5 details about Arrijana Hill's murder
Arrijana Hill's murder shook the entire community of Pearland, Texas, in 2014, and now, over a decade later, it is set to be the subject of Murder Under the Friday Night Lights on Investigation Discovery. Interestingly, despite the time that has passed, this case remains just as intriguing to true crime fans, primarily because of its gruesome nature.
This case will be the subject of Murder Under the Friday Night Lights season 4 episode 7, which premieres on Wednesday, February 26, 2025, at 9.00 PM EST on ID. The synopsis for the episode, titled Futures Ruined, reads:
"The Hill family lives in a gated community near Dawson HS, where their daughter Arrijana is a popular athlete; when she is found murdered in her bedroom, detectives learn that Arrijana was hiding a secret that leads them to her killer."
This case is filled with small but crucial details that all add up to provide a comprehensive picture of the crime. Ahead of the episode, let us go over five such details about what happened to Arrijana Hill.
5 key details about the murder of Arrijana Hill
1) Arrijana Hill's murder was initially assumed to be a robbery gone wrong
On March 21, 2014, Arrijana's younger brother reached their house and discovered that it was ransacked. When her father arrived and checked, he found Arrijana in a pool of blood in her bedroom. As the cupboards were open and things were scattered around the house, it was assumed that she was a victim of a robbery gone wrong.
However, as there were no signs of forced entry, authorities soon dismissed it.
2) Arrijana Hill was pregnant with twins during the murder, and her boyfriend wanted her to abort them
As authorities delved into the case, they discovered that Arrijana was pregnant with twins at the time of her murder and the last person she was seen with was Ryan Matthews, her boyfriend and father of her unborn children.
As authorities interviewed more people, they realized that Ryan Matthews did not want to have kids because he wanted to have a varsity football career.
3) Ryan Matthews did many suspicious things that singled him out as the suspect
Ryan Matthews did a series of things during the investigation that made authorities sure of his involvement in the murder. His timeline of the events prior to Arrijana's death had inconsistencies. He also handed them a different set of clothes for investigation from the one he was wearing that day. He also exited through the back door and could not provide a satisfactory explanation for the same.
4) Ryan Matthews was tried as an adult in his trial
With enough evidence against him, including text messages where he was allegedly pressurising Arrijana Hill to get an abortion, he was arrested and charged for the murder.
He was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison. He will be eligible for parole in 2054.
5) Arrijana Hill's family continues to honor her legacy
Even now, a decade after her death, Arrijana Hill's parents continue to honor her legacy. They founded a non-profit organization in their daughter's honor that aims to spread awareness about domestic violence, especially among teenagers.
David and Opal Hill continue to maintain it in hopes that other girls will not suffer the same fate as their daughter.
The upcoming episode of Murder Under the Friday Night Lights will delve into this case in more detail.
