DAYTON " The prime suspect in the death of an Oregon teen who vanished in 1998 was sentenced Thursday to 30 days in jail for failing to register as a felon in Lyon County.
Dale Wayne Hill, 39, waived his right to an attorney and pleaded guilty via closed circuit television from the Yerington Jail before Dayton Justice of the Peace Camille Vecchiarelli.
When asked what brought him into court, Hill said, "I had a deputy show up at the house and he asked whether I'd filed as an ex-felon and I hadn't. It was my fault. I was completely unaware I had to do so."
Hill told the judge he'd lived in the apartment on Dayton Valley Road, just two blocks from Dayton High School, for about two months.
A former Oregon resident, Hill is the sole suspect in the 1998 disappearance of Stephanie Condon, 14, an Oregon girl whose remains were located two weeks ago in a forested area near where Hill once lived.
At the time of Condon's disappearance, Hill had allegedly told investigators he'd stopped by the home where Condon was babysitting to visit her cousin who was not home. He denied any involvement in her disappearance.
A month after Condon vanished, Hill was arrested and charged with second-degree burglary for breaking into a home, getting in a fight with the homeowner and stealing a pair of women's panties. He pleaded no contest to the charge and was sentenced to six years in prison.
He was released in 2004.
After the discovery March 13 of a human skull by a hiker, and subsequent identification of the remains as Condon, officers with the Douglas County, Ore., Sheriff's Office, Oregon State Police and FBI arrived in Northern Nevada on Tuesday with the hopes of interviewing Hill.
They first attempted to locate Hill at an address on Corbett Street in Carson City, but then learned he'd moved to Dayton, according to Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong.
About a half hour after the public announcement of the remains' identity, the cadre of officers converged on Hill's complex and met him as he was leaving his apartment.
Lyon County Sheriff's Capt. Rob Hall said Hill declined to speak with Oregon investigators concerning the Condon case. He was arrested by a Lyon County deputy for failing to register as a felon.
Oregon authorities have yet to charge Hill in the Condon case.
It's unknown how long Hill has been in the area, but Carson City Clerk Recorder records indicate he was married in October 2007 at the Adventure Inn in Reno.
It's believed he is currently employed by a company in Mound House.
With good-time credit, Hill could be released from the Lyon County Jail as early as April 14.
- Contact reporter F.T. Norton at ftnorton@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1213.
Video courtesy of KVAL TV in Eugene, Ore. Or visit http://www.KVAL.com
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