Who is Aiden Fucci and how old is he?
AIDEN Fucci, who pleaded guilty to the first-degree murder of then-13-year-old cheerleader Tristyn Bailey, will be tried as an adult.
Here's everything we know about the teen and this trial.
Who is Aiden Fucci?
The Sheriff's Office arrested then-15-year-old Aiden Fucci on Sunday, May 9, 2021.
He is held at the Department of Juvenile Justice facility in Daytona Beach, reported.
The decision to charge Aiden Fucci with first-degree murder came from a grand jury, which met in secret on Thursday, May 27, 2021, morning.
First-degree murder charges automatically move the case to adult court.
Fucci was the only suspect in the murder of his classmate.
Aiden and Tristyn both attended Patriot Oaks Academy in St. Johns, Florida.
Fucci's trial was supposed to occur in November 2022 but was postponed to February 2023.
Fucci initially pleaded not guilty before changing his plea to guilty minutes before the jury selection was set to begin for his trial.
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During his plea, Fucci apologized saying: "I'm sorry for the Bailey family and my family."
His sentencing date began on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. The minimum sentencing the 16-year could've received was 40 years in prison.
On March 24, 2023, Fucci was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Tristyn Bailey. Since he's a juvenile, his sentence will be up for review after 25 years.
What happened to Tristyn Bailey?
A photograph circulating on social media following Tristyn's death appeared to have been posted on Aiden's Snapchat account.
The photo depicts him in the back of a cop car, holding up a peace sign with the caption "hey guys has inybody [sic] seen Tristyn lately."
Police confirmed the image was being reviewed as potential evidence in the case.
In August, a new video showed Fucci walking with Bailey on the night she was killed.
Florida prosecutors allege that the new video evidence shows Fucci walking with the cheerleader and then running alone later that same night.
The video of Bailey and Fucci allegedly walking toward a wooded area in their neighborhood after midnight came from a neighbor’s surveillance camera, according to .
Another shocking video released by the State Attorney's Office showed what investigators allege is Fucci's mother, Crystal Smith, washing blood off of her son's jeans.
She allegedly washed the pants while her son was being interviewed by deputies.
After the jeans and a drain in his home tested positive for blood, Smith was charged with evidence tampering in connection with Bailey's death.
"We appreciate that today’s outcome is directly the result of the thorough and comprehensive work from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office along with the 7th District State Attorney’s office as part of the initial steps to bring justice for Tristyn’s murder," shared the Bailey family with .
How did Tristyn Bailey die?
St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick confirmed Tristyn's body was found.
Bailey was found stabbed to death in a wooded area near her home in St. Johns County on May 9, 2021.
During a news conference on May 27, 2021, Florida State Attorney R.J. Larizza said Tristyn was stabbed 114 times with 49 of those wounds sustained to her hands and arms.
Larizza also confirmed that investigators recovered what they believe to be the murder weapon, a folding buck knife, which was recovered in a pond.
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Tristyn was last seen Sunday, May 9, 2021, at roughly 1.15am near the North Amenity Center, according to reports.
She was reported missing by her family at 10am on Sunday morning beginning a 16-hour search where her body was found by a neighbor later that day near her Durbin Crossing home.