Trial likely a year off for teen accused in cheerleader’s death
A pretrial hearing of a 14-year-old Florida boy charged as an adult in the stabbing death of a 13-yearold girl had lawyers discussing a likely fall 2022 trial start.
Aiden Fucci appeared in person at the St. Johns County Courthouse in front Judge Lee Smith of the 7th Judicial Circuit during which Smith asked Fucci’s lawyers if a jury trial by October 2022 was possible, according to a report from WJXT.
“Yes sir, conservatively, yes,” Fucci’s public defender told the judge.
The public defender stated that he and the prosecutor in the case have a death penalty trial in March that would push Fucci depositions until after its conclusion, making a fall trial date more likely, the stationreported.
Fucci is facing a a first-degree murder charge with a possible life sentence in the death of Tristyn Bailey, last seen on May 9 in the Durbin Crossing community south of Jacksonville. Her parents reported her missing that day and a jogger found her body that evening.
An autopsy revealed Bailey had been stabbed 114 times, and she had defensive wounds. Surveillance video showed Bailey and Fucci walking together and investigators talked to Fucci, whose home was located near where Bailey’s body was found.
Detectives reported finding evidence related to the clothing seen in the surveillance videos in the boy’s bedroom. And some of the items had a presumptive positive result for the presence of blood, the report said. A dive team found a knife in a nearby pond that investigators believe was the murder weapon.
State Attorney R.J. Larizza said during a news conference earlier this year that charging Fucci as an adult wasn’t only appropriate but the only choice his office could make, taking into account the number of times Bailey was stabbed.
“Every time that arm went back and every time that arm went down, that was premeditation,” Larizza said.
Investigators said Fucci had also told several friends that he planned to kill someone, though it wasn’t clear whether Bailey was his intended target from the beginning, Larizza said.
Fucci’s in-person appearance was much different than his last court appearance, a virtual one that was called off after he was seen on camera muttering, “Why am I here?” and “I won’t let you demons take my soul.”
It was canceled at the time citing “technical difficulties.” The Thursday hearing was the rescheduled attempt of that Sept. 1 hearing.
In Thursday’s hearing, Fucci seemed alert, WJXT reported. Members of Bailey’s family sat in the audience. WJXT reported that according to court records, Fucci’s girlfriend told investigators he’d hear voices that would tell him to kill people. Fucci’s attorney has not sought a mental competency evaluation for Fucci, WJXT reported.
Fucci’s mother also faces charges related to the case. Crystal Smith was charged with tampering with evidence, accused of washing blood from a pair of jeans Fucci had worn the morning of the stabbing. Smith’s attorney waived all pretrial appearances, so she was not in court, WJXT reported.
Fucci has pleaded not guilty to the charge, but remains in custody until trial at the Duval County Jail. The next pre-trial hearing is set for Feb. 2, at which time the judge said he would like to have a trial date set, the station reported.