Editing Billy Bailey (section)

== Early life ==
The ninth of 23 children, Bailey was in stark poverty in [[South Carolina]] and suffered chronic physical abuse, state records show. His mother, Mazzie Miller Bailey, died when he was six months old and his father died when he was six.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1996-01-19 |title=Billy Bailey's Sisters Unite.... |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal-billy-baileys-sisters/78831515/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |work=The News Journal |pages=1}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Vick |first=Karl |date=1996-01-21 |title=DELAWARE READIES GALLOWS AS RARE FORM OF EXECUTION DRAWS NEAR |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/01/21/delaware-readies-gallows-as-rare-form-of-execution-draws-near/26d08164-c07d-4b93-a5eb-b951ff68b962/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |work=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}</ref> From the age of six to fourteen, Bailey lived in various foster homes.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Bailey v. Snyder, 826 F. Supp. 804 {{!}} Casetext Search + Citator |url=https://casetext.com/case/bailey-v-snyder |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220510145849/https://casetext.com/case/bailey-v-snyder |archive-date=May 10, 2022 |access-date=2022-05-10 |website=casetext.com}}</ref> Bailey was later described as a long-time alcoholic with a "very, very violent, quick temper.<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |date=1979-05-22 |title=Escapee Charged with Killing Two (Billy Bailey, Delaware, 1996) - pt. 2 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-news-journal-escapee-charged-with-ki/117968256/ |access-date=2025-05-18 |work=The News Journal |pages=2}}</ref><blockquote>"f he wanted something, and if he wasn't going to get it right away, he'd explode."</blockquote>When Bailey's daughter was three or four months old, she was burned badly in an accidental fire and had to have her hand amputated. His drinking problem worsened after his in-laws blamed him for the fire.<ref name=":0" />