Tamaqua stabbing death trial delayed
A Schuylkill County judge has granted a Tamaqua man’s request to delay his trial for six months so he can be evaluated by an expert as to whether he was influenced by his alleged drug intoxication when he stabbed to death his wife Nov. 26, 2017.
Robert B. Bailey made the request Tuesday through his lawyer, public defender Kent D. Watkins.
Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Foose did not object.
In May, Judge John E. Domalakes denied Bailey’s request to suppress statements he made to police after being arrested for stabbing to death his wife, Diane Bailey, 43.
Bailey is charged with killing her on Nov. 26, 2017, at their home at 325 Lafayette St.
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 bloody. 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.
Bailey remains in the county jail without bail, charged with first- and third-degree murder, aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment and possession of instruments of crime.
