NEWPORT, R.I. — For 41 years, the murder of 22-year-old Hillary Hellewell — found unresponsive on a Newport street in 1985, sexually assaulted and strangled — went unsolved. This week, investigators announced they had finally made an arrest, cracking the case with DNA from a water bottle the suspect tossed away.
TL;DR: William Morton, 61, of Smithfield, Rhode Island, was arrested Oct. 6, 2026, and charged with first-degree murder in the May 19, 1985, killing of Hillary Hellewell, 22, in Newport. DNA preserved from the victim’s clothing was matched to Morton after investigators collected a discarded water bottle in August; forensic genealogy had first pointed to his family. He is held without bail with a status conference set for Oct. 20.
A 1985 murder with no DNA technology
On May 19, 1985, Hillary Hellewell, 22, was found unresponsive on Anthony Street in Newport. The medical examiner determined she had been sexually assaulted and strangled. But in 1985, Rhode Island had no DNA testing capability — and the case went cold, WJAR/NBC 10 reported.
What investigators did have was preserved evidence — including material from Hellewell’s clothing that would one day yield a DNA profile.
The water bottle that broke the case
Decades later, forensic genealogy — the technique that builds family trees from crime-scene DNA — identified members of a family connected to the profile. Investigators zeroed in on William Morton, 61, of Smithfield.
In August, investigators followed Morton and collected a water bottle he discarded. The DNA from that bottle matched the profile from the 1985 evidence. On Tuesday, Oct. 6, Morton was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha announced the breakthrough alongside the Newport Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division.
A prior conviction from the same era
Morton also carries a separate 1985 conviction for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old — a confirmed conviction upheld on appeal in 1989, per Rhode Island Supreme Court records. That history is not part of the murder charge itself, but it places Morton in the criminal justice system in the same year Hellewell was killed.
Held without bail
Morton is being held without bail, with a status conference scheduled for Oct. 20. He is charged — not convicted — in Hellewell’s killing and is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at trial.
For Hellewell’s family, the arrest ends 41 years of unanswered questions — a resolution made possible only because evidence was preserved long enough for science to catch up.
Sources: WJAR/NBC 10; Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office; Newport Police Department.
Featured photo: Newport, Rhode Island. (Image via Pinterest)
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in the 1985 Newport cold case?
William Morton, 61, of Smithfield, Rhode Island, was arrested Oct. 6, 2026, and charged with first-degree murder in the 1985 killing of Hillary Hellewell.
Who was Hillary Hellewell?
Hillary Hellewell was 22 when she was found unresponsive on Anthony Street in Newport on May 19, 1985. The medical examiner determined she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
How was the case solved after 41 years?
DNA preserved from the victim’s clothing yielded a profile; forensic genealogy identified members of Morton’s family. Investigators then collected a water bottle Morton discarded in August 2026, and its DNA matched the case profile.
Why wasn’t DNA used in 1985?
Rhode Island had no DNA testing capability in 1985. The case went cold until preserved evidence could be analyzed with modern forensic techniques.
Does Morton have a criminal record?
Yes — Morton has a separate confirmed 1985 conviction for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old, upheld on appeal in 1989 per Rhode Island Supreme Court records.
What happens next?
Morton is held without bail with a status conference set for Oct. 20. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty at trial.
