The mother of the four-year-old girl missing from Shelby County since December 24, 2020, has been arrested and charged with her daughter’s murder.
Kentucky State Police arrested 21-year-old Catherine “Abby” McKinney on Saturday after the body of her daughter, Serenity McKinney, was located at approximately 2:00 Friday afternoon near the 1300 block of Skyview Road in West Point, a densely wooded area near the Jefferson/Bullitt County line.
The remains were transported to the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Louisville for an autopsy.
Also arrested and charged with Serenity’s murder is Catherine McKinney’s boyfriend, 26-year-old Dakota Hill. Both suspects are additionally charged with abuse of a corpse.
Serenity was initially reported missing in late January 2022 by extended family members who had not seen the little girl since Christmas Eve 2020. When Catherine McKinney became evasive and would not allow family members to FaceTime or talk with Serenity they reported her missing.
“There was no contact, (Catherine McKinney) wouldn’t FaceTime with Serenity, she wouldn’t let me see her,” Aundria Wainscott, Serenity’s step-grandmother told WAVE.com. “That’s when we started thinking something’s really not right. We’re very scared, we’re very scared at this point.”
Only days after Serenity was reported missing, her mother and Hill, who had not cooperated in the investigation, left the area and were arrested in Colby, Kansas, on February 6 and charged with custodial interference. They were both extradited to Shelby County.
The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, U.S. Secret Service, Louisville Metro Police Department, Bullitt County Coroner’s Office, Bullitt Co. Sheriff’s Office, Radcliff Police Department, Radcliff Fire Department, Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Jefferson County Search Dog Association assisted state police with the investigation.
The investigation is ongoing and being led by KSP Post 4 detectives.
Catherine McKinney and Hill are lodged in the Shelby County Detention Center.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
