A Bullitt County Circuit Court judge has set a January 31 trial date for the two people charged with killing and abusing the body of 4-year-old Serenity McKinney.
She had been missing for over a year before her remains were found.
During a brief court hearing Monday, Catherine McKinney and Dakota Hill were reminded of the penalties they face if convicted of the murder of Serenity, up to life in prison.
Serenity was last seen around Christmas 2020. Her extended family raised alarm about her safety last year and begged the community to help find her after her mother and boyfriend were arrested in Kansas. Five days later, investigators found the toddler’s body in a wooded area near the Bullitt-Jefferson county line.
Defense attorneys told Judge Rodney Burress they were ready to go to trial in late January, but the Commonwealth’s Attorney said they were waiting on one piece of evidence.
Burress reminded the defendants time to cut a deal is running out.
In addition to murder, McKinney and Hill are also charged with abusing a corpse and tampering with evidence. They will appear in court again right before the start of their trials.
Source: WAVE
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