Murder of Tristyn Bailey

2021 child murder in St. Johns County, Florida, United States

The murder of Tristyn Bailey took place on May 9, 2021, on Mother's Day, in St. Johns County, Florida. Baily was a 13 year old schoolgirl. She was also active as a cheerleader. A 14 year old schoolmate, named Aiden Fucci, killed her. She was reported missing that morning. Her body was found in a wooded area later that day. It had 114 stab wounds.

Murder of Tristyn Bailey
LocationSt. Johns County, Florida, U.S.
DateMay 9, 2021 (2021-05-09)
Attack type
Child murder by stabbing with a knife
WeaponsKnife
VictimTristyn Bailey
PerpetratorAiden Fucci
MotiveThrill[1]
VerdictGuilty
ConvictionsFirst-degree murder

A surveillance camera recorded Bailey walking around at 1:45 am with Fucci.There is a later recording that showed Fucci running alone with his shoes in hand. For this reason, investigators visited Fucci's house to search for evidence.[2][3] On May 10, investigators searched Fucci's house, where bloody clothes were found. A knife with a fragment of the tip missing was found near Bailey's body. The DNA was that of Bailey and Fucci. Fucci was arrested and chared with murdering Bailey. He maintained his innocence at the time.[3]

In February 2023, shortly before his trial, Fucci changed his plea from not guilty to guilty. On March 24, Aiden Fucci was charged as an adult. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.


During the impact statements at the trial, one of Tristyn's siblings, Alexis, dropped 114 aqua stone hearts into a glass jar one by one to represent the stab wounds her sister endured. The jar stayed there for each family member while they read their statements. Each concluded by adding a white stone to represent something related to Bailey's death.[4]

References

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  1. "'No respect for life': Aiden Fucci gets only appropriate sentence for Tristyn Bailey slaying". The Florida Times-Union. March 24, 2023.
  2. "The Murder of Tristyn Bailey — A Mother's Day Nightmare". Medium. May 14, 2021. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
  3. 3.0 3.1 "Aiden Fucci stabbed 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey 114 times". The Florida Times-Union. March 23, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  4. Butler, Scott (March 23, 2023). "Tristyn Bailey's family describes never-ending torment Aiden Fucci has put them through". The Florida Times-Union.