Hillary L. Hellewell was a 22-year-old woman from Jamestown, Rhode Island, whose life was cut short in May 1985. A former student of the University of Rhode Island, Hellewell was found dead in Newport after leaving a gathering the previous night. For more than four decades, her killing remained unsolved.
The case returned to the headlines in October 2026 after Rhode Island investigators announced the arrest of William “Billy” Morton, 61, in connection with Hellewell’s death. Investigators said advances in DNA analysis helped reopen the case and eventually identify a suspect. Morton was arraigned on October 6, 2026, and charged with murder. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Who Was Hillary Hellewell?
Hillary Hellewell was a young woman from Jamestown who was remembered by people who knew her as an energetic and outgoing person.
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, who grew up in Jamestown and said he had known Hellewell since childhood, recalled knowing her from at least kindergarten. During an October 6, 2026 press conference, he described her as “amazing and fun” while emphasizing that the focus should remain on Hellewell and her family.
Hellewell was one of three children. At the time of her death, her father was chairman of the English Department at North Kingstown High School and also served as chairman of the Jamestown Zoning Board. Her mother worked as a first-grade teacher at Jamestown School.
How Old Was Hillary Hellewell?
Hillary Hellewell was 22 years old when she was killed in May 1985.
Authorities and contemporary reporting identify her as a 22-year-old resident of Jamestown. Her age at the time of her death is also stated in the Rhode Island Attorney General’s announcement concerning the 2026 arrest in her case.
Her exact date of birth has not been reliably established in the sources reviewed for this biography, so it would be inappropriate to publish an unverified birth date.
Where Was Hillary Hellewell From?
Hellewell was from Jamestown, Rhode Island, a town located on Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay.
She attended school in the surrounding Rhode Island community and later studied at colleges in the state. Her connection to Jamestown remained significant to people who knew her, including Peter Neronha, who later became Rhode Island’s attorney general and whose office helped reopen the investigation into her death.
Hillary Hellewell’s Early Life and Family
Public information about Hellewell’s childhood is limited, but contemporary reporting establishes several details about her family and upbringing.
She was one of three children and grew up in Jamestown. Her father was an English teacher and department chairman at North Kingstown High School, while her mother taught first grade at Jamestown School.
The family has maintained privacy throughout the renewed investigation. When authorities announced the 2026 arrest, Neronha said Hellewell’s relatives had requested privacy because the developments remained extremely difficult for them.
Hillary Hellewell’s Education
Hellewell graduated from Prout High School in South Kingstown in 1982. The school was a Catholic girls’ school at the time.
After high school, she enrolled at Rhode Island College in 1982. Her studies were in liberal arts, with an emphasis on management.
In 1983, she transferred to the University of Rhode Island, where she studied business administration. She enrolled for the fall 1984 semester but did not complete the term and did not return to the university afterward.
Her education was therefore still in progress when her life was interrupted at the age of 22.
What Happened to Hillary Hellewell?
Hellewell was killed in Newport on or around May 19, 1985.
According to court documents and the investigation announced in 2026, she had spent the night at a gathering in Newport. Police determined that she later left the gathering with a male acquaintance whom she had offered to help get home because he was heavily intoxicated.
Her body was discovered at approximately 4:15 a.m. on Anthony Street, a side street near the Newport Public Library. Two brothers who were walking to work discovered her and contacted police.
An autopsy determined that she had died from strangulation. Investigators also found evidence of sexual assault.
Because DNA testing was not available to Rhode Island investigators in 1985, biological evidence collected during the original investigation could not immediately identify the person responsible.
Why Did Hillary Hellewell’s Murder Remain Unsolved?
The investigation initially involved interviews with people who knew Hellewell and individuals who had been at the gathering she attended before her death.
Investigators later obtained biological evidence that could potentially identify the person responsible. In 2004, Newport police submitted evidence from Hellewell’s clothing for DNA analysis. Testing produced a DNA profile, which was compared with samples from several men connected to the investigation. Those individuals were excluded.
The resulting profile was also entered into the national DNA database, but investigators did not receive a match at that time. The case therefore remained unresolved for years.
