He previously told his girlfriend that he was going to do this. That clearly shows that he had been planning it. When Tristan Bailey failed to come home on Mother's Day morning, her disappearance sparked panic. But no one could have imagined that the answers would lead to a story too brutal to comprehend. She suffered a painful, horrifying death from someone that she trusted. This crime is clearly an outlier and it was shocking. Now we have people want to burn our house down, our cars down because of that Snapchat thing you did. It's all over, all over the internet, everywhere. Social media. The person at the center of it all, a 14-year-old kid who was obsessed and fixated on one and one thing only. How would it feel to stab someone, Aiden Fucci? On May 9th, 2021, the body of 13-year-old Tristan Bailey was discovered in a retention pond in St. John's County. Her life stolen, her family shattered on what should have been a peaceful Mother's Day. It involves the knife that News for Jack's camera saw investigators recover from a pond shortly after Tristan Bailey's body was found. Read this excerpt. It concerns that knife and something found embedded in Tristan's scalp. The last footage of her alive was from a residential surveillance camera that had recorded Tristan Bailey walking around at 1:45 a.m. with Aiden Fucci. What followed was not an interrogation, but a 14-year-old boy sitting in a detainment room, surrounded by the two people meant to raise and guide him, his parents. But what unfolds isn't comfort or remorse. It's evasion, deflection, and a chilling absence of accountability. This is the detainment room where evil met enablement. You know, they found this girl, right? Where? In our neighborhood down our main street. Is she good? No, she's not. She's dead. That's why this is very important. It's all on you right now. My problem. You last seen with her. So right now it's a lot of it's facing you right now, son. So however you talk, you breathe, you think, then you respond. This is very serious, Aiden. You can't act like I don't know. I don't I don't I don't know. You can't. And you can't say this is serious. Clearly, you understand, right? When a 14-year-old hears that a girl he was last seen with is dead, most would cry, collapse, or at least flinch. Aiden Fucci didn't. He asked, "How's it my problem?" As if death were a nuisance, not a consequence. It wasn't a shock. It wasn't fear. It was detachment. The kind that doesn't come from panic, but from something colder, something already broken. That uh Snapchat you did was not very smart. Not at all. Now we have people in the burner house on their car. because of that Snapchat thing you did. It's all over. You're all over the internet everywhere. Social media. It is on social media. You'll probably come stay with me after we get done with this just for your well safe being. They weren't worried about the body. They were worried about the backlash. While a 13-year-old girl lay dead, Aiden's parents were more concerned about a Snapchat post and the neighborhood outrage. Because at that moment, it wasn't about what he did. It was about how it looked. And this is how it would look. Did you tell them anything different than cop car that we don't know about? No. Do you know if this girl got picked up picked up the back dealer? You think she got picked up by him? Probably. She said she wouldn't come home. She said she's going to find somebody to stay after you left her there walking. Like you think she got picked up after that? She just kept walking. Probably. I don't know. Do you know if she turned the other direction or if she was just still walking behind you? So you pushed her down and then you walked away. We shouldn't talking. I I'm just asking what you told the cops. I understand. I was asking what you told them. As you walked away, you came straight home. You didn't turn back around. See where she went? What were you doing outside that late night? He sat there like none of it mattered. Not the unfortunate girl, not the police, not the fact that his entire life was beginning to collapse around him. His parents prodded, trying to fill in blanks without knowing the full picture, asking if the girl had been picked up, if maybe someone else was involved. Yeah, I kissed her. Any further? Mhm. So, your DNA is going to be on her. You saw your your shoes were off on the camera. Why are your shoes off? Because my feet were hurting and the shoes give me blisters. Did you come home and then leave again? Mm-m. Did you sneak back out or you just You're still at Trey's house the whole day? I was at Trey's house. Okay. It's just the one night I didn't ask where you were, so I'm sorry. The questions came faster now, not out of concern, but desperation. Lied about where he'd been with the same casual tone he used to explain taking his shoes off. Little did he know that that particular fact would eventually be the key to solving this case. You don't know what happened to her after you pushed her. Did she say ow or get mad? She said Aiden. She was like, Aiden. I think I pushed her, but I just told her to do that and I just walked away. The only direction she walked it probably the other way cuz she wasn't next to me anymore. You didn't look back or nothing? Mm-m. He said her name once, as if that counted for something, then turned his back and vanished into the night like it was nothing. What's worse is that while in the back of a cruiser, he took and posted a selfie of him flashing a peace sign with a caption, "Hey guys, has anybody seen Tristan lately?" If it were drugs or weapons charges, one might agree. However, this is a murderer. They're searching our house right now. Why were you down? Here were you. What you got home? A little bit. Yeah. From what? Water. Water. Water from her cup. Her cup? No, water from a cup. A drink. Are you stoing yourself? Mhm. Why? People who commit crimes on impulse like this, they will very likely do it again. Are you familiar with Edmond Keer? He was released after killing his grandparents as a juvenile and became a serial killer. Evil doesn't always panic under pressure. Sometimes