Staigmiller sentenced in fatal 2025 carjacking in downtown Great Falls
Sarah Bailey was the love of Ned Bailey’s life — a love lost May 18, 2025, when Kelsey Staigmiller caused a disturbance in the Roberts Apartments downtown, then got into a truck occupied by Sarah Bailey, pushed her out and dragged her for several blocks, leading to Bailey’s death.
Bailey, a downtown business owner and tattoo artist, who investigators said had no previous known connection to Staigmiller and had gotten into her truck just one minute before Staigmiller got in, according to court documents.
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Staigmiller, 32, was sentenced on April 21 on felony counts of deliberate homicide and criminal mischief.
Judge Elizabeth Best followed the prosecution’s recommendation, sentencing her to 100 years in the Montana State Prison with 20 years suspended on the homicide charge, and time served, plus about $40,000 in restitution for the totaled truck for the criminal mischief charge. She will be eligible for parole.
About 30 people attended the hearing, which included metal detectors at the door and additional security in the courtroom.
During the hearing, Ned Bailey said, “my heart is literally broken because of this. She was a light in the darkness, she was a beautiful soul.”
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Asked his wishes regarding sentencing, he said, “I never want [Staigmiller] to see the free light of day again. I never get to see my wife again. It’s not fair. Sarah was a beautiful person. I am utterly heartbroken.”
In December, Staigmiller appeared in court to plead guilty after signing a plea agreement, in which the Cascade County Attorney’s Office dropped felony charges of criminal endangerment, robbery, theft and burglary, in exchange for her guilty plea to homicide and criminal mischief.
Staigmiller spoke during her sentencing, apologizing to Bailey’s family and friends.
“I wish more than anything I can go back to that day and just get out of the truck. I’m just so sorry,” she said. “I know I traumatized an entire community.”
Emotionally, Staigmiller said that she understood her recklessness caused Bailey’s death, but it wasn’t deliberate.
She said she’d left the hospital earlier that day against medical advice after detoxing from fentanyl for five days because she wanted to be a better mom to her 11-year-old.
She said it was a mistake to have left the hospital and her addiction overpowered her.
With a sober mind, she said she’s a good person and that “I can’t undo what I’ve done,” but can only do better.
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In issuing the sentence, Best said that in such serious cases, it’s “striking to me” the impact ripples across families and communities.
“Life is so fragile,” she said, and when it ends, it leaves heartbreak.
Best said that she’d considered everything said during the hearing and the facts of the case, and had to follow the three prongs of Montana sentencing policies: the need to punish, provide for community safety and rehabilitation for defendants.
Staigmiller killed an innocent person, scarring everyone involved and the entire community, Best said, but had lost a child of her own and was in the throes of a longstanding addiction.
Staigmiller completed high school and was a noted community artist, as was her victim, which Best said was “tragically ironic.”
According to online records, Staigmiller was a senior at C.M. Russell High School in 2012 when her art was selected by the Downtown Business Improvement District for the 1st Avenue North underpass mural that remains in place today. Her artwork was also displayed at the Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art in 2011.
“I am convinced that her remorse is sincere,” Best said.
Under the law, those under the influence are responsible for their actions, and Best said Staigmiller had done the “rarest of things” and took accountability, entering a guilty plea early in the case.
Best said she’d done her best to impose a just sentence considering all of the facts of the case, but “I can’t bring Sarah back and I know there are a lot of broken hearts here.”
Samantha Houston said Bailey was her friend and mentor at the tattoo shop that Bailey had owned, Sparrows and Arrows at 524 Central Ave.
“The world has been diminished with her loss,” she said, but hoped Staigmiller could get help for her addiction.
Rylee Strano had been friends with Bailey for about eight years.
She said Bailey had supported her through difficult times.
“She was my safe place. And I don’t have that anymore,” Strano said. “Great Falls truly lost one of its brightest stars.”
The defense called Sara Boilen, a psychologist, who was hired to perform a sentence mitigation report.
Boilen found that Staigmiller had “profound empathy,” and her substance abuse was a coping mechanism for a shaky sense of self.
She said Staigmiller expressed shame, which was an indicator of her accepting responsibility, and a close connection with her family, displaying willingness and readiness for treatment.
