On September 2, just prior to the body's discovery, he raped and killed eight-year-old Karen Ann Hill, who had been visiting Watertown with her mother for the Labor Day weekend. Shawcross was arrested the next day. A grand jury indicted Shawcross for murder in Hill's death. On October 17, he was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of first degree manslaughter for both deaths and was sentenced to an indeterminate term with a maximum of 25 years at Attica.