Who was Tristyn Bailey? Boy, 14, allegedly posted taunting selfie on Snapchat after killing cheerleader classmate
ST. JOHNS COUNTY, FLORIDA: A 14-year-old boy has been taken in custody for a second-degree murder charge in the death of his 13-year-old cheerleader classmate in St. Johns County, Florida.
The suspect, Aiden Fucci, 14, was an eighth-grader at Patriot Oaks Academy is now being held at the Department of Juvenile Justice. 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey was Fucci's schoolmate and was in the seventh grade. Sheriff Robert Hardwick stated during a news conference on Monday, May 10, that the investigation is in the "very beginning stages" and did not release any details related to Bailey's death, including the cause of death or how Bailey and the suspect may have been linked.
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Reports suggest that Bailey was last seen around 1:15 a.m. on Sunday, May 9 at the Durbin Amenity Center in the northwest community of Durbin Crossing. The sheriff's office deployed a number of resources and started searching the immediate area. Bailey's body was located by a resident in a remote wooded area near a pond at around 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 9 Hardwick said.
Bailey's body was found clothed and the medical examiner's office is investigating the cause of death, Hardwick said. Fucci is the only suspect in the case at this time, however the investigation is still ongoing, according to Hardwick. He also added that the sheriff's office was still in the process of interviewing potential witnesses and other sources. Bailey’s family reported her missing to police around 10 a.m. Sunday, May 9 after last seeing her at approximately midnight the night before.
On Sunday, May 9 night, a few hours after Bailey's body was discovered, Fucci took a selfie in the back of a cop car which he then posted on Snapchat with the caption "hey guys has anybody seen Tristyn lately." Police confirmed that the selfie was part of their investigation.
Bailey was a cheerleader for the Infinity AllStars and the Patriot Oaks Chargers and she was last seen wearing her cheer outfit. The sheriff's office issued a Florida Missing Child Alert and family, neighbors and deputies searched for the teen until the body was discovered by a man jogging near his home. The suspect was taken into custody overnight, according to Hardwick.