Timothy Madden pleads guilty to the murder of Gabbi Doolin

The Scottsville man accused of killing and raping a 7-year-old girl in 2015 has pleaded guilty to her murder and kidnapping and entered an alford plea for rape and sodomy.

"I was able to sit down with Mr. Madden and his family and discuss the offer and the ins and outs of what was happening," said Defense Attorney, Tom Griffiths.

Timothy Madden appeared in Allen Circuit Court Saturday before Judge Janet Crocker.

"He additionally entered what is called an Alford plea, to counts two and three which means that he agreed that the Commonwealth had enough evidence to convict him, but he did not agree that he committed the act of count two and three which is the rape and the sodomy charges," Griffiths said.

Madden entered an Alford plea to the charges of rape and sodomy. An Alford plea is a plea "under which a defendant may choose to plead guilty, not because of an admission to the crime, but because the prosecutor has sufficient evidence to place a charge and to obtain conviction in court."

"So, Mr. Madden entered a plea to count one and county 4 of the indictment which is a plea to kidnapping and murder," Griffiths said.

Gabbi Doolin was killed on November 14, 2015 at a youth football game on the campus of Allen County-Scottsville High School after being reported missing for only thirty minutes. Doolin was found in a creek near the football field by police.

Madden was arrested a week later after police confirmed DNA at the crime scene.

Sentencing is scheduled for October 24 and 25.

The plea proposes a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

"So, assuming the court imposes that sentence, that will be his last court date on the 23rd and 24th of October," Griffiths said.

This story will be updated with more information as it becomes available.