ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Aiden Fucci, the St. Johns County, Florida, teenager accused in the brutal murder of Tristyn Bailey, a 13-year-old who was found stabbed 114 times appeared in court Tuesday morning for a pre-trial hearing.
Fucci briefly appeared in court to sign off on his next hearing date, which will be August 31.
He did not speak during his appearance.
A grand jury indictment decided that Fucci, 15, would be charged with first-degree murder, a charge which is automatically tried in adult court. If convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Tuesday's hearing comes ahead of Fucci's murder trial, which is slated for November.
Tristyn was stabbed on May 9, 2021, on Mother's Day. The brutality of the case, the loss of such a young life and Fucci's eerie indifference brought the case to national attention.
Police found Tristyn's body near a retention pond in a wooded area of the Durbin Creek subdivison in St. Johns County. St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick said this was a "cold calculated murder case," and "was not an accident."
One of the most chilling parts of the story might be what happened when Fucci was brought in for interrogation after Tristyn was reported missing: He posted a Snapchat selfie from the back of a squad car, flashing a peace sign. The caption says: "Hey guys, has inbody seen Tristyn lately."
Before the grand jury indictment, over 700,000 people had signed a petition to try Fucci as an adult.
Fucci's mother, Crystal Smith, is also charged in connection with the case. She is accused of washing blood out of Fucci's jeans after he returned home the morning of the stabbing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t8lTpHmeAOg