'Very chilling': Mia Bailey sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for murder of parents

ST. GEORGE — Mia Bailey, who pleaded guilty last month to shooting and killing her parents in St. George, was sentenced Friday to at least 50 years and up to life in prison.

Bailey, 30, was arrested and accused of shooting and killing Joseph and Gail Bailey on June 18, 2024, in their home in Washington, Washington County. Bailey filed a name and gender change in 2023 in 5th District Court from Collin Troy Bailey.

"The gravity that this court feels in the courtroom is very real. It's unfortunate that these things happen. Ms. Bailey, you are here because of the horrible acts that you committed," 5th District Judge Keith Barnes said. "All of us feel for the victims in this case."

Bailey was charged with two counts of aggravated murder, a first-degree felony, in addition to other crimes, such as attempted aggravated murder for shooting at a brother.

In November, Bailey pleaded "guilty and mentally ill" to two counts of aggravated murder, first-degree felonies, and one count of aggravated assault, a third-degree felony, as part of a plea deal.

On Friday, she was sentenced to two consecutive terms of 25 years to life in prison for the murder charges, plus a consecutive zero-to five-year term for the assault charge.

Barnes read a statement from a Bailey granddaughter, who reminisced about watching a sunset with her grandparents and feeling their love through the quality time they shared.

"The reality is that it's not just that your parents have passed on now, with an act that you committed. It's the ripple effect, the ripple effect that so many people feel," he said. "Your acts on that day were very chilling."

Bailey's brother, Corey Bailey, spoke at the sentencing, saying he still feels conflicted about the situation and doesn't know what justice being served means in this situation.

"I don't feel like there can be any true justice in something like this. It is unfair all around that my family has been broken by this in many ways," he said. "We've lost our parents and we've lost a sibling in many ways, as well. So either way, no matter what, we are losing as a family on this sentence."

A second brother, Dustin Bailey, also spoke on behalf of the family. He said his parents' lives were defined by how they lived, not how they died. He spoke of how hard-working, dedicated and loving his parents were, despite Mia Bailey's severe autism, schizophrenia, mental illness and other challenges in her life.

"When Mia struggled, Gail's response was not frustration or withdrawal. It was persistence. She meant it," he said.

Dustin Bailey said what the family misses the most is the "ordinary moments" of sitting on the porch, talking on the phone and spending time with one another.

If his parents were here today, "they would not ask for the harshest sentence simply because it exists. They would ask for treatment, structure, safety, acknowledgment of severe mental illness and yes, consequences, but not retribution," he said.

Two lives were ended because of Mia Bailey's actions and accountability is required, he said, but added, "We refuse to pretend you arrived at that moment with a healthy mind, full capacity or adequate support."

Dustin Bailey said Mia Bailey arrived at that moment after years of severe mental illness, "escalating instability," and repeated failures in systems that were supposed to help her, but instead abandoned her and increased the "psychiatric crisis" she was going through that ultimately led to the murders.

"The consequences we are asking for are not rooted in hatred or revenge. They are rooted in responsibility, safety and the reality that you require structure and treatment to survive. What happened cannot be undone, but pretending you are someone you were never capable of being does not serve justice and it does not honor our parents," Dustin Bailey said.

He asked the judge to order consecutive sentences, but did not advocate for life without parole, as that "is not justice. It is abandonment disguised as severity."

"If you are ever released decades from now, the reality you face will already be severe. Being a transgender felon in Utah will make integration into society extraordinarily difficult. That reality alone is a lifelong consequence," Dustin Bailey said.

The defense argued for concurrent sentences, citing Mia Bailey's lack of a prior criminal history and mental challenges. Defense attorney Ryan Stout pointed out that his client had committed herself to a hospital for "paranoia, delusions and hallucinations" but was discharged after just three days, and then 10 days later she killed her parents.

He quoted victim impact statements, which said Mia Bailey's actions came from "severe psychiatric dysfunction, not calculated evil."

Stout then read a statement from Mia Bailey, who said the events had brought her "great pain and regret."

"I was not in a stable mindset at the time and if only I had gotten help, this would have been preventable. It makes me want to die because I can't live with myself. I am sincerely deeply sorry to my family that I committed this atrocity. I wish I could earn forgiveness in time," Bailey's statement said.

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