William Morton Charged in 41-Year-Old Newport Murder After DNA Match From Water Bottle
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 10
William Morton Charged in 41-Year-Old Newport Murder After DNA Match From Water Bottle
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 10
Summary
Oct. 6 brought a first-degree murder charge against 61-year-old William "Billy" Morton in the 1985 killing of 22-year-old Hillary Hellewell in Newport, and he is being held without bond.
DNA from a water bottle Morton allegedly discarded at an Aug. 21 concert matched biological evidence preserved from Hellewell’s body, her pants and a blue shirt found near her, according to court records.
Investigators had preserved DNA since 1985, entered profiles into CODIS in 2004, and revived the case after Rhode Island’s 2023 Cold Case Unit used newer testing to trace the suspect’s family line.
Hellewell was found strangled on a Newport sidewalk on May 19, 1985 after leaving a gathering the night before; men close to her were ruled out, and no viable suspect emerged for decades.
Morton was convicted in 1987 of a violent sexual assault in Newport 45 days after Hellewell’s death; his case now heads to a grand jury, with a status conference set for Oct. 20.