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She said that Staigmiller needed mental health and substance abuse treatment to shift her behaviors.
During cross-examination, Matt Robertson, a deputy county attorney prosecuting the case, said that during phone calls from jail, Staigmiller had said she got caught because she didn’t ditch Bailey’s truck, among other comments that indicated to him she hadn’t taken responsibility.
He said Staigmiller had told her mother on one call, “I didn’t mean to kill that lady,” to which her mother reminded her the lady had a name, husband and son.
Kurt Staigmiller, the defendant’s father, said, “I can feel the pain and suffering that Kelsey’s actions caused.”
He said Bailey’s family and friends had all his sympathy.
He said he’d heard his daughter described as a monster, which was distressing for him to hear, as were her actions that day, but there was a completely different side to her and she was “a beautiful young woman.”
Staigmiller’s defense attorney, Mark Frisbie, asked about the public apology the family shared with local media shortly after Bailey’s death and whether they were concerned it could hurt their daughter’s case.
Kurt Staigmiller said that in that moment that wasn’t their top priority, but that they felt for Bailey’s family and friends.
The family’s statement was:
“Kelsey’s family would like to extend their heartfelt condolences to Sarah Bailey, her family and this community. She was a beautiful artist who touched many lives. Sarah was an innocent victim and there are no words to express the pain and grief Kelsey has caused Sarah’s family and the community. We pray for peace and hope for all who have been affected by this tragic event.”
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Frisbie said that Staigmiller struggled with trauma, post traumatic stress and addiction, lacking coping skills.
During the hearing, Michelle Christino testified about how she didn’t know Bailey, but saw the altercation and had tried to help Bailey.
She lived in the Roberts Apartments and had her young son with her that day.
Christino was visibly emotional while describing the incident in which Bailey “was screaming for help.”
She said she ran to the truck and attempted to get Bailey untangled from the seatbelt, which was strangling her.
Staigmiller had sped up, Christino said, and she was unable to get Bailey’s head out of the seatbelt and was dragged along with Bailey.
“Even though I didn’t know her, I held on to her very tightly…I didn’t want her to pass away by herself,” Christino said. “I wanted her to know that when she was screaming for help, there was someone that cared enough to help her. She was an innocent person and I just wanted to help because she didn’t deserve that.”
She said the day replays in her mind and her son has nightmares about witnessing the incident.
Christino said she’d like to see Staigmiller get help, but wanted justice.
“It’s not fair that she gets to live her life outside when there’s so much pain because of what happened,” she said.
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Robertson, the prosecutor, said that he knows Staigmiller is a mother who likely won’t have much contact with her child and her parents will essentially lose their daughter, but that can’t excuse her “monstrous behavior.”
“This is every citizen’s worst nightmare,” he said.
Det. Travis Burrow of the Great Falls Police Department investigated the case, reviewing video of the incident.
Bailey had just finished work and was sitting in her truck, about to go home to her family, Burrow said, when Staigmiller got in, dragged her for several blocks at a high rate of speed, ran her over and left her in the road in front of Fire Pizza where people were eating dinner on a Sunday evening.
He said Bailey’s son had reported her missing that night because he didn’t know what had happened.
“The community doesn’t expect that this stuff happens, but here we are,” Burrow said. It was a “random senseless act of violence.”
Around 6 p.m. May 18, 2025, GFPD officers were dispatched to a report of a disturbance near 6th Street South and Central Avenue at the Roberts Apartments.
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GFPD said the investigation revealed Staigmiller, who was not a resident of the building, had been disturbing the peace of several residents there and had become locked out of the building as a result.
When Staigmiller couldn’t get back into the building, she unlawfully entered the truck occupied by Bailey nearby.
There was an altercation between the two and “as the vehicle was driven away in a highly dangerous and erratic manner, [Bailey] sustained significant injuries that resulted in her death,” according to GFPD.
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Shortly after the initial incident, Bailey was found in the street near the intersection of 5th Street North and 1st Avenue North, where life-saving measures were rendered but were unsuccessful.
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Staigmiller fled Great Falls in Bailey’s vehicle and was located a few hours later by Missoula County Sheriff’s Office deputies near Bonner, according to GFPD.
