A 14-year-old boy arrested in the slaying of Tristyn Bailey, 13, on May 9 will be tried as an adult, according to court records.
Aiden Sean Fucci of St. Johns was arrested May 10 and charged with second-degree murder, but the charge was upgraded to first-degree murder after a grand jury hearing.
Friday, May 28, Fucci was transported by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office from the Volusia County Juvenile Justice Facility to St. Johns County, where he was booked into the inmate facility and attended first appearance before Judge Howard M. Maltz.
Maltz found probable cause for the first-degree murder charge and remanded Fucci without bond. Fucci was then transported to the Duval County Jail on a courtesy hold.
“I would like to thank Sheriff Mike Williams and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office for assisting our agency in this way,” said St. Johns County Sheriff Robert A. Hardwick.
“This is going to be a long road for the Bailey family and our community,” Hardwick added and asked that the public continue to respect the Bailey family’s privacy and keep them in their thoughts and prayers.
A felony arraignment has been scheduled for 9 a.m. June 10.
Bailey, who lived in the area of Durbin Crossing, was reported missing by her family at about 10 p.m. May 9. The Sheriff’s Office sent out a mass notification to the public, the media, the school district and community partners.
A resident of the community, hearing the report, began to search a wooded area near his home and, at about 6 p.m. May 10, discovered a body later confirmed to be that of Tristyn Bailey. The body was found at the south end of a retention pond just to the east of the Saddlestone Drive cul-de-sac.
Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Predrag Bulic determined that the cause of death was sharp force trauma by stabbing.
“To say that it was horrific could arguably be made as an understatement,” said 7th Circuit State Attorney R.J. Larizza in a press conference announcing the upgrade in charges on Thursday, May 27. “The medical examiner completed an autopsy on our victim and identified, confidently, that there were 114 stab wounds.”
He added that “teenagers are capable of things we never imagined they could be, and this case is an example of that.”
Fucci was initially held by the Department of Juvenile Justice because he was a minor. He was first represented by attorney Anwar O. Snober, who filed a motion to withdraw from the case May 17. The withdrawal was approved three days later.
Fucci was granted indigent status on May 20 and assigned a public defender on Thursday, May 27.
The grand jury was convened the same day and unanimously indicted Fucci, upgrading the charge to first-degree murder.
Following the indictment, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office issued a statement fully supporting the decision.
“This indictment today represents only the first step in a very long and difficult process,” the statement read. “We remain confident in the strength and thoroughness of the investigation and will be fully prepared to present all of the facts and evidence to a jury at the appropriate time.”
The Sheriff’s Office went on to thank the State Attorney’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Medical Examiner’s Office.
“From day one, our teams have worked side-by-side, furthering the investigation and preparing this case for a grand jury,” the statement continued.
The Sheriff’s Office stated that detectives would continue to investigate all leads and evidence.
“We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure justice and accountability is served,” the statement read.
Read a statement by the family of Tristyn Bailey here.
