Hamilton man gets life sentence for killing woman left in Middletown car lot

A Hamilton man received a life sentence Thursday in Butler County Common Pleas Court for the kidnapping and murder of a woman found dead last March in a Middletown car lot.

Darnell Dollar, 34, was indicted in April for murder and kidnapping in the strangulation death of 61-year-old Constance “Connie” Reddix. He pleaded guilty as charged in November. In exchange for the plea, the designation of repeat violent offender was dropped.

On Thursday, Judge Jennifer McElfresh sentenced Dollar to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 26 years. It is the maximum sentence he could have received. An additional 5.5 years could be added to Dollar’s sentence before parole eligibility if he gets in trouble in prison.

On March 14, Reddix was discovered by police in an SUV near Hanover Avenue and South Verity Parkway, but the assault apparently began the night before, according to police and 911 callers. Police said she was found dead inside the vehicle in the parking lot of Mid-Western Auto Sales on South Verity Parkway.

Reddix and Dollar knew each other.

Dollar has a previous conviction for two counts of felonious assault involving two women and was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2011.

Records indicate she was first assaulted behind the former Cincinnati State building in downtown Middletown from where Dollar forced her before the fatal assault.

Tabetha Reddix’s daughter wore a T-shirt that depicted her mother at the plea hearing. Family members have attended several pretrial hearings and in November they were joined by a woman who said she survived Dollar’s abuse as a young woman.

Ashley Simmons said “he (Dollar) beat her out of me” about her baby with whom she was pregnant. She would be 17 years old. In her case, Dollar was found incompetent for trial, she said.

“I found out about her mother and something told me I have to help. I couldn’t help my own baby, but I have to help them even if it was just being here,” Simmons said. “It is the happiest day of my of my life hearing him say guilty.”

Tabetha Reddix said she is grateful for Simmons’ presence and they are sure there of other victims of Dollar.

“She (Simmons) didn’t get justice and she wanted to make sure my mom got the justice she deserved because he is out there hurting people and he has been for decades,” Reddix said. “It is nice to actually see him plead guilty to the crimes he committed.”

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