COLUMBIA, SC (WBTW) – The Hartsville man who murdered his 21-month-old daughter died in prison on Sunday, state officials confirm.
Timothy O’Neil Sanders, who was serving a life sentence for murdering his daughter in December 2013, died Sunday, according to South Carolina Department of Corrections Interim Communications Director Dexter Lee.
State officials did not say how Sanders died, but it was revealed during Sander’s sentencing in April 2017 that the convicted child-killer was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer.
According to Fourth Circuit Deputy solicitor Kernard Redmond, the prosecution was initially seeking the death penalty, but he took it off the table because of Sanders’ terminal disease.
Sanders shot Madison Dolford, 21-months-old, in the chest in December 2013. The shooting happened in the front yard while the mother of the child was with the little girl, Darlington County Coroner Todd Hardee said. The girl’s mother called 911.
The child’s mother, April Dixon, was also charged with murder and conspiracy in reference to the shooting death. The warrant states the conspiracy charge is due to evidence collected at the scene that indicates the couple planned the crime.
