Officer shooting, suicide a mystery

Torus Tammer

FOUNTAIN VALLEY -- Police are at a loss to understand why an Anaheim

police officer shot and killed a woman believed to be his wife and then

turned the gun on himself Monday at a home they shared.

The bodies of Officer Joseph E. Bailey, 44, and Michelle E. King, 39,

a former Anaheim code enforcement officer, were found inside the home in

the 10800 block of La Marquesa Avenue, police said.

Neighbors and friends of King, stood and watched Monday morning as

police, reporters and looky-loos invaded their street and lingered behind

a perimeter area that had been established to protect the crime scene.

Diane Edmonds, who lives several houses down from the murder scene,

said she was unaware of any kind of problem until she noticed a SWAT unit

combing the typically quiet street.

“I was surprised when I saw all the police officers arrive,” Edmonds

said. “I was home all morning and I didn’t hear a thing.”

Nearby James H. Cox Elementary School was put on lock down during the

crime scene investigation by SWAT teams and police.

Mary Landau, whose children were in class at Cox Elementary during the

lock down, said that she knew the murder victim because two of King’s

four children also attended the school.

“I knew her from field trips that we went on with the kids,” Landau

said. “She was a very nice lady and a lot of fun . . . very vibrant.”

Jeanne Vastbinder, principal at Cox Elementary, said that counselors

that were called to the school on Tuesday will remain on call for the

rest of the week to help children.

“A terrible tragedy has befallen two of our students. We’re here to

support them and other students who are feeling the loss.”

Anaheim Police Department spokesman Sgt. Rick Martinez said that the

entire Anaheim police force is at a complete loss in trying to understand

what exactly happened and why their colleague, Bailey, did what he did.

“I knew Joe for the three years in which he had worked for us,”

Martinez said. “This is just totally out of character for the Joe that we

knew who, although reserved, was always in a good mood whenever you

talked to him.”

Martinez said that Bailey was a very private man who came to Anaheim

with a stellar reputation from his previous stint with the Huntington

Beach Police Department.

King had apparently resigned in October due to illness, Martinez said.

“I don’t think anyone knew the nature of their relationship,” Martinez

said. “Even now, we’re still confused as to their marital status.”

Police have yet to release autopsy results from Monday’s

murder-suicide.

“We conducted a preliminary autopsy today [Tuesday] but will not be

able to release our findings until more extensive tests have been

completed,” said Sgt. Jim Perry, a spokesman for the Fountain Valley

Police Department.