DAVE KENNEDY/FOR THE EXPRESS Troy Bailey is led out of a hearing at Lycoming County Courthouse Wednesday afternoon for a preliminary hearing before that hearing was canceled.

WILLIAMSPORT — A person of interest in the double homicide that took place in the early hours of Jan. 12 remains behind bars following the cancellation of a contempt hearing for a protection-from-abuse order violation filed by one of the victims before the fatal shooting.

Lycoming County District Attorney Tom Marino said shortly after the fatal shootings that a person of interest was in custody.

Troy Bennett Bailey, 57, has been in custody since shortly after the fatal shootings of Alisha Seese and Ronald Dailey, Jr., both 37, due to an alleged violation of a protection-from-abuse order filed by Seese, according to court documents.

Seese filed for a protection-from-abuse order against Bailey in early December, according to court documents. He was apprehended for violating that order within days of the double homicide.

The atmosphere was tense outside of Judge Ryan Tira’s courtroom, where Bailey was scheduled to appear for a contempt charge related to the PFA at 2 p.m., with portable metal detectors set up just outside.

Around 2:15 p.m., a court official informed those waiting to gain access to the courtroom that the prosecutors had “withdrawn” the charges and, therefore, the hearing was called off.

Asked to comment on the sudden change, an official with the Lycoming County District Attorney’s office simply offered “no comment.”

County and police officials have been tight-lipped about the case.

At a press conference on Jan. 13, District Attorney Tom Marino said the public was not in danger, indicating that the homicide was not random.

“I want to emphasize the fact that the public is not in danger. I want to make that clear,” he said.

At approximately 12:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 12, shots were reported to police in the 1700 block of Terrace Place.

A short time later, police located a vehicle containing Dailey and Seese, who were fatally shot, according to city police.

They were pronounced dead at 3:27 a.m., according to a press release from County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling, Jr.

Dailey and Seese were employees of Security Alliance, a contractor utilized by Lycoming Engines for security services, according to Matt Joiner, manager, marketing and communications for Lycoming Engines.

“Lycoming Engines is heartbroken by the tragic events that occurred last evening, and our sympathies are with the loved ones of the victims. Lycoming is fully cooperating with law enforcement,” a statement released to employees said, directing them to contact authorities with any information.

“We’re on the right track, we’re just taking it one step at a time,” Marino said at the press conference, calling for anyone with information, however small, that could be beneficial to this case to come forward.

“There are a bunch of homes in that area,” he said. “We want to know if anybody that we didn’t talk to yet has a security system outside their house videoing what is happening on their property, who’s coming and going, who may be walking down the street, who may be parking a car at a certain place,” he said.

A Lycoming County official said Wednesday that Bailey was committed and remained incarcerated at the Lycoming County Prison as a result of sealed court papers out of District Judge Aaron Biichle. The charges were sealed by order of the county Court of Common Pleas, according to the official.

The investigation is ongoing, and those with any information related to the case are urged to contact Agent Laura Kitko at 570-327-7560 ext. 7558, or by email at lkitko@cityofwilliamsport.org.

Tips may also be made at the Lycoming County Crime Watch website by going to https://lycoming.crimewatchpa.com/williamsportpd/15317/webforms/submit-tip.