversations grew extra detailed — and varied strategies have been mentioned. At one level, Sibray stated Stephen and Hiestand instructed her they put capsules in Briar’s tea.
“They crushed up ibuprofen, I imagine … And he did drink the entire glass, however nothing occurred to him,” Sibray instructed “48 Hours.” “I am like, ‘are you severe?’ … I did not even … imagine her. … As a result of I simply couldn’t see her doing that.”
However when Sibray realized of Briar’s homicide, she stated she instantly seen all these conversations in a unique gentle.
“I felt like I failed as a result of how did I miss this? How did I miss these indicators?” Sibray stated.
A day after chatting with Sibray, detectives introduced Stephen and Hiestand in for questioning.
After initially denying involvement in Briar’s homicide, they each admitted they took him to that rural highway and that Hiestand shot him within the again.
Hiestand instructed detectives she blacked out then fired the gun at Briar.
Jay County Sheriff’s Workplace 
E.J. Stephen and Shelby Hiestand have been arrested and charged with homicide, however they’d each later plead not responsible and when Stephen went on trial, she positioned all of the blame on Hiestand.
Stephen took the stand and insisted she had no cause to need Briar useless. And as for these capsules in Briar’s drink, Stephen stated that it was Hiestand’s thought and that she solely went together with it as a result of she thought it was an harmless chemistry experiment.
What would a jury assume?