it just shrugs. Could be nothing on this clothes. You want khakis or blue jeans? Blue jeans. You sure it's not one of them? What? When we looked on the camera, you were wearing capies. According to the medical examiner's office in court documents, she had 114 stab or cutting wounds about her head, neck, shoulders, arms, hands, and back. 49 of those wounds were deemed offensive by the medical examiner. Trying him as a juvenile doesn't mean most of his life won't be spent behind bars. Either way, there's no real justice. A little girl is dead. Did you see this 20-year-old kid? You didn't get in his car? I never even saw him. I just heard about him that night. H You just heard about him that night? Oh, no. I've heard about him many times. He has a black car. I don't know. Are you not scared? Not really. Not really. I'm a little scared, but If he didn't do nothing, I wouldn't be worried about I know. It's always awesome. He didn't do nothing, right? Truth was that Aiden was not mentally okay, which was proven during a psychological evaluation where he drew these images. His friends apparently said that he heard voices, but just having auditory hallucinations doesn't drive people to do this. So any shot at rehabilitation would be far more complex than we know anything about. I won't let you demons. I won't let you demons take my soul. You demons want to take my soul away. I won't let you demons too much. Looks like a kid who doesn't know that pleading insanity doesn't mean you don't go to jail. Dave says it's going to take at least 72 hours to do the autopsy. Let's see. This is crazy. Did they ever say why it took you so long to get home? Mhm. What? They asked me why. They say I walked around by yourself. Mhm. Did you just walk really slow home? According to an officer, Aiden's parents were sadly unbothered by Aiden's attitude or the thought that he may well be turning into such a monster. The deputy says, "I showed Crystal a video approximately 17 minutes in length, which contained a collection of videos assembled from the video surveillance inside her residence." The video depicted Crystal retrieving the jeans from Aiden's bedroom, Crystal washing the jeans, and Crystal and Victoria inspecting the jeans. During the video, Crystal did not make any comments. I would submit that this case is probably the most difficult and shocking case that this county in St. John's County has has dealt with in the 20 years that I have been or 16 years that I have been practicing law and um the 30 years that I have lived and worked in this all of northeast Florida, this case is is one of only a very small few that uh had this level and this type of impact on the on the community. Friends said Fucci was known to have a fascination about knives and the prospect of killing someone, but it was never entirely revealed why Tristan that's in a cop car, guys. She tripping, dude. 114 stab wounds, 49 defensive wounds, 35 wounds to the head and neck, 29 to the back and shoulder, and six fatal wounds. This court has reviewed and seen more than its fair share of autopsy photos. The autopsy photos in this particular case were particularly difficult. The 49 defensive wounds indicate that Tristan Bailey was conscious, that she was aware, and that she was doing everything she could to fend off this attack. First, it was a push, then a fall. But behind every piece of evidence was the truth unraveling, revealing not confusion, but calculation. Her screams were most likely stifled by her own suffocating lungs. He lured her into a secluded place in the woods near his home, a person that she trusted, and he led her there under false pretenses. There was a heightened level of premeditation in this case based on the prior statements that he made to his girlfriend and his friend. He indicated that he was going to kill someone at which point he determined that it was going to be Tristan Bailey. I don't know, but there was going to be a victim. He indicated that he was going how he was going to do it, that he would take them into a wooded place, that he would stab them. He told his best friend that he wanted to kill someone to see what it felt like and he wanted to watch them bleed out. This particular crime was committed with the weapon of choice as a knife which he nicknamed poker. That required a uplose personal type of murder that is rare. It's unique. Something was deeply wrong with him. Something far from ordinary and far more sinister. This court finds that the defendant's participation in this offense was not the result of immaturity or impetuosity. He understood the risks and consequences of his actions. He previously told his girlfriend that he was going to do this. That clearly shows that he had been planning it. He attempted to cover it up by disposing of the murder weapon and throwing it into a lake. He then attempted to conceal evidence by hiding his shoes and shirt and jeans, taking a shower, stealthily entering his home, and then the actions. Fucci's girlfriend told one investigator that Fucci would hear voices in his head when he was angry. She said the voices would tell him he was worthless and a disappointment, even telling him to kill people. Bundy claimed this, too. And we all know he wasn't insane. Let's be honest, nobody believes that somebody having that kind of thoughts might break into the woods. And then immediately after the crime, he got the foresight to conceal evidence. There was no reason. There was no purpose. It was done for no other reason than to satisfy this defendant's internal desire to feel what it was like to kill someone. It was committed in a cold, calculated, and premeditated manner without any pretense for moral or legal justification. And it was heinous, atrocious, and cruel. This factor and this factor alone makes this case and this defendant more than just unique. It is for this reason and all of the reasons previously stated that leads this court to the conclusion that there is only one appropriate sentence in this case. Tristan should have been picking out a prom dress, posing for license photos, planning the next chapter of her life. But those