Vicksburg Man sentenced to 30 Years in 2023 murder of Aleigha Sanders

VICKSBURG, Miss. (VDN) — A Vicksburg man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the 2023 murder of 21-year-old Aleigha Sanders.

Mario Cortez Bailey was sentenced by Judge Toni Terrett to 40 years in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 10 years suspended, leaving 30 years to serve. Under Mississippi law, he must serve the full 30 years without the possibility of early release.

Bailey pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. He was initially arrested in 2023 and charged with both first-degree murder and attempted murder. At the time, Judge Angela Carpenter set his bond at $4 million.

Assistant District Attorney Michael Warren prosecuted the case on behalf of the state. In court, Warren detailed the events leading to Sanders’ death, noting that Vicksburg police officers responded to a call on Halls Ferry Road, where they found Sanders unresponsive. She was pronounced dead at the scene by Warren County Coroner Doug Huskey.

Testimony revealed that Sanders and her sister picked up Bailey prior to the murder. During the ride, Bailey allegedly told the sister, “I’m going to kill your sister.” Additional information provided stated that Bailey had a history of making threats toward Sanders.

Bailey will serve his sentence in the custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections.

Correction: Aleigha was previously misspelled as “Aaliyah”. It has since been corrected.