Shivangi Sinha
In November 2015, Douglas Bailey, who was residing in Prescott, Wisconsin at the time, missed a family holiday gathering, raising immediate concern among his relatives. Although the family became suspicious right away, authorities delayed their official investigation for several days. As the case unfolded, unsettling allegations and accounts emerged that left investigators perplexed. The story of Bailey’s disappearance and the eventual discovery of his remains is examined in detail on ID’s ‘American Monster.’
Douglas Bailey’s Family Alerted the Police When He Did Not Attend a Family Dinner
Douglas Leroy “Doug” Bailey was born on July 1, 1964, to James Ray Bailey and Bonnie June Light Bailey. He grew up as the youngest of 11 siblings, and his childhood was filled with fun and love. Known for his great sense of humor, Doug had a natural ability to bring joy to everyone around him, even from a young age. While he did attend school initially, at the age of 15, he decided to drop out and begin working at the sawmill owned by his father.
Bailey and his family moved several times during his life, first relocating to Florida and later settling in Iowa. By 2009, Bailey had been married and divorced and had three sons from two former relationships—Douglas Keith Bailey, Zach Douglas Bailey, and Mason Alan Bailey. That year, he met Rose Marie Kuehni, an adjunct professor of construction management at the University of Minnesota. They began dating, and soon after, Bailey made the decision to move to Prescott, Wisconsin, from Fort Madison, Iowa, to be closer to her. On November 26, 2015, Bailey’s family was eagerly waiting for him to join their Thanksgiving celebrations in Pekin, Illinois.
He was supposed to arrive with his girlfriend, Rose, but the couple was significantly late. Eventually, the family managed to get in touch with Rose, who explained that they had stopped at the World’s Largest Truck Stop in Wolcott, Iowa, where they had gotten into an argument. She told the family that Bailey had gotten out of their truck and started walking. When she circled back to pick him up, he was gone. This situation was highly unusual and raised immediate concerns. On December 9, 2015, the police discovered two boxes in Bell County, Kentucky, near a ravine. One of the boxes contained Bailey’s remains, and the autopsy report revealed that he had been fatally shot several weeks earlier.
CCTV Footage From a Gas Station Helped Police Zero Down on a Suspect
From the outset of the investigation into Douglas Bailey’s disappearance, the police harbored suspicions about his girlfriend, Rose Marie Kuehni. Their first clue came when Bailey’s sister revealed that he had confided in her about a relationship he was having with another woman, Brenda Hughes, from Illinois. According to Bailey’s sister, he had even mentioned the possibility of leaving Rose and intended to bring Brenda to the family gathering instead. However, just days before the Thanksgiving dinner, Bailey reportedly sent his sister a text stating that he had decided not to leave Rose.
When the police first questioned Rose, she claimed that the argument she and Douglas had was over Brenda. However, when asked to travel to Illinois to assist with the search, Rose stated she didn’t have enough money for gas. As the investigation continued, the police began to scrutinize her account of being at the World’s Largest Truck Stop in Iowa when Bailey went missing. She had mentioned stopping at a gas station, but when the police reviewed the CCTV footage, her story didn’t add up. The cameras showed Rose driving her pickup truck alone, with two boxes visible in the bed of the vehicle—contradicting her earlier claims.
Douglas Bailey’s Killer Claimed They Acted in Self-Defense
Noticing the inconsistencies in Rose Kuehni’s story, the police quickly decided to confront her. Initially, she denied knowing anything more about Douglas Bailey’s disappearance, but when taken to the police station, her story shifted. Rose claimed that on the night of November 22, Bailey had allegedly tried to force himself on her and had been verbally abusive. Feeling threatened, she said she hid in a closet, where she noticed a gun and decided to take it with her. According to her, when she emerged from the closet, Bailey called her names and threatened her family, prompting her to shoot him in self-defense.
Rose admitted to placing Bailey’s remains in one box and his belongings in another. She then continued to post on his social media and text his family, making it appear as though he was doing poorly and planning to start a new life. She explained that it wasn’t until a few days later that she contacted her friend, Clarence Hicks, with whom she was allegedly having an affair, and asked him to dispose of the boxes. Hicks cooperated with the police, revealing what he had done with the boxes. He claimed that he had no knowledge of what was inside them and did not question Rose about it.
Rose Keuhni is on Probation Even Today
In 2016, Rose Marie Kuehni stood trial and claimed self-defense in the death of Douglas Bailey. However, the prosecution presented emails in which she confessed to frequently thinking about killing him but not wanting to get caught. Ultimately, the jury convicted her of hiding a corpse but found her not guilty of first-degree intentional homicide. The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the lesser charge of second-degree homicide. Before being retried, she pleaded guilty to aggravated battery, a lesser charge, and was sentenced to 10 years of probation, with one year in jail, though she was credited for 277 days already served. Bailey’s family maintained that the accusations against him were false. According to her sentence, Rose must remain on probation and live in Wisconsin. She has made no public comments or appearances since her sentencing.
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