Southern Utah woman charged with aggravated murder; prosecutors won't seek death penalty

A southern Utah woman was charged Friday with two counts of aggravated murder accusing her of brutally killing her parents. Prosecutors said they will not seek the death penalty.

A southern Utah woman was charged Friday with two counts of aggravated murder accusing her of brutally killing her parents. Prosecutors said they will not seek the death penalty. (Morri Kessler, St. George News)


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WASHINGTON, Washington County — A 28-year-old woman accused of brutally killing her parents in their home is now facing 11 felony charges, including 10 first-degree felonies.

Mia Bailey was charged Friday in 5th District Court with two counts of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony. Prosecutors note in charging documents, however, that "the state is not seeking capital punishment. Accordingly, aggravated murder is not a capital felony. Aggravated murder is punishable by an indeterminate prison term of not less than 25 years and which may be for life, or life in prison without parole.

"The state hereby submits this notice of its intent to not seek the death penalty," prosecutors wrote.

Bailey is also facing charges of attempted aggravated murder, aggravated burglary and six counts of discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, all first-degree felonies; and one more count of discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony.

Bailey legally had her name and gender changed last year in 5th District Court from Collin Troy Bailey, according to court records.

She is accused of driving to the home of her parents, Joseph and Gail Bailey, at 1039 E. Chinook Drive in the city of Washington, on Tuesday, walking in uninvited and immediately shooting her parents multiple times.

Mia Bailey allegedly told police "that she did not have remorse for her actions and that she would not change what she had done. Mia stated, 'I would do it again. I hate them,'" according to a police booking affidavit. "Mia told officers that she went to the residence with the intent to kill her parents."

Gail Bailey and Joseph Bailey
Gail Bailey and Joseph Bailey (Photo: GoFundMe)

She then fired a round through a closed door into a bedroom that her brother had locked himself in, court documents state.

A GoFundMe* account has been set up by family members to help pay for funeral expenses.

The killings sparked an all-night search for Bailey, who police called "armed and dangerous," and police advised residents in the area to stay in their homes and lock the doors.

She was arrested in the area of 2800 East and 1000 South on Wednesday about 10:30 a.m. after being surrounded by police.

At least one neighbor said there had been "volatility and bad vibes" going on within the family. After she was arrested, Bailey also told police about "strained relationships with multiple other family members" and "multiple family members told law enforcement that they were afraid of Mia," according to a police booking affidavit.


*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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Pat Reavy interned with KSL NewsRadio in 1989 and has been a full-time journalist for either KSL NewsRadio, Deseret News or KSL.com since 1991. For the past 25 years, he has worked primarily the cops and courts beat.
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