Documentary director solves the grisly murder of gay p*rnstar in a crazy way after 35 years

William Arnold Newton, better known under the alias Billy London, was a gay p*rnstar who was savagely killed and dismembered in 1990.

This story started in 1985, when a 19-year-old Billy moved to Los Angeles, California. He worked at a gay bathhouse before meeting adult film producer David Rey, who would later become his boyfriend. Over the next few years, he starred in p*rn flicks like Bulge, Head of the Class, Hot Wired, and In the Grip of Passion. He also worked under the name Bill E. London for movies such as Fantasy Boys, Swap Meat, and Dreamen.

In 1990, shortly after wrapping The Grip of Passion, Billy London was killed and dismembered. Only his head and one of his arms were found, stashed in plastic bags inside a dumpster.

“We have several leads we’re working on but nothing that is solid yet. We have other information we’re not at liberty to give out,” LAPD detective Ron Veneman said at the time.

Billy’s murder remained unsolved for 35 years, becoming an urban legend in LA, where it was referred to as the “gay black Dahlia.”

Credit: Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project

Filmmaker Rachel Mason solved Billy London’s murder

Filmmaker Rachel Mason first discovered the Billy London case when she was working on a film about her parents’ adult bookstore, Circus of Books, which is available on Netflix. She came across an old article about the murder and began work on cracking the case with help from amateur sleuths, LGBTQ+ community historians and LAPD cold‑case detectives.

Amateur investigator Clark Williams immersed himself in gay p*rn from that era, which drummed up the name of another performer: Darrell Lynn Madden. The p*rnstar openly admitted to homophobic killings in LA and Baltimore, and then Rachel found “chilling” archive footage from a memorial show that showed them appearing on stage.

With a new lead and a suspect in mind, Rachel worked with cold case detectives to contact the former p*rnstar, now known as DarraLynn Madden. She was serving a life sentence for an unrelated murder, and the team were able to extract a confession without revealing the full scope of their investigation.

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Rachel told the Hollywood reporter: “We were taken into a maximum-security unit. She came out in double shackles with a guard standing extremely close behind her. But what struck me most was how charismatic she was.

“The detective who interviewed her said the same thing — she’s very charming, very funny. Someone you could easily imagine having a conversation with over a beer. That makes it even more disturbing.”

Reflecting on the meeting, Rachel admitted that it was difficult to come to terms with DarraLynn’s trans identity.

“It was complicated and painful. My partner is trans, so hearing that information was like a knife to the heart,” she said.

Credit: Oklahoma Department of Corrections

“The last thing you want is a case like this being used to reinforce harmful stereotypes about trans people. At the time of the murders, this person was living as Darrell. Later in life she transitioned and now lives as DarraLynn. None of that excuses the crimes.”

Thanks to Rachel and the team of My Brother’s Killer, Billy London’s cold case is now solved. The documentary is showing on SXSW.

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