In a deeply disturbing series of events that unfolded in Detroit, Michigan, one-year-old Lamar Bailey tragically lost his life on August 19, 2003. The young boy was a victim of a horrific act of violence perpetrated by his own father, Anthony Lamar Bailey. On that fateful evening, Anthony Bailey used a 12-gauge shotgun to fatally shoot Lamar and two of his daughters, 11-year-old Sharnice and 3-year-old Ayana, inside their home.
The tragic incident began to come to light when firefighters
responded to a fire at the family's residence on Ashton Avenue. In the basement, they discovered the bodies of the three children, as well as their critically injured 9-year-old sister, Antonia. It was the brave testimony of the sole survivor that directly implicated their father. Despite her severe injuries from a gunshot wound to the stomach, Antonia was able to tell a medical technician, 'My daddy killed me. My daddy killed my whole family'. Investigators later determined that Anthony Bailey had set the fire in an attempt to cover up the murders.
The day after the horrific crime, Anthony Lamar Bailey was apprehended by police. He was spotted walking on the Greenfield overpass over I-96 and was taken into custody without incident. He initially provided a false name to the authorities but eventually confirmed his identity. Bailey was subsequently charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of assault with intent to murder, and arson.
In court, Anthony Bailey pleaded no contest to the murder charges and guilty to the assault and firearm charges. He was sentenced to life in prison for the murders of his children. He will not be eligible for parole until he is 80 years old. The case left a lasting scar on the community, remembered for the brutal nature of the crime and the tender ages of its victims.
