Woman whose body was found in Kentucky creek 'advocated for the downtrodden,' friend says

UPDATE: Dodd was sentenced in November 2022 to 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to amended charges of first-degree manslaughter, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence. The original story from June 5, 2020 is below.

The body of a New York woman was found Wednesday in a creek in Shelby County, Kentucky, and a man has been charged with her murder, according to state police.

A kayaker on Clear Creek in Shelbyville contacted authorities shortly before 3 p.m. Wednesday after discovering a body while fishing, according to a Kentucky State Police news release.

The victim was later identified as Liliana Moss, 28, of Nassau County, New York, according to police.

Police determined through an investigation that William Dodd, 28, of Anderson, Indiana, was responsible for the death of Moss, according to the release.

Dodd was charged with murder, tampering with physical evidence and abuse of a corpse, police said.

Additional details were not provided, and an investigation is ongoing.

Dodd was booked into the Shelby County Detention Center and later appointed a public defender. He was arraigned on June 9, and a preliminary hearing was set for June 18, according to court records.

Michael Buszko, a friend of Moss, told The Courier Journal that she "advocated for the downtrodden and the helpless" and was a "proponent of social justice (who) supported the LGBT community through both voice and action."

Moss had moved from New York to New Jersey, Indiana and finally Kentucky, where she was living with Dodd in Shelbyville at the time of her death, Buszko said.

A creative person who loved to crochet and make crafts, Moss never lost her willingness to help and care for others, even when she went through tough times herself, Buszko added.

"At her best, Liliana was a warm and caring person," Buszko said. "She was one of those rare people who survived a great deal of trauma while still maintaining tremendous compassion for others."

Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com or 502-582-7030. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.