October 06, 2026
41 years after a Newport strangling, a murder charge — William "Billy" Morton arrested in the 1985 killing of Hillary Hellewell
Headline card by The Night Desk
A 41-year-old mystery, a charge at last
Hillary L. Hellewell was 22 years old when she died. She was a Jamestown woman, a 1982 graduate of Prout High School in South Kingstown, and a business administration major at the University of Rhode Island who had enrolled for the fall 1984 semester but never finished it.
On a Sunday morning in May 1985, at about 4:15 a.m., her fully clothed, shoeless body was found on a sidewalk in front of 25 Anthony St. in Newport. Two brothers — Eric and Stephen Foss — discovered her while walking to their early-morning cleaning jobs. They thought at first she had simply passed out. Their brother went to check for a pulse. There wasn't one.
The night before
The prior evening, Hellewell had been visiting her boyfriend, Daniel Barry, at an apartment at 1 Friendship St. in Newport. Police said at the time that Barry reported her missing late the following night — 19 hours after her body had already been found. He tentatively identified her from a photograph. Then her parents were notified.
The state medical examiner, Dr. William Q. Sturner, determined the cause of death: asphyxiation due to strangulation.
The arrest
On Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2026 — more than 41 years later — authorities announced that 61-year-old William "Billy" Morton, a former Newport man, has been arrested and charged with one count of murder.
The announcement came from Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha at a press conference, with Newport Police Chief Ryan Duffy standing alongside him.
Morton has been charged, not convicted. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
This is a developing story. The Providence Journal notes it will be updated as more details emerge.
Source: The Providence Journal
Source: The Providence Journal — read the original report
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