The following is from charging documents filed in district court in Staigmiller’s case:
The first GFPD officer was dispatched to the Roberts Apartments on reports of two females arguing about drugs and it “sounded as if the disturbance was going to become physical.”
The officer reported that as he was responding, additional information was relayed that the suspect, later identified as Staigmiller, had exited the building and just stolen a truck from a female outside. Callers reported that Staigmiller had pushed the owner out of the truck and she was being dragged on the roadway, according to court documents.
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When the first officer arrived at the Roberts, several witnesses told him Staigmiller had just left in the stolen truck, last seen westbound on 1st Avenue North, the wrong direction.
More officers began arriving in the area when an additional call came in reporting a female had been hit by a truck, likely the stolen truck.
The initial responding officer responded to the 100 block of 5th Street North, where the victim was in the roadway being attended by another officer. A witness ran toward the officer to report that the suspect truck had just left and was last seen westbound on 2nd Avenue North, according to the charging documents.
The officer got into his patrol vehicle, searching the immediate area for the truck but found nothing, so returned to the Roberts Apartments where he spoke with witnesses.
One witness was walking southbound on 6th Street South when he heard and saw the disturbance, but didn’t know what led up to it, according to court documents.
The witness said he saw a female with “dirty blonde red hair” get into the passenger seat of the truck and begin pushing the driver, Bailey, out of the vehicle, but she was caught in the seatbelt, being dragged as Staigmiller continued northbound on 6th Street North before turning westbound onto 1st Avenue North.
Another witness who lives in the Roberts told officers that she heard a disturbance between two females and saw Staigmiller exit a room, then run toward a white truck occupied by a female driver.
The witness told officers that Staigmiller got into the passenger side, starting to fight and push the driver out through the driver’s side door. Bailey fell out of the truck, but was caught in the seatbelt as Staigmiller drove away, dragging Bailey, according to court documents.
The GFPD officer canvassed the immediate area for video surveillance of the incident and met with someone at the Times Square building. That video showed the white truck parked on the east side of the intersection, in the parking spot closest to the intersection with Central, according to court documents.
At 6:05 p.m., Bailey is seen entering the driver’s side of her truck and at 6:06 p.m., Staigmiller is seen entering the passenger side, according to court documents.
Another witness told investigators that she lived in the Roberts and had an unknown female buzzing her apartment trying to get inside, saying she needed to speak with her. The witness said she didn’t know who the woman was and went downstairs to speak with her, but someone had already buzzed her into the building.
The witness said she met Staigmiller on the stairs, and Staigmiller kept saying she needed to speak to the witness. Staigmiller followed her up to her apartment, pushing her in and closing the door, according to court documents.
The witness told officers that Staigmiller refused to leave, saying she wanted meth, heroin and cocaine, sitting on the floor, holding the witness’ dog to her, according to court documents.
The witness’ daughter called and Staigmiller took her phone, which the witness was able to get back to call 911. When Staigmiller heard dispatch on the line, she fled down the hall, knocking on another door.
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An upstairs tenant came down, running Staigmiller out of the building, according to the witness, who didn’t see the incident outside of the building in the truck, according to court documents.
A third GFPD officer interviewed another resident of the Roberts, who said that someone she knew had come over to hang out and drink, bringing another male and Staigmiller with him.
The male left shortly after, but the acquaintance and Staigmiller stayed in the apartment, where Staigmiller was trying to prostitute herself to others in the building, including another interviewed witness, for more alcohol and asking for drugs, according to court documents.
The witness got upset and kicked Staigmiller out of the apartment and said she saw Staigmiller sit on the curb before running across the street and jumping into Bailey’s truck.
The witness said she saw Staigmiller push Bailey out of the truck and drive away, dragging Bailey.
Two witnesses tried to follow the truck to help Bailey, but lost sight of it, instead finding Bailey in the street in the 100 block of 5th Street North.
One of the men drinking in the apartment was located and he told officers he’d been with someone named Kelsey.
Officers were able to find a booking photo of Staigmiller in the GFPD database and compared it to the video surveillance.
Staigmiller was found inside the truck in Missoula County wearing clothes similar to those visible in the video surveillance from the Roberts Apartments, according to court documents.
