Bullitt Co. woman reaches plea deal in murder of her 4-year-old daughter

The Bullitt County woman who killed her four-year-old daughter in December 2020 has reached a plea deal.

Catherine “Abby” McKinney pled guilty on Friday to manslaughter, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse in the death of her daughter, Serenity McKinney.

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, 22, and her boyfriend, 26-year-old Dakota Hill, were arrested in Colby, Kansas, on February 6, 2022, and charged with Serenity’s murder a week after the girl’s grandparents reported to police that they had not seen Serenity since Christmas Eve 2020.

Catherine McKinney’s plea deal amended the murder charge to manslaughter, as she has agreed to testify against Hill. The plea deal calls for her to serve 12 years in prison.

(Photo: Catherine McKinney, Serenity McKinney)

By Ken Howlett, News Director

Contact Ken at ken@k105.com