Mother of missing 4-year-old Kentucky girl and her boyfriend charged with murder

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The mother of a 4-year-old Kentucky girl who's been missing for more than a year was charged with murder on Saturday.

Serenity Ann McKinney hadn't been seen since Christmas Eve of 2020, according to Shelby County Sheriff's Office. Family members said they spoke with Serenity over the phone about eight months ago, but since then, they've had no contact with the child.

According to Kentucky State Police, the child's body was found in a wooded area near the 1300 block of Skyview Road in West Point, near the Jefferson County - Bullitt County line around 2 p.m. on Friday. An autopsy was scheduled for Saturday morning.

"It's just absolutely heart wrenching. It's tough," Kentucky State Police Trooper Scotty Sharp said.

On Saturday, Catherine McKinney and 26-year-old Dakota Hill, Catherine's boyfriend, were charged with murder and abuse of a corpse.

Catherine Mckinney and Dakota Hill.png — Catherine McKinney and Dakota Hill were booked in the Shelby County Detention Center.

Sharp said crimes like this have an "emotional toll" on officers and investigators.

Catherine McKinney, 21, and Hill were arrested and booked into the Thomas County Sheriff's Office jail in Colby, Kansas, charged with custodial interference, earlier this month. Catherine and Hill, both from Shepherdsville, are being housed at the Shelby County Detention Center after being extradited from Kansas, according to Kentucky State Police.

Shelby County Sheriff's Office previously said Catherine hadn't been cooperating with the investigation.

Family members have held vigils and passed out flyers with Serenity's picture, hoping someone who has seen the 4-year-old will come forward.

"Obviously, it's tragic," Sharp said. And we hoped it turned out better, but everybody gave their 110%, and one way or another, we wanted to find out what happened to Serenity."

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