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BUFFALO, Mo. (KY3) - Timothy Norton, one of two men accused of Cassidy Rainwater’s death in Dallas County, entered a guilty plea in court on Tuesday.

Timothy Norton pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Rainwater’s death in the summer of 2021. A judge sentenced him to life in prison without parole.

A judge sentenced co-defendant James Phelps to life in prison without the possibility of probation and parole after he entered an Alford plea earlier in 2023. Phelps faced similar charges in the case.

KY3 News first broke the news of the case in mid-September. FBI investigators contacted detectives in Dallas County, saying they received photos from an anonymous person showing Rainwater in a cage. Investigators say a detective recognized Rainwater in a partially nude state. After searching Phelps’ phone, officials discovered seven photos of Rainwater.

In an exclusive interview with KY3′s Marina Silva, Timothy Norton admits he deserves to die.

“I deserve to die, and I am ready for that,” said Norton just after the court appearance.

Until his appearance, where he entered his plea, he’d been held in the Greene County jail, separate from the other suspected murderer in this case, James Phelps.

”It’s not right to take life. Everybody harps me. You know, I’m a monster of a Monster Monster.”

He says things went “sideways.”

“Just kind of happened. It seems like I told somebody else once. It kind of went sideways,” said Norton.

Norton said he and Phelps thought Cassidy had stolen things from them and wanted them back. He claims Phelps strangled Cassidy.

”The next thing I know, he was choking her, and things were going sideways. If you looked into his eyes, that would have been the last thing you know I wanted to do was cross him at that point in time. I know he’s got a temper,” said Norton.

Norton was not emotional through his court appearances and says he is still numb.

“Maybe later tonight I’ll, when I go to sleep, I’ll cry. You know you can talk to my kids, you can talk to my, you know, my exes. Most of my emotions come out when I’m asleep,” said Norton.

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