On June 18, 2024, Colin “Mia” Bailey shot both of his parents at their home in southern Utah, and he made an attempt on his stepbrother and sister’s lives as well.
Body camera footage and police reports revealed that just under two weeks following the tragic incident, Bailey contacted authorities claiming his housemate was harassing him and threatening him with a shotgun.
Bizarre Allegations from Bailey
At 3:41 a.m. on June 5, 2024, Officer Weston Hughes responded to a residence in a St. George neighborhood where a “Baby Sleeps” sign was posted on the inner door. Inside lived Joseph Earle, his wife, and their small children.
Among the other occupants was Colin “Mia” Bailey.
Bailey was actually meant to vacate the property that same day. Earle’s wife informed the police that Bailey had been evicted for making excessive noise and disturbing their children’s sleep.
Apparently, that night was not different.
Officers arrived following a 911 call from Bailey at 3:23 a.m. They found him outside the residence voicing his frustration with Joseph Earle, whom he referred to as the “manager” of the home.
Bailey expressed, “He really does not like me, like, really. My guts,” emphasizing that this had been ongoing for months, and when Earle supposedly brandished a gun, he felt he had to act.
He told the officers that approximately half an hour prior, Earle had loaded a shotgun and threatened him repeatedly.
Bailey told Hughes, “I can confirm he has a shotgun because he tried to load it and threatened me.” Hughes later inquired about the gun’s description. Bailey replied, “I don’t know; it was too dark, but it was a shotgun.”
When pressed for clarification regarding his contradictory statements about viewing the weapon, Bailey said, “I’ve seen it, I’ve heard it, but I just opened the door and shut it.”
Besides his claims about the gun, Bailey mentioned that Earle had a “sound amplifier” that allowed him to hear everything in Bailey’s room, causing severe headaches. He even mentioned devices that supposedly blocked recording.
Bailey described an “X-ray” type device that he claimed could help Earle learn his password, stating, “It moves and has four wheels. You can hear it when it slides on the roof.” He insisted that at least one of these devices caused the house to shake, but he wasn’t certain which one.
Though he claimed Earle “appears to be in good spirits,” Bailey characterized him as “very manipulative.”
Additionally, Bailey alleged that Earle had confessed to putting “poison” in his drink and had made various other threats, including sexual ones, saying things like, “I’m going to fuck your wife and masturbate you to death.”
Bailey claimed Earle made many other lewd comments but described him as a “lunatic.”
In a moment of oddity, he asserted, “I’m not schizophrenic or anything.”
Bailey then showed Officer Anderson recordings and images that he supposedly had taken that morning, which Anderson later suggested contained no evidence to support Bailey’s claims.
Earle denied ever threatening Bailey or brandishing a weapon that night, stating, “Nothing like that happened at all.” His wife confirmed that he had slept the entire night without causing any disturbances.
Despite believing Bailey posed a threat, officers declined to search Earle’s apartment for evidence, citing a lack of probable cause.
Body camera videos captured the officers advising everyone to return to bed, concluding that Bailey’s allegations lacked any supporting evidence.
Concerns about Bailey’s Mental Health
Reports indicated that officers suspected Bailey might have mental health issues from the outset. After calling the police, the dispatcher noted Bailey was making “increasingly erratic sounds.”
Officer Hughes arrived shortly after, reporting to dispatch that it seemed to be a “96 problem,” a code referring to mental health concerns.
Hughes later acknowledged to Earle that Bailey’s actions and statements indicated psychological issues, although Bailey denied having any mental illness.
While speaking with officers, Bailey identified as “transgender,” noting he began his transition four years prior. He suggested that Earle’s behavior might stem from a negative reaction to his identity.
The Earl family referred to Bailey using feminine pronouns, and their complaints seemed focused on his noise disturbances rather than any hostility toward his gender identity.
Bailey hinted at personal feelings of self-loathing and insisted to Officer Anderson that he often told himself he hated his own being.
He also mentioned feeling unwell lately, attributing it to the “poison” allegedly in his drink.
The timeline of whether Bailey eventually left the residence remains unclear.
The Tragic Outcome
Less than two weeks after his encounter with police, Bailey committed the brutal act of killing his father, Joseph Bailey, aged 70, and his mother, Gail Bailey, aged 69, in their home in Washington, Utah. He also shot at the door of the bedroom where his brother and sister-in-law had barricaded themselves, although they managed to escape unharmed.
Bailey reportedly told investigators, “I would do it again. I hate them.”
In November 2025, now 30, he entered a plea of “guilty and mentally ill” to two counts of aggravated murder and one count of aggravated assault, receiving a 25-year sentence and potentially five additional years for assault.
At the sentencing hearing, his attorney argued that Bailey was diagnosed with multiple mental health challenges, including autism and schizophrenia. A brother of Bailey, who wasn’t a victim, expressed support for LGBTQ rights while also blaming some of Bailey’s mental decline on the administration of hormones without proper psychiatric oversight.
Currently, Bailey, who claims to have converted to Islam, is incarcerated at the Utah Correctional Facility, which has distinct facilities for men and women.
The reports from the St. George incident refer to Bailey as male.
In related news, Washington, Utah, is also known for Tyler Robinson, indicted for assassination charges earlier, and whose alleged boyfriend is noted to identify as transgender.
