Mother's boyfriend pleads guilty to killing 4-year-old Serenity McKinney

A man has pled guilty in the murder of four-year-old Shelby County girl, Serenity McKinney.

Dakota Hill, 28, pled guilty earlier this week to killing Serenity in late December 2020. Serenity’s mother (and Hill’s girlfriend), 22-year-old Catherine McKinney, previously reached a plea deal where she pled guilty to manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse in the death of her daughter. She was sentenced to 12 years in prison in April. Catherine McKinney was originally charged with murder.

Hill, in addition to pleading guilty to murder, pled guilty to abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. The prosecution recommended a 50-year prison sentence for Hill. His formal sentencing will take place on July 6.

The Bullitt County Coroner’s Office said Serenity, whose skeletal remains were found in February 2022 in a wooded area in the 1300 block of Skyview Road in West Point, suffered broken arms and legs and was discovered wrapped in plastic and stuffed in a suitcase.

DNA tests had to be used to make a positive identification of Serenity’s body.

Catherine McKinney and Hill were arrested in Colby, Kansas, on February 6, 2022, a week after the victim’s grandparents reported to police that they had not seen Serenity since Christmas Eve 2020.