milestones never came because someone decided she'd never get the chance. Mr. Fucci, having entered a plea of guilty to the crime of first-degree murder. I adjudicate you guilty of the premed first-degree murder of Tristan Bailey. I sentence you to life in prison. Because of your age, you are eligible for review of the sentence in 25 years. I order the Department of Corrections to notify you when you are eligible to apply for your review hearing. Madame Clerk, if you will please impose the minimum fines and court costs. Mr. Fucci, you have 30 days to appeal the legality of this court's sentence. If you wish to appeal but cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. You will be taken back to the St. her to the Duval County Jail and then transported into the Florida State Prison system. Similarly to Crystal, her son was not so keen on caring about others, which if not visible by his lack of remorse, got proven by his obviously forced statement. And Mr. Fucci just wanted to make a short statement. I just want to say I plead guilty that I'm sorry for the Bailey family and my family. Okay. Okay. I'm sure that there'll be an opportunity obviously a sentencing hearing to speak again at that time. Okay. This kid still thinks that he will get out of this. The gravity of a situation hasn't fully hit him yet. The rest of his life will be a living hell. I'm trying to understand what molds a 14-year-old into someone who can stab someone like that. What did this kid need that he wasn't getting? During Wednesday's proceedings and the filings at the end of the day, there were several apologies given from Aiden and some members of Aiden's family. Foremost to his grandmother, your apology on the stand really touched us. It was the first time anyone in your family had acknowledged it, and we feel for you as we could tell how much you are hurting. With respect to the apology letter from Aiden, from his behavior at court, at no point has his actions fell in line with the letter. Well said, as this homicide wasn't a mistake of youthful judgment or some prank taken just a little too far. This was an act that reflects a complete lack of moral conscience with a side dish of uncontrolled rage. Apparently, it wasn't even an act of criminal insanity. This was just coldblooded murder and then some. This kid displayed the mind of a serial killer. The defense was insensitive to my family when they called out in writing our participations in these proceedings, which are our right to do so. They mention it in filings. They even went further by sending out a survey to my wife asking her opinion on aiding murdering Tristan. At no point did they have the common decency to give an apology. So, I think they should reconsider their high ground before they advise anyone else on apologies. To Aiden's family, I would remind them that he is still here. They can still see him. They can encourage him to change his behavior of bragging about his brutality and threatening the corrections officers and their families that keep him from harm and setting out on a better road. As a parent, if you failed to correct these actions because it scared you, the community witnessing your children performing such crime under your watch is even scarier. Members of the Bailey family question Smith's sincerity. What I cannot understand, Stacy Bailey said, addressing Smith, is how you knew our child was missing. Your son was the last known person to see her, and yet you see something suspicious on his jeans and try to wash it out. All of the while, you did not know if our child was injured or even alive, but you did nothing to help. At what point did you ever stop to think about Tristan's well-being? Next was Tristan's sister, who moved the courtroom with her victim impact statement. Aiden Fucci could show compassion for his sore feet, yet had nothing to leave for my beautiful sister. The number of questions I have for Aiden Fucci surrounding that night plague my mind. Did she see you coming at her with the knife or did you stab her while she wasn't paying attention? Did she scream out for help or was she par paralyzed with agony? Did she cry for my mother? Did she beg you to stop? Did you hear her lungs gargling with blood? Or did you see it in her face when she realized she could no longer breathe due to her collapsed lungs? What were her last words? Did you stay to watch her die or did you leave her there in agonizing pain as you ran away? How long did she suffer? Did you watch the life leave her eyes? What is crazy is that there are people like this that have not been caught living their best lives right next door, across the street or down the block. I want to make sure that I'm clear. I I didn't take that their motion um was to limit your ability to to ask or to get into whether or not the DNA was on the item or was not on the jeans. What what happened? It's just the argument that that was what her intent was and that that's what they would be required to prove was that she intended to remove DNA. Is that am I confusing about that argument from the state that the the point of this motion is that you can't come in front of the jury and say that in order for the state to to be successful for them to prove their case beyond reasonable doubt they have to prove that she intended to remove DNA from the from the jeans. Is that not what this motion is for? Authorities have accused Smith of washing a pair of bloody jeans her son had worn after the crime. According to an arrest warrant from the sheriff's office, deputies interviewed the boy with his mother present at their residence on May 9th, 2021 after Bailey had been reported missing. Crystal Lane Smith, 37, mother of killer Aiden Fucci, pled no contest to tampering with evidence for attempting to wash blood stains from her son's jeans. And that was the brutal, calculated killing of Tristan Bailey. A crime that revealed just how terrifying a mind can be even at 14. Drop a comment if you think justice was truly served. Or if you believe something far darker still lies beneath. And stick around. We dig up the stories others are too afraid to tell. [Music] [Music]