How Was Hillary Hellewell’s Case Reopened?
The investigation was reopened in 2023 by the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office and Newport Police Department.
Investigators used newer forensic techniques and sent evidence to a private laboratory specializing in advanced DNA analysis. The work eventually produced information pointing investigators toward a particular family line.
Investigators then examined relatives and used additional DNA comparisons to narrow their search. According to the affidavit described by Rhode Island Current, investigators eventually learned that one potential suspect had a paternal half-brother named William Morton.
The investigation continued into 2026.
Who Was Arrested in Hillary Hellewell’s Murder?
On October 6, 2026, authorities announced that William “Billy” Morton, 61, had been arrested and charged with murder in connection with Hellewell’s death.
Morton, a former Newport resident who was living in Smithfield at the time of his arrest, appeared in Newport County District Court and was ordered held without bail. His next court appearance was scheduled for October 20, 2026.
Investigators said a key development came from DNA recovered from a water bottle Morton had discarded after investigators followed him and his fiancée to an event in August 2026. A September 24 Rhode Island Department of Health report found that the DNA profile from the bottle was consistent with the DNA profile developed from biological evidence collected from Hellewell’s clothing.
The arrest is an allegation, not a conviction. Morton is entitled to the presumption of innocence and to a trial.
What Is the Latest News About Hillary Hellewell?
The biggest development came on October 6, 2026, when Rhode Island authorities announced the arrest in the decades-old case.
The announcement marked a major change in a case that had remained unresolved since 1985. Investigators credited modern DNA technology and the work of the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Cold Case Unit and Newport Police Department with helping identify a suspect.
Neronha said the case was especially meaningful to him because he had known Hellewell while growing up in Jamestown. He also emphasized that the renewed investigation was ultimately about Hellewell and her family, rather than the suspect.
At the time of the October 6 announcement, the criminal case was still at an early stage.
Frequently Asked Questions About Hillary Hellewell
Who was Hillary Hellewell?
Hillary L. Hellewell was a 22-year-old woman from Jamestown, Rhode Island, and a former Rhode Island College and University of Rhode Island student who was murdered in Newport in May 1985.
How old was Hillary Hellewell when she died?
She was 22 years old.
Where was Hillary Hellewell from?
She was from Jamestown, Rhode Island.
Where did Hillary Hellewell go to school?
She graduated from Prout High School in South Kingstown in 1982. She later attended Rhode Island College and transferred to the University of Rhode Island, where she studied business administration.
What happened to Hillary Hellewell?
Hellewell was killed in Newport on or around May 19, 1985. Her body was discovered on Anthony Street in the early morning hours.
Was Hillary Hellewell’s murder solved?
A suspect was arrested and charged in October 2026, but the case had not reached a final verdict at the time of this writing. The defendant remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Who was arrested in Hillary Hellewell’s case?
William “Billy” Morton, 61, was arrested on October 6, 2026, and charged with murder.
How was the suspect identified?
Investigators used newer DNA testing and investigative techniques. A DNA profile from evidence collected in 1985 was eventually connected to a family line, and investigators later obtained DNA from a water bottle discarded by Morton. Authorities said the resulting profile was consistent with the DNA evidence from Hellewell’s clothing.
Did Hillary Hellewell attend college?
Yes. She attended Rhode Island College before transferring to the University of Rhode Island, where she studied business administration.
Did Hillary Hellewell have a family?
Yes. She was one of three children. Her parents were members of the Jamestown community, with her father working as an English department chairman and her mother teaching first grade.
Remembering Hillary Hellewell
More than 40 years after her death, Hillary Hellewell’s name returned to public attention because investigators were able to revisit evidence that could not be fully analyzed with the technology available in 1985.
The current case is about more than the arrest announced in 2026. Hellewell was a daughter, sister, student and young woman whose life ended at 22. People who knew her have spoken about her personality and the memories they carried for decades.
As the criminal case proceeds, the most important facts remain those that can be established through evidence and court proceedings. Any final determination of responsibility belongs to the judicial process.