Trans killer ‘Mia’ Bailey to be housed in Utah men’s prison for murder of parents—for now

Bailey, who now identifies as Muslim, pleaded to two counts of aggravated murder of his parents and one count of aggravated assault for shooting at his brother through a bedroom door on June 18, 2024. An overnight manhunt took place, and Bailey was later caught by police.

According to 2KUTV, Bailey will at least initially be housed in a men's prison, but a Utah Department of Corrections spokesperson said that an official housing assignment can take a few weeks. Under Utah law, the Utah Department of Corrections is required to assign inmates to housing based on their biological sex and not gender identity. However, there are exceptions to the rule after there is a security analysis that considers the inmate's anatomy, criminal history, past behaviors, and other factors.

If there is any indication that the trans inmate poses a danger to those around them, the inmate is supposed to be removed and placed in housing that corresponds with their sex. Bailey has been diagnosed with an array of mental disorders, including ADHD, OCD, anxiety, depression, psychosis, possible bipolar with psychosis, as well as schizophrenia.

Bailey, despite trying to skip the sentencing hearing, had a lawyer read a statement that read, “Because of my religious beliefs as a Muslim, it would be appropriate to take my life for atonement for what I did." That is in stark contrast to what Bailey initially said after he was caught by police after the shooting, where he said he "would do it again."

One of Bailey's brothers, Corey, said in the hearing that he does not wish any harm on the inmate, but added, "What’s best for us and what’s best for Mia is probably staying in prison for as long as possible."