ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Johns County teen accused of stabbing 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey to death had previously threatened her with a knife “because of jealousy,” according to the teen’s friend, who said the crime was “100% premeditated.”
The new evidence in the case, obtained by First Coast News, includes an email from a sheriff's deputy to prosecutors documenting details of the night of the crime, according to one of Aiden Fucci’s friends.
Fucci is charged with first degree murder for allegedly stabbing Bailey 114 times on the morning of Mother’s Day, 2021. He was 14-years-old at the time. The two were middle school classmates.
The email says the friend felt "responsible" because he was the one who invited Bailey out that night, and that Fucci mentioned several times wanting to kill someone in the woods.
First Coast News is not naming the friend because he is a juvenile and isn’t charged with a crime. The other marked redactions were done by state officials.
The email is written as a series of bullet points, below:
• Aiden having a knife @ [friend’s] house [REDACTED]
• Aiden became infuriated about [REDACTED], threatened Tristyn with a knife because of jealousy
• Aiden mentioned several times wanting to kill someone in the woods
• [Friend] invited Tristyn out that night, met at [friend’s] house.
• [Friend] gave Aiden a black Death Valley sweatshirt, noticed that Aiden was later wearing their clothes. [Friend] believes Alden may have had a bag of clothes in the woods to change into, [Friend] does not believe the sweatshirt has been recovered (perhaps In a sewer). [Friend] was adamant that Alden was not wearing the same clothes he left in.
• [Friend] believes the crime was 100% premeditated
• [Friend] is concerned about the chance that his family could have been harmed by Aiden
• [Friend] feels responsible because he was the one who invited Tristyn out that night [REDACTED WORDS]
•[Friend] said he started drinking in the [REDACTED] grade because he was responsible for cleaning up the morning after dad's parties and would have access to alcohol
• Stated that his dad has lots of women at the house, wherein dad would be with a girl, and he would be with a girl (indicating sexual interactions)
• [Friend] said Aiden left multiple skateboards at [friend’s] house on the night of the crime – [friend] has a feeling that Alden may have left the skateboards with [Friend] in a way of giving them to him
The discovery release also includes a trove of anguished emails to the principal at the St. Johns County school both Fucci and Bailey attended.
Between May 11 and May 17, Patriot Oaks Principal Allison Olson received some 20 emails and voicemails from local students, parents and concerned residents, as well as people from around the country, expressing a broad range of emotions.
“You not only owe the families an apology but as well as the students,” wrote one woman from Texas “…for not teaching them right from wrong.”
Many of the emails focus on social media accounts that appeared to support Fucci, or claim to have taken part in the crime. “I am a little bit of an internet detective,” wrote one, including links to the problematic accounts.
One email from a parent in the Durbin Crossing neighborhood where both teens lived said kids there “often snuck out for fun to hang out” in the middle of the night, and that her son “thought” Tristyn was sometimes involved. The mom recounts a sleepover her son hosted with four other boys weeks before the murder after which she realized they’d been coming and going between 2 and 5 am. She says her son said their house was chosen for the sleepover specifically because they didn’t have a security system or a Ring doorbell.
“My heart breaks that I did not share this information earlier,” the mother writes. “I feel awful over it. … I’m so sorry.” She says Tristyn was a “beautiful sweet girl” who was friends with her son. “I’m afraid he may share some guilt as well, or maybe I’m reading into it,” she wrote. “The tragedy of this is so difficult.”
Another parent wrote demanding to know what Olsen was doing to keep students safe. “What are you doing about increased security at the school? … The fact that there are kids at Patriot Oaks who would KILL ANOTHER KID AT THEIR OWN SCHOOL is terrifying. I am personally afraid to bring my child back to school!”
Can those emails be entered into court at trial? We spoke with Shannon Schott, an expert in juvenile law. She says those emails likely would not be allowed because they are considered hearsay.
"Anytime someone says something and they are not under oath, in court, sitting in court, then that is considered hearsay. And the defense as the right to cross-examine any person who makes a statement that's used against a defendant. So, those individuals have to be brought into court to make those statements," she said.
One voicemail complained that students are “slutshaming” Bailey on social media “while inside your school so I think you should probably do something about it.”
“He should be expelled this is absolutely DISGUSTINGGGGGGGG,” one wrote. “I expect maximum disciplinary action.”
Another email called the social media posts “truly disgusting. …. you need to help and take action before you guys face another unfortunate tragedy.”
One expressed condolences. “I am so sorry for the school's loss and am grieving for the victim and her family. Please do what you can for her family and friends, and if these people are students at the school, please seek punishment as this behavior is pure evil.”
The email also includes a tip that St. Johns County Sheriffs’ Deputy Paul Beasley passed along from a student who said that it was Tristyn, not her assailant, who’d written the word “Karma” on her ankle in black marker. In response to that email, Criminal Investigations Division Corporal Kurt Hannon responds, “That actually helps a lot, thank you.”
