Mother Gets Life Sentences For Death Of 1-Year-Old Kahleb Collins

FAYETTE, AL — A Winfield woman will spend the rest of her life in prison after pleading guilty Friday to charges stemming from the abuse and death of her son, 1-year-old Kahleb Collins.

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24th Judicial Circuit District Attorney Andy Hamlin said Friday that Wendy Pamela Jean Bailey, 24, pleaded guilty earlier in the day in Fayette County Circuit Court to first-degree domestic violence and aggravated child abuse of a child younger than 6.

Hamlin said she was sentenced to life in prison on each conviction, with the sentences to be served consecutively.

Bailey was represented by Tuscaloosa defense attorney Stuart Albea.

“Wendy accepted responsibility today because she believes that’s what accountability requires," Albea told Patch. "This case also cannot be understood without acknowledging the abuse she endured herself at the hands of Steven Collins — but that context doesn’t erase what happened to Kahleb, and she has never suggested it should. Our thoughts are with everyone who loved this child.”

As Patch previously reported, the case began with a December 2024 vehicle crash involving Bailey, Kahleb's father, Steven Collins, and the couple's daughter.

Steven Collins, who investigators say was responsible for the abuse that led to Kahleb's death, died from injuries suffered in the crash.

The following day, the Fayette County Sheriff's Office learned Kahleb, who was not in the vehicle at the time of the crash, had been missing for several months.

Investigators launched an extensive investigation that ultimately uncovered text messages, photographs and other evidence documenting severe abuse committed by Collins.

Authorities believe Kahleb died sometime between September and December 2024.

Hamlin said the investigation included forensic examinations of multiple electronic devices, repeated searches of the family's property and the collection and analysis of debris from burn piles.

Investigators also reportedly relied on assistance from digital forensic experts, federal forensic specialists and forensic anthropologists.

Hamlin said the evidence showed Collins carried out the abuse that led to the child's death, while Bailey failed to intervene or alert authorities.

"This was a deeply upsetting case for our community," Hamlin said. "People were horrified by what happened to Kahleb, and many have followed this case closely from the beginning. Based on the evidence and the timeline that was established, Steven Collins carried out unthinkable acts to this child which we believe ultimately led to his death. Wendy Bailey was aware of this abuse and did nothing to stop it or report it."

Hamlin said the sentence reflects the maximum punishment available under state law.

"No sentence can undo what was done to this child," he said. "What we can do is hold this defendant accountable for her role and seek the strongest punishment allowed by law. She will receive life in prison on both counts, the maximum possible sentence for each offense."

Hamlin praised the investigators and forensic specialists whose work helped build the case.

"The evidence in this case was difficult, both in its nature and in the amount of work required to uncover and examine it," Hamlin said. "I am grateful to every investigator and specialist who stayed with this case and made sure Kahleb was not forgotten."

After the guilty plea and sentencing, Hamlin credited the Fayette County Sheriff's Office, the Berry Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency's State Bureau of Investigation, the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office Digital Forensics Lab, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the District Attorney's Criminal Investigation Division, the Berry Fire Department, and forensic specialists from Troy University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

"These men and women are heroes," Hamlin said. "Without their hard work and diligence, this case may have never been solved. They exemplify the very best of law enforcement and public service."

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