Kentucky Mother Charged With Murder After Serenity McKinney’s Body Found In Wooded Area

The mother of a missing Kentucky girl has been charged with murder after her daughter’s body was found in a wooded area on Friday.

Relatives of 4-year-old Serenity McKinney had not seen the child since Christmas 2020. Eight months after their last communication with the child, family members raised concerns with questions regarding her whereabouts. On Jan. 31, McKinney was reported missing.

The Kentucky State Police revealed McKinney’s body was discovered about 2 p.m. local time on Friday near the edge of Bullitt and Jefferson counties.

“It’s just absolutely heart-wrenching. It’s tough,” said Scotty Sharp, a Kentucky State Police trooper.

Catherine McKinney, 21, and her boyfriend, Dakota Hill, 26, face charges of murder as well as abuse of a corpse. The couple had been arrested earlier this month on charges of custodial interference.

A judge ordered Catherine McKinney to produce the child. When she failed to do so, she and Hill were booked into the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office jail in Colby, Kansas.

Following the murder charge, the two were extradited to Jefferson County.

Members of Serenity McKinney’s family had held vigils to raise awareness about the search.

“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.”

An autopsy for Serenity McKinney was scheduled for Saturday morning.