Ellington Convicted Killer Ordered to Pay $9M to Victim's Family

An imprisoned former business executive from Ellington was ordered this week to pay upwards of $9 million to the family of an East Hartford woman he was convicted of murdering six years ago.

The Journal-Inquirer of Manchester reported that Kenneth Otto Sr. owes restitution to the estate of Shamaia L. Smith, the 22-year-old exotic dancer who's remains were uncovered on Otto's property in Stafford in April 2007.

Otto was facing a wrongful death suit filed by Smith's family, the JI reported.

Otto is serving a 60-year sentence after being found guilty at trial in 2008 of one count of murder and two counts of tampering with evidence, NBC Connecticut reported. Police said that, after killing Smith, an exotic dancer at Kahoots in Vernon, Otto burned her body and her remains were later discovered in Stafford during a police search.

Otto appealed his conviction in 2009 however a judge upheld the ruling, rejecting Otto's argument that he intended to cause Smith's death, the Associated Press reported.