In 2018, a homeless 21-year-old man identified as William Hillman made the headlines after he murdered a Minnesota woman and her young son. Although the culprit claimed to be mentally unstable at the time, he was eventually found guilty of his crimes and sentenced to over three decades in jail. Let’s take a look at the details of the tragic occurrence.
William’s Mental Illness History
Murdering the 42-year-old woman, Denise McFadzen, and her son, Dalton McFadzen, wasn’t the first time William committed a crime. In 2016, the homeless man assaulted his mother but was sent to the security hospital at St. Peter for a mental evaluation. At the hospital, William was diagnosed with schizophrenia and, as a result, was found incompetent to stand trial. William spent the next year at the hospital before leaving in November 2017.
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William Becomes Homeless
After leaving the hospital, William suffered a great deal. Due to his mental illness, he struggled to establish normal relationships with people around him. His bond with his mother was also severed due to the assault incident. In addition, William struggled to keep a regular address and a job. Eventually, his mental illness got the better of him, and he ended up on the streets as a homeless man.
Help Comes William’s Way
Not many homeless people are privileged to be taken in by someone, but William was lucky. After William spent months on the streets, Denise and Dalton eventually found out about his story and offered to lend a helping hand. Described as wacky yet kind and humble, the mother and son took William in and showed him all the love he could get. But, unfortunately, Denise and Dalton’s kind act would lead to their tragic deaths.
William Murders Denise And Dalton
On a fateful day at about 5 a.m., authorities responded to a call from Denise and Dalton’s relative, claiming that William had attacked them. Upon arrival at the location, authorities found Denise’s lifeless body outside her Perham trailer home with blunt trauma to the head. On the other hand, Dalton’s body was discovered lifeless in bed with blunt trauma to the head.
Minutes after the authorities discovered the bodies, William called dispatchers to turn himself in, noting that he had done a “bad thing.” Not long after, the deputies arrested him without incident, noting he was covered in blood. It was later revealed that William murdered the victims with a pipe wrench.
William Speaks About His Actions
William opened up about his mental illness diagnosis in an interview with investigators. He revealed he had been taking medications but stopped about five months before the incident. Also, William made it known that he didn’t remember the attack, only the moments immediately before and after. In addition, the homeless man noted that the family never threatened him, further revealing he planned to apologize to their relatives for killing them.
Denise And Dalton’s Neighbors’ Thoughts On The Incident
Peggy Jay, the victims’ neighbor, described what transpired as a horrific event. According to her, it was one she wouldn’t wish on anyone. The woman recalled when William realized what he had done and called 911. In her words :
“He just said he needed to call 911. I said do the people next door, do they need help? Do I need to go over there? He said you don’t want to go over there.”
Next, Peggy said William’s arrest was nothing like what was shown on the screens as he cooperated with the deputies. She and other neighbors noted that if the culprit was found incompetent to stand trial, they hoped he would get the help he needed.
Inside Victims Conviction
At William’s first court appearance, his attorney asked for a psych evaluation. So, the defendant was sent to St. Peter Regional Treatment Center for a 60-day evaluation. Afterward, the judge rejected William’s mental illness defense and found him guilty of his crimes.
William was sentenced to a 51-year term and is expected to serve 32 years in prison and the rest on supervised release.
