Morallow Ground
December 7, 2013
The parents of a 21-month-old South Carolina girl who was shot to death on Monday have been arrested and charged in connection with her murder.
Madison Dolford was shot dead in the front yard of her Hartsville home around 6pm on Monday. The toddler’s father, 40-year-old Timothy O’Neil Sanders, and her mother, 23-year-old April Dixon, have been charged– Sanders with murder and the use of a weapon during the commission of a violent crime; Dixon with misprision of a felony (lying to police) and accessory after the fact.
Both parents were initially arrested on cocaine and marijuana possession charges. Held in the Darlington County Detention Center, both appeared before a judge in connection with the drug charges on Wednesday morning. Sanders is scheduled to appear in court for a bond hearing regarding his daughter’s murder.
Authorities said the shooting stemmed from an alleged altercation between some adults a week earlier. The incident happened while the child and her mother were in their front yard; police deployed bloodhounds in a bid to track down suspects from 7-11pm.
“Right now we have the person in custody that we believe committed this heinous crime,” Hartsville Police Chief James Hudson told WIS.
Hartsville Mayor Mel Pennington told the Morning News that little Madison’s death was “senseless.”
“Our hearts are heavy tonight as a city mourns a senseless act of violence, ending the life of an innocent little angel,” Pennington said. “We have a responsibility to protect our citizens and our city. We must deploy stronger measures in high-crime areas– immediately.”