A 61-year-old man has been charged with the alleged murder of a 22-year-old woman in Newport, Rhode Island, more than four decades after investigators say a discarded water bottle helped link him to DNA recovered from the crime scene.
William “Billy” Morton, a former Newport resident from Smithfield, was arrested on October 6, 2026, and ordered to be held without bail. He appeared in Newport County District Court charged with one count of murder. ([riag.ri.gov](https://riag.ri.gov/press-releases/former-newport-man-charged-alleged-1985-murder-following-cold-case-investigation?utm_source=openai))
Hillary Hellewell was found dead on an Anthony Street pavement at about 4.15am on May 19, 1985. She had been strangled and sexually assaulted, according to court records and investigators.
Her body was discovered by two brothers who were walking to work. Hellewell was wearing white painter’s trousers, a sweater and socks, but no shoes.
DNA evidence re-examined in Newport murder case
Biological evidence collected at the time was preserved, but the investigation failed to identify a viable suspect. A DNA profile was developed in 2004 and entered into the FBI’s national database, although it did not produce a match.
The case was reopened in 2023 after Rhode Island’s Attorney General’s Office established a Cold Case Unit. Investigators sent the evidence to a private laboratory for further analysis, which pointed towards a family line believed to be connected to the DNA found on Hellewell’s clothing.
Investigators later identified Morton as a possible suspect and began monitoring him. In August, an investigator followed him and his fiancée to a concert by a Heart tribute band at the Stadium Theatre in Woonsocket.
Morton was seen drinking bottled water during the performance. When he and his fiancée left early, he left the bottle behind, allowing investigators to recover it and submit it for testing.
A Rhode Island Department of Health report dated September 24 found that the DNA profile from the bottle was consistent with profiles obtained from biological material recovered from Hellewell’s clothing, according to the arrest affidavit.
The Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office said the arrest followed a joint investigation involving the Newport Police Department, with assistance from Smithfield police. Attorney General Peter Neronha said the case demonstrated how advances in forensic science could help resolve long-unsolved crimes. ([riag.ri.gov](https://riag.ri.gov/press-releases/former-newport-man-charged-alleged-1985-murder-following-cold-case-investigation?utm_source=openai))
Hellewell was found after leaving a gathering
Investigators said Hellewell had attended a gathering in Newport the night before her death. She offered to walk home with a male friend who had become heavily intoxicated, but he reached home while she did not.
Several men close to Hellewell, including the friend she had accompanied, were later excluded as potential sources of the biological evidence, court records state.
Morton was convicted in 1987 of a violent sexual assault in Newport, 45 days after Hellewell’s death, according to court documents. The assault took place a short distance from where her body was found, and he was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Neronha said at a news conference that he had known Hellewell since they were children. Her family has asked for privacy, officials said.
Morton did not enter a plea at his arraignment. His case is due to return to court for a status conference on October 20, 2026, and the matter is expected to proceed before a grand jury. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. ([riag.ri.gov](https://riag.ri.gov/press-releases/former-newport-man-charged-alleged-1985-murder-following-cold-case-investigation?utm_source=openai))
