Former Corrections Officer Makes First Court Appearance for the Murder of Kevin Bailey
The Scioto County Courthouse was buzzing with conversation and questions until former corrections officer, Billy Thompson was brought into the courtroom. At that point, utter silence.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said, “Thompson was indicted by a Scioto County grand jury on Friday, April 16, on charges of murder, an unclassified felony; voluntary manslaughter, a felony of the first degree; and reckless homicide, a felony of the third degree. If convicted, Thompson could get 15 years to life in prison.”
Thompson pleaded not guilty on all charges. The twist is his $100,000 bond is a signature bond and he will be back on the street within the hour.
He was accompanied to the jail by his attorney and his mother. Thompson will be equipped with an ankle monitor at the jail and released. The county probation department court services will follow him to his home at 10 am tomorrow to seize his guns.
Thompson has a curfew from 10 pm to 6 am and is free to work or travel (even to other states).
Kevin Bailey Timeline
- May 24 – Kevin Bailey is arrested.
- May 26 – Bailey is assaulted at the jail sustaining skull fractures, broken ribs, and other serious injuries
- June 1 – Kevin Bailey is removed from life support and dies at a Columbus Hospital
- Early June – State of Ohio takes over the death investigation.
- Mid-June – Sheriff Marty Donnini fires a deputy in connection with the incident
- July 14 – Karen Skaggs receives a bill from the City of Portsmouth for her brother’s ashes.
- October 2 – Coroner’s report rules Bailey’s death a homicide by blunt force trauma. The reports detail multiple skull fractures, broken ribs, and bruises to Bailey’s lungs.
- December 2 -Scioto County Prosecutor Shane Tieman handed off the job of prosecuting any charges in the homicide of Kevin Bailey to the state of Ohio. In a statement, Tieman said, “The Ohio Attorney General’s Office accepted the request from the Scioto County Prosecutor’s Office to review and prosecute any charges arising out of the homicide investigation of the death of Kevin Bailey at the Scioto County Jail.”
- April 16, 2021- Grand Jury Indictment
- April 20, 2021- Defendant pleads not guilty
- April 20, 2021- Defendant signs bond, gets an ankle monitor and is released to the custody of court services
Here is the full, unedited, 8-minute hearing.
