Craighead Co. shooting suspect talks to NEA Report

JONESBORO, Ark. – Brandon Bailey, 24, is facing some serious charges from a shooting incident Monday night in Craighead County but in an exclusive interview with NEA Report, he said he wants people to know the truth about who the real criminals are.

“Dope heads showed up stealing from me and every one else, ‘car hopping,'” Bailey said. “[They were] verbally told to leave [but] instead they got inside of other vehicles in the drive. Yep. Continued stealing and then pulled a gun when some one went back outside to stop them.”

In the interview, Bailey alleged Collin Blake Miller, 23, Thomas Hortenberry, 25, and Matthew Sims, 23, showed up to his house Monday night to steal from him. Miller and Hortenberry were both shot on County Road 333 while Sims escaped unharmed before the three crashed their white Hyundai Sante Fe into the ditch. A tire had been shot out.

“I knew the guys personally and they have been ran off my property before for the same thing,” Bailey said. [They] had guns then and that was the day before the arrest he went to prison for on July 4th and just got out and came right back. I’m not the bad guy here. I was home minding my own business.”

But Bailey’s business may give the reader a glimpse into why he’s been targeted multiple times in the past year alone. When he was arrested Tuesday afternoon, Bailey was also charged with possession with intent to deliver (marijuana). Sheriff Marty Boyd said this was from a separate incident, when on January 14, officers reported finding 26.3 pounds of marijuana packaged in 1.1 pound air-tight bags. Despite this, he wasn’t arrested that day.

One of the three who went to Bailey’s home told police, as outlined in the probable cause affidavit, that they were there to buy marijuana. They may have shown up unannounced, upsetting Bailey. But what seems to have began the incident, from all accounts, was when one of the three began pilfering through vehicle’s at Bailey’s driveway – his and a female friend’s. This was even admitted to in messages by Sims on Facebook.

“It was the second time they showed up stealing from my property, both times with guns,” Bailey said. “The last time was within 24 hours of his arrest where he went to prison for his third time of breaking and entering, “car hopping”. He said he just got out and he came here to do it again. He was verbally told, very sternly, to leave. Instead, he walked to the drive way and fully got inside one of the vehicles and started sticking items in his pocket including purses and medication that they police found where he was throwing everything stolen out of the window after fleeing the scene. No harm was supposed to happen just stopping the vehicle to get the items back. These are all facts that have already been proven. I don’t want to be made out to be the bad guy any more when I was home minding my own business and dope heads I knew from school show up randomly and are so bold to continue stealing after being told to leave. Had nothing to do with romance or marijuana. More along the lines of protecting property and family.”

Bailey didn’t turn himself into authorities until approximately 2 PM Tuesday – more than 18 hours after the incident took place. He explained that he wanted to hire an attorney before turning himself in. With Bailey having hired an attorney and been released from jail a mere few hours after his arrest, it suggests a possible deal was struck to set his bond at a lower figure than usual. But despite hearing that police were out all night before searching for him, he insisted that he “didn’t run.”

“I didn’t sleep either when I’m be blamed for three attempted murders. I have a record for pot and the county cops have a tendency to cause me more harm than good,” Bailey said. “Again more things I’m not trying to explain at this moment. They would have treated me as if I was the criminal rather than the victim just like they did. I contacted my lawyer immediately and coordinated turning myself in first thing in the morning. I was not fleeing. That is their job they were on shift and that pic every one harassed me about was shared. Not created by me.”

Authorities are continuing their investigation and could not comment on the specific questions we had about the suspected thefts on Wednesday. The only pending charges in this case are against Bailey: three charges of criminal intent to commit murder.

One of Bailey’s biggest frustrations, he said, has been from how he feels the media portrayed him to look – including NEA Report. He said the press made him “out to look like the criminal and the criminals look like the victim.”

“I’d like for people to know the truth so I don’t look like a crazy person even though I was home and didn’t know anything was going to play out like this,” Bailey said. “They were even found with belongings stolen from my house.”