Keyon Slaughter Case: Charges, Plea Deal, and Sentence

The Keyon Slaughter case ended in September 2025, when a District of Columbia court sentenced the Waldorf, Maryland man to 16 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for the fatal shooting of Dana Bailey Jr., the husband of the woman Slaughter had been having an affair with. Slaughter pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed; the remaining charges from his indictment were dismissed as part of the deal.¹²

The Shooting on E Street SE

On December 5, 2022, Slaughter went to the apartment Bailey shared with his wife in the 3300 block of E Street SE in Washington, D.C. Slaughter had been carrying on an affair with Bailey’s wife, and Bailey had known about it since earlier that year.³ During a confrontation inside the apartment, Slaughter shot Bailey once in the chest.⁴

Bailey, 38, was able to name his attacker to a responding officer before he died, identifying Slaughter by the nickname “Papi.”³ Slaughter fled to North Carolina and was not arrested until July 2023, roughly seven months later.¹

At the time of the killing, Slaughter was on supervised probation for a 2019 armed robbery conspiracy conviction out of Charles County, Maryland. That prior conviction became the basis for one of the counts he later faced in Bailey’s case, unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction.¹⁵

The Original Charges

A grand jury returned an indictment that included two counts of first-degree murder while armed (one premeditated, one felony murder), three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, first-degree burglary while armed, and unlawful possession of a firearm with a prior conviction.⁴⁶ The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case, as it does with local felonies in D.C.

The Plea Deal and the Family’s Objections

On June 20, 2025, Slaughter pleaded guilty to a single count of second-degree murder while armed. Prosecutors dismissed the rest of the indictment. The agreement called for 16 years in prison and five years of supervised release, and required Slaughter to be classified as a registered gun offender.²⁵

Bailey’s family fought the reduced charge at the plea hearing before Judge Danya Dayson. His mother told the court that Slaughter “followed my son” and “murdered my child in his home.” His sister, who said she had acted as a “detective” in the case, argued the shooting was a setup and pointed to Bailey’s dying identification of Slaughter as evidence of intent. She also spoke of the impact on Bailey’s six children and told the judge directly, “I don’t understand how that would be an option.”⁶

Judge Dayson acknowledged the family’s testimony but accepted the plea on a provisional basis, saying her final decision on the agreement would depend on factors evaluated at sentencing.⁶

The Sentence

In September 2025, the court finalized the agreement and imposed the 16-year prison term followed by five years of supervised release.⁷ Under D.C. law, second-degree murder while armed carries a maximum of life in prison.⁸

Bailey’s Wife

Bailey’s wife was separately indicted in connection with the case and pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice, according to WTOP.¹

About Dana Bailey Jr.

Dana Bailey Jr. was 38 and the father of six children. He was survived by his mother and sister, both of whom spoke at the court proceedings. His mother described him as a “stand up guy” whose “biggest flaw was trying to help others.”⁶

1
WTOP. Waldorf Man Sentenced in Fatal Shooting of Girlfriend’s Husband
2
U.S. Department of Justice. Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Murdering His Girlfriend’s Husband
3
WTOP. Charles Co. Man Indicted in Fatal Shooting of Girlfriend’s Husband in DC
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U.S. Department of Justice. Maryland Man Indicted on Charges He Killed His Girlfriend’s Husband
5
DC Witness. Victim’s Family Challenges Defendant’s Second-Degree Murder Plea Deal
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DC Witness. “I Don’t Understand How That Would Be an Option,” Says Victim’s Family About Defendant’s Plea Deal
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Daily Voice. Keyon Slaughter Sentenced for Murder of Dana Bailey in DC
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DC Witness. How Are Homicide Convicts Sentenced in DC