Transgender Woman Kills Parents, Receives Consecutive Sentences

Mia Bailey, a 28-year-old transgender woman, admitted in a police interrogation video that she fatally shot her parents, Joseph and Gail Bailey, in June 2024. The confession says she entered with a pawn-shop gun, fired about twelve rounds—including one through her brother’s door—and fled. She later attempted suicide by climbing a cliff in south St. George. In December 2025, she pleaded guilty to two murders and an aggravated assault for shooting her brother and his wife. A judge imposed two consecutive 25-year-to-life terms plus five years for the assault.

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At the time of the killings, Bailey was homeless and owed roughly $20,000 for hormone therapy and other expenses. She accused her mother of sabotaging her planned gender-affirming surgery, calling it the “last straw,” and described her mother as having “boundary issues.” Bailey told investigators she had threatened suicide and cited declining mental health as influencing her decision.

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• June 2024 – Bailey shoots Joseph and Gail Bailey in their Utah home.

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• Wednesday (date unspecified) – KUTV releases the police interrogation video.

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• December 2025 – Bailey pleads guilty to murder and aggravated assault.

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• Date unspecified – Sentencing imposes consecutive 25-year-to-life terms and a five-year assault term.

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Debt for transition care: $20,000. Rounds fired: about 12, including at least one aimed at a family member other than the parents. Sentencing: two consecutive 25-year-to-life terms and an additional five-year assault term.

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Washington County Attorney Jerry Jaeger called the killings “heinous” and urged consecutive sentences, saying the crime warranted the maximum penalty. The prosecutor emphasized that the consecutive sentences reflect the gravity of the familial homicide. The judge agreed, rejecting the defense’s request for concurrent terms.

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Bailey’s defense attorneys argued for concurrent sentences, calling the consecutive terms excessively punitive. Their stance reflects a disagreement over appropriate incarceration length. The defense sought concurrent sentences rather than the prosecutor’s consecutive request.

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• “I told them I was going to kill myself so many times,” — Mia Bailey

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• “She can't say sorry to save her life, apparently.” — Mia Bailey

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• “Enough is enough, I'm taking someone with me,” — Mia Bailey

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• “if it did, then so what?” — Mia Bailey

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Bailey’s confession ended with a plea for more support for the LGBTQ+ community and fewer barriers to gender-affirming care. The case underscores how family conflict over transition can intersect with mental-health crises, sparking debate over access, financial obstacles, and the need for supportive services.

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Bailey’s incarceration will continue under Utah state law, with no indication of parole eligibility in the near term.

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