Vernon Parrish, a 41-year-old resident of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for the first-degree murder of Ronald Bailey. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
A jury found Parrish guilty on July 9, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The charges included first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
Evidence presented at the trial showed that on September 26, 2021, Parrish drove to Bailey's home on E Street Southeast in Washington D.C., with the intent to kill him due to their involvement with the same woman. Upon arrival, Parrish fired multiple shots into Bailey's house after calling out for him. Bailey was killed in the shooting.
Parrish was apprehended on October 6, 2021, and has remained in custody since his arrest.
U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith acknowledged the efforts of the Metropolitan Police Department in investigating the case. They also thanked the FBI Washington Field Office Cellular Analysis Survey Team for their assistance and recognized Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bromwich along with former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak and Alec Levy for their roles in investigating and prosecuting this case.