In the early morning hours of December 22, 2019, a violent encounter in a residence off Old KY 30, about five miles north of London, Kentucky, claimed the life of 28-year-old Michael Andrew Bailey. Responding to a call at approximately 1:21 a.m., Laurel County Sheriff's deputies discovered Bailey with a gunshot wound to his chest. He was a resident of East Bernstadt, Kentucky.
Emergency medical personnel transported him to the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The investigation into the shooting led to the immediate arrest of four individuals at the scene. Among them was Douglas Earl Bailey, a 44-year-old from East Bernstadt, who was initially charged with first-degree assault under domestic violence circumstances and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The other three individuals arrested were 38-year-old Crystal Nicole Johnson of London and 46-year-old James Brian Hart of East Bernstadt, both charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Also taken into custody was 50-year-old Dewain N. Bailey of East Bernstadt, who faced charges of public intoxication from controlled substances and second-degree disorderly conduct.
Following the initial arrests and a preliminary hearing in Laurel District Court on January 3, 2020, the case against Douglas Earl Bailey escalated significantly. The assault charge was upgraded to murder, and the case was anticipated to be presented to the Laurel County Grand Jury during its January term. Michael Bailey was survived by his wife, Page Bailey, and their two sons.
