Bio 

William Wilton Morrisette III was born on April 2, 1947. Before the murder case, Morrisette had lived in Virginia and had known or come into contact with Dorothy “Dottie” White. Later reporting stated that he had once done yard work for White, who was a 47-year-old bank worker living in Hampton. That connection became important years later, after DNA evidence linked him to the crime scene.

Dorothy White was killed in 1980, but the case remained unsolved for nearly two decades. Morrisette had been questioned in the early investigation, but he was not charged at that time. Years later, White’s family continued pushing for answers. In 1999, renewed DNA testing connected Morrisette to biological evidence from the crime scene.

At the time of the DNA match, Morrisette’s DNA profile was already in a state felon DNA database. This allowed investigators to connect him to the evidence collected from White’s home. He was arrested in 1999, nineteen years after the murder.

Morrisette’s case became significant because it showed how DNA testing could solve older homicide cases that had remained open for many years. The long delay between the crime and arrest also became part of his defense argument, but the courts rejected the claim that the delay violated his due process rights.

Murder Story

On July 25, 1980, Dorothy “Dottie” White was found dead inside her mobile home in Hampton, Virginia. She was 47 years old and worked at a local bank. Court and case records state that she had been raped and stabbed multiple times.

White’s murder remained unsolved for 19 years. Morrisette had been questioned during the original investigation, but he was not charged at the time. The case later moved forward because of DNA testing requested by White’s family. In 1999, DNA from the crime scene was tested and matched Morrisette’s profile in the state felon DNA database.

After the DNA match, Morrisette was arrested and charged. Prosecutors used the DNA evidence to link him to White’s rape and murder. The defense argued that the long delay between the 1980 crime and the 1999 arrest had harmed Morrisette’s ability to defend himself, partly because some possible alibi witnesses were no longer available. The Virginia Supreme Court rejected that argument and allowed the conviction to stand.

On August 15, 2001, a jury in the Circuit Court for the City of Hampton convicted Morrisette of rape and capital murder during the commission of rape. During the penalty phase, the jury found that the prosecution had proven the aggravating factors of future dangerousness and vileness, then fixed the punishment at death for the capital murder conviction and life imprisonment for the rape conviction.

On October 30, 2001, Judge William C. Andrews III imposed the death sentence. Morrisette appealed, but on September 13, 2002, the Supreme Court of Virginia affirmed his capital murder conviction and death sentence.

The case changed during later habeas proceedings. The Supreme Court of Virginia vacated the death sentence because the penalty-phase verdict form was faulty. The court found that the form did not properly instruct jurors that life imprisonment was mandatory if the Commonwealth failed to prove the required aggravating factors beyond a reasonable doubt. A new sentencing hearing was ordered.

The Commonwealth sought review from the United States Supreme Court, but the Court declined to hear the appeal on February 27, 2007. This left the Virginia Supreme Court’s ruling in place and meant Morrisette would face a new sentencing proceeding rather than immediate execution.

Before the resentencing hearing took place, Morrisette, his attorneys, and Hampton prosecutors reached an agreement. The death penalty was removed from the case. In return, Morrisette agreed to serve life imprisonment without the possibility of parole and to drop pending appeals.

Virginia Parole Board records from June 2025 list William Wilton Morrisette III as still incarcerated. The record identifies his crimes as aggravated murder during rape and rape by force, threat, or intimidation, and states that parole was denied because of the serious nature of the offenses and his extensive criminal record. William Wilton Morrisette III remains legally convicted of the rape and capital murder of Dorothy “Dottie” White.