Miami, Mar 24 (EFE) degree, was sentenced this Friday to life imprisonment with an option to review the case within 25 years.
Fucci, now 16, was sentenced by Judge R. Lee Smith of Florida’s 7th Judicial Circuit, who conceded that this is one of the “possibly most difficult” cases in St. Johns County, northeast of the United States. state.
“We appreciate this result very much and feel that it is the correct verdict, considering how heinous the crime is and Aiden’s behavior in this regard,” said Forrest Bailey, father of Tristyn Bailey, the murdered girl, upon learning of the sentence.
Fucci, who was 14 years old when he stabbed Bailey, a cheerleader at the school where they both studied, pleaded guilty last February in a San Agustín city court to the murder charge, for which he faced a possible prison sentence. life.
Bailey was in the seventh grade at Patriot Oaks Academy, while Fucci was in the eighth grade at the same school.
The girl’s family reported her missing on May 9, 2021, and her body was found in a wooded area after a day of searching.
The preliminary investigation, the evidence found, including surveillance camera footage, led investigators to Fucci, who was initially charged with second-degree murder, but the charge was increased due to the seriousness of the crime.
The body, with 114 stab wounds, was discovered near a pond in a wooded area of the Durbin Crossing neighborhood, 24 hours after the girl’s parents reported her missing and the community participated in a search.
Fucci’s mother was arrested in 2021 on charges of tampering with evidence, after washing blood stains on her son’s pants.
When Bailey was still considered a missing person and Fucci was not charged, he posted a photo of himself on Snapchat from inside a squad car holding a sign that read “peace” and captioned “Hey guys, has anyone seen Tristyn lately?
“As it came to light during the proceedings, Aiden Fucci didn’t even have Tristyn’s contact information until the night before he killed her. Although we have reached a point where children carry technology for convenience and safety to communicate with their parents and friends when necessary, there is a great risk, “said the father of the victim today.
“Please, to all children, if your parents demand that you hand over your cell phones, understand that your phone is a privilege, not a right,” Forrest Bailey warned, according to local newspaper news4jax.com.
Haley Harrison, of the Florida State Attorney’s Office for the Seventh Judicial Circuit, said Fucci’s sentence is subject to review by a judge within 25 years.
