| Murder of Tristyn Bailey | |
|---|---|
 Tristyn Bailey in 2021 | |
| Location | St. Johns County, Florida, U.S. |
| Date | May 9, 2021 |
Attack type | Thrill killing, child murder, stabbing |
| Weapons | Knife |
| Victim | Tristyn Bailey |
| Perpetrator | Aiden Fucci |
| Motive | Thrill[1] |
| Verdict | Pleaded guilty |
| Convictions |
|
| Sentence | Life imprisonment with possibility of parole in 25 years |
| Judge | R. Lee Smith |
The murder of Tristyn Tyne Bailey took place on May 9, 2021, on Mother's Day, in St. Johns County, Florida, United States. Bailey, a 13-year-old middle schooler and cheerleader, was murdered by Aiden Fucci (born November 6, 2006), a 14-year-old schoolmate. Bailey was reported missing by her family that morning; Bailey's body was found later that day by a resident in a wooded area near St. Johns. Her body had 114 stab wounds.
A residential surveillance camera recorded Bailey walking around at 1:45 am with Fucci. A later recording showed Fucci running alone with his shoes in hand. This led investigators to visit Fucci's house to search for evidence.[2][3] On May 10, investigators searched Fucci's house, where bloody clothes were found in his room and in the bathroom sink. A knife with a fragment of the tip missing was found in a pond near Bailey's body and the missing knife-tip was later found during an autopsy embedded in the victim's scalp. Fucci was arrested on charges of Tristyn Bailey's murder. He maintained his innocence at the time.[3]
On February 6, 2023, just before jury selection was about to begin, Fucci pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. On March 24, Aiden Fucci was charged as an adult and was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years. He is currently serving his sentence at Suwannee Correctional Institution.[4]
- ^ "'No respect for life': Aiden Fucci gets only appropriate sentence for Tristyn Bailey slaying". The Florida Times-Union. March 24, 2023. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
- ^ "The Murder of Tristyn Bailey — A Mother's Day Nightmare". Medium. May 14, 2021. Archived from the original on November 20, 2023. Retrieved November 20, 2023.
- ^ a b "Aiden Fucci stabbed 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey 114 times". The Florida Times-Union. March 23, 2023. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
- ^ "Teen sentenced to life in prison for fatally stabbing Florida cheerleader 114 times". NBC News. March 24, 2023. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.