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After sitting cold for more than 40 years, a Rhode Island murder case may have been solved with the recovery of a discarded water bottle in a theater.
On Oct. 6, William “Billy” Morton was arrested and charged with first-degree murder for allegedly killing Hillary Hellewell in Newport in 1985.
After four decades, investigators used new DNA technology that allegedly links 61-year-old Morton to the crime.
Hillary Hellewell was found dead in Newport, Rhode Island, on May 19, 1985. (Getty Images)
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Since her death, investigators had slowly uncovered clues that suggested Morton might be a suspect. But they needed some of his DNA to confirm the connection.
So in late August, an investigator followed Morton to a Heart tribute band concert at a Rhode Island theater, court records show.
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Morton bought popcorn and bottled water for himself and his fiancee, investigators said. But when the couple left the concert early and Morton didn’t pick up his trash, an investigator collected it as potential evidence.
DNA recovered from his water bottle was used to confirm the match to DNA found on Hellewell’s body, according to court documents.
William “Billy” Morton had been convicted in 1987 of a violent sexual assault in Newport 45 days after Hellewell’s death. (Visions of America/Joseph Sohm/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
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Morton was taken into custody on Oct. 6. He is being held without bond.
The killing
On May 19, 1985, the body of 22-year-old Hellewell was found in Newport, Rhode Island by two brothers – 17 and 20 – who were on their way to work at 4:15 a.m.
Hellewell’s body was lying on a sidewalk along Anthony Street. She was wearing white painter’s pants, a sweater, and socks but no shoes.
Her pulseless body was mostly “cold to the touch,” with some areas still “slightly warm” when officers arrived, Morton’s arrest warrant shows.
She died from asphyxia due to strangulation, a medical examiner reported. Her cause of death: homicide.
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Investigators found a blood stain on the back of Hellewell’s white pants, and a “heavily soiled” blue T-shirt near her head, the arrest warrant shows.
Swabs taken from an internal exam of Hellewell’s body revealed spermatozoa, indicating sexual contact, the warrant shows.
She was identified the next day when she was reported missing.
Boats make their way through the harbor in Newport, Rhode Island. (REUTERS/Brian Snyder)
Friends and family told investigators that she’d attended a gathering with friends in Newport the night before. Everyone there drank alcohol, investigators were told.
Investigators learned that Hellewell had offered to walk home with one of her male friends, who’d become overly intoxicated.
He made it home. She did not.
The next day, he was still so intoxicated, he couldn’t give many details to police.
The men who were close to Hellewell at the time of her death were ruled out as being “potential donors” of the sperm, according to court records. But Newport Police were never able to develop a viable suspect.
At the time of Hellewell’s murder, DNA evidence was collected and preserved.
Resurrecting a cold case
The case was reviewed by state officials in 2004. They hoped new advancements in DNA technology could help.
During that review, DNA profiles for Hellewell and the suspect were entered into the FBI’s Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) database.
Then in 2023, the Rhode Island Attorney General’s office formed the Cold Case Unit (CCU), and Hellewell’s case went under review again.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office worked with the Newport Police Department, with help from the Smithfield Police Department. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
With recent breakthroughs of technology used to evaluate DNA, the evidence was sent to a private lab.
That work brought a new lead into sharp focus. Suddenly, Morton was a suspect.
Investigators pinpointed Morton’s family line through the DNA found on Hellewell’s body. They later found Morton had been convicted in 1987 of a violent sexual assault in Newport 45 days after Hellewell’s death. The assault took place a couple miles from where Hellewell’s body was found, court records show.
Morton was sentenced to 20 years in prison. He spent seven years behind bars, and served out the remainder of his sentence on probation.
Date-night DNA discovery
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After the new DNA evaluation, investigators collected evidence and conducted interviews. New clues led them to Morton.
They began to watch and trail him.
On Aug. 21, Michael Nayor, a senior cold case investigator with the Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General, followed Morton and his fiancee, the arrest warrant shows. They pulled into a Burger King before heading to a theater in Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
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The investigator purchased a ticket to a show by Bad Animals, a Heart tribute band, and followed the couple inside. He watched as Morton bought popcorn and two bottled waters, the arrest warrant shows.
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Naylor watched Morton sip his water throughout the show. And when he set the bottle on the seat next to him, Naylor took note, the warrant shows. .
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When Morton and his fiancee left early, the bottle of water was left behind. Naylor seized it and submitted it for DNA testing.
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The DNA profile from the water bottle “is consistent with the previously reported partial profiles” from the sperm stain on Hellewell’s pants, and a stain on the blue shirt found near her body, according to the Rhode Island Department of Health.
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On Oct. 6, officers from multiple agencies visited Morton’s home at about 7 a.m., as he was leaving for his job as service technician at a Volkswagen dealership. He was charged with first-degree murder in the Rhode Island District Court Second Division.
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The case will go to a grand jury, said Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha. A status conference is scheduled for Oct. 20.
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Fox News Digital could not reach Morton’s attorney for comment.