With the sharp increase of people living on the streets of America in recent years, it’s always nice to know there are still some decent people out there who are selfless enough to help others in their time of need.
When William was taken in by the McFadzen family he was very thankful at the time for their kindness. But William found the family to be “weird” and that was a massive issue for him…
On The Streets
After leaving the Minnesota Security Hospital at St. Peter, William found himself completely at a loose end. He was jobless, homeless and his own mother wasn’t even speaking to him after the incident where he hit her. William was at an all-time low and had nowhere to turn…
Hard Life
Life for William had always been a struggle. Having suffered from various mental health issues, William wasn’t exactly what you’d call stable, and that meant he found it hard to get along with people and even harder to keep down a job and a regular address.
Mentally Ill
Back in 2016, William was officially classified as mentally ill after he punched his own mother and threatened to kill her. At that time, in June, he was admitted to the Minnesota Security Hospital at St. Peter for treatment. However, by November 2017, William was back on the streets and homeless…
Thought Disorder
The psychologist’s evaluation noted that William was suffering from something called a “thought disorder.” That means that he had a hindered ability to recognize reality in some situations. “He does pose a substantial likelihood of physical harm to others,” said the report but nothing was done to help William further at that time.
Hitting Mom
Two years previous and William was apparently unable to control strong urges to beat on his mother. At the time, William was living with his mother and was charged with a felony when he did end up hitting her, however, the case was dismissed due to William’s mental health condition…
Medication Stopped
Having been diagnosed with Schizophrenia, William was put on strong medication to help deal with his illness. He took the medication successfully for a while, but then stopped taking the medication around five months ago after he was released from the mental health facility.
Loving Kindness
Dalton and his mom Denise were a little wacky as people. Being Hippie types the family didn’t value materialism and vanity and were considered by all to be kind and humble people. When they found out that a guy called William was homeless and needed somewhere to sleep, they didn’t hesitate to reach out and help him.
A Bad Thing
Having lived with the new family for a few weeks, William had been getting on well with them at first. They would shop together, eat together and even watch movies at home. But one night William got a dark cloud over him and did what he described to officers as a “bad thing,” but that was the understatement of the century…
Just 21
William may only be 21 years old but that didn’t stop him from beating his host family to death in a shocking twist of events. He reckons that everything went black and he doesn’t remember anything, but he killed Denise outside the front door of her house in a frenzied beating and her son suffered the same fate while he slept in his bed.
No Explanation
Despite his history of mental illness, William was arrested by the attending officers who tried to get an answer from his as to why he had beaten these two people to death. The only explanation he offered was the family was “weird” and that was that…
Murder Weapon
William showed a lot of strength but zero mercy as he proceeded to beat the mother and son repeatedly over the head with a large pipe wrench from the garage, which police found, covered in blood, leaning against a wall in the rural home located near to Perham.
Homicidal Violence
The police report noted that Dalton, 21 and his mom Denise, 42, were victims of “homicidal violence” at the hands of William Hillman who bludgeoned them to death in cold blood. He had lived with the family for six weeks, but for some reason one night he snapped…
Never Threatened
When officers at the scene asked Hillman if he had even been threatened by the McFadzens he said, “they had not.” According to the killer, he murdered the mother and son for no other reason than that they were “weird.”
“I’m Sorry”
During the police interview which took place downtown, investigators were trying to ascertain whether or not the suspect was in his right mind at the time of the double homicide. When they asked Hillman again why he had done such a terrible thing, he simply responded, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I did it.”
Campaigning For Justice
Krystle Schwartz, a friend of the McFadzens, initiated a Gofundme page to help to pay for burial services for the two victims. The plea on the money-raising website read, “Early April 17th outside of Perham, MN two peoples lives were senselessly taken by another individual. They were the kindest, caring, loving people you would meet.” Tragically, it always seems to be the kindest of people who suffer the worst fates.
Pure Kindness
The post continued, “They were kind enough to let someone in their lives without knowing the end result. They are not wealthy by any means are struggling with the fact they have to bury a mother and her son with little to no finances. Denise was married to her husband for 20+ years and this is very hard for her husband Mark and there surviving children.” The fact that there is still the surviving family is also tragic, as they need to face the reality of the future…
Sweet Young Man
Losing his life at the tender age of 21 is a tragedy. Dalton, according to Schwartz, “Was a very sweet young man with a heart of gold taken to young. We asked if there was anything my mom and I could do to help and I feel that this is the best way to help them.”
Coming To Terms
As well as a husband of 20 years and two other children, friends and neighbors of the McFadzens are also trying to come to terms with the awful tragedy that happened to them. The rural town where the murders took place enjoys a tight-knit community; one that was left in shock by the brutal murders…
Unclear Future
Due to the fact that neither the police nor mental health professionals are sure whether Hillman was in his right mind when he committed the murders, sentencing him for the time being is an unclear process. It, therefore, remains to be seen whether or not he will be tried in a standard court of law or will be prosecuted under the mental health act.
Lessons Learned
The tragedy of this story is the fact that kind, honest people took in a homeless man with problems in a totally selfless way and without asking for anything in return. The fact that the man killed them in their own home is sad beyond belief. Thankfully, their memory lives in and remains intact as the wonderful people they were.
