Judge allows statements to police in Tamaqua stabbing

A Schuylkill County judge on Thursday immediately denied a Tamaqua man’s request to suppress statements he made to police after being arrested for stabbing to death his wife.

Judge John E. Domalakes denied Robert B. Bailey’s request to have the statements suppressed, and to have his charges dismissed, immediately after Bailey’s lawyer withdrew the motions.

Bailey, 53, had apparently not been clear as to when his Miranda rights, which inform an offender of his right to remain silent, were given him by Tamaqua police, according to his lawyer, public defender Kent D. Watkins.

Watkins has replaced Bailey’s previous lawyer, Kimm R. Montone, who has left the public defender’s office for another position.

Watkins told the judge he reviewed Bailey’s court documents, which say police gave him his Miranda rights shortly after taking him into custody, making the motion moot.

Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Foose is prosecuting the case. Tamaqua Police Cpl. Henry Woods was on hand to testify.

Several relatives of the victim, Diane M. Bailey, were in the courtroom, including her aunt and sister.

Robert Bailey is charged with killing his 43-year old wife on Nov. 26, 2017, at their home at 325 Lafayette St.

He remains in the county jail without bail pending further developments.

According to court documents and testimony, Tamaqua police were called to the home at 7:42 p.m. that evening to handle a domestic dispute

They found Diane Bailey’s body on the sidewalk, covered in blood from numerous stab wounds.

Witnesses told police it was Robert Bailey who stabbed her.

Bailey was found minutes later walking on Washington Street.

His hands and clothing were bloody, and he clutched a knife.

Bailey dropped the knife and told the officer, “I’m the guy you’re looking for.”

He was taken into custody without incident by West Penn Township patrolman Anthony Houser, who was helping.

Bailey confessed to the crime and told police where he discarded the knife used in the stabbing as he ran out the back door of his home.

The knife he was holding when police found him was not the murder weapon.

He’s charged with first and third degree murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment and possession of instruments of crime.