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On Friday, March 24, 2023, Florida teenager Aiden Fucci was convicted of first-degree murder of his 13-year-old peer, Tristyn Bailey. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Despite being a 16-year-old, Fucci was tried as an adult after he pleaded guilty to the charges filed against him in February 2023 for a gruesome incident that involved him fatally stabbing Tristyn Bailey over 100 times in the woods nearby in 2021. He was 14 at the time.
Both students attended the Patriot Oaks Academy, a public school located in Saint Johns, Florida.
R. Lee Smith, the judge presiding over the case, stated that he considered several factors before coming to his decision, including the 16-year-old's age, the premeditative nature of the crime, and the lack of purpose for the crime.
Sympathizing with Bailey's family and friends, Smith stated:
"Sometimes family members hope or expect that whatever the sentence is, that somehow or another that’s going to heal or provide closure. I cannot provide a closure to this... It may close a chapter, but … I cannot bring her back."
Dean Chris Wetjn of the Patriot Oaks Academy worked with Aiden Fucci on his anger issues
Chris Wetjn, who has worked with students for over 35 years, handled discipline at the school. He was subpoenaed by the court to testify in Aiden Fucci's trial on March 22, 2023. As stated in court, he handled the "behavior side" of day-to-day school life.
Aiden Fucci joined the Patriot Oaks Academy in January 2021 following a series of seventeen "disciplinary incidents" at his previous school. Wetjn was made aware of Aiden and they worked together on the 16-year-old's behavioral problems as soon as he joined.
Aiden had permission to meet Wetjn whenever he felt frustrated before a violent outburst. The latter said that they met on a weekly basis. The school also ensured that parents were made aware of any behavioral incidents if they occurred more than once.
When questioned whether Aiden Fucci's general attitude was "one of those attitudes where everything is someone else's fault, not his own," Wetjn agreed that it was something they were working on. He added that "he (Aiden) did not like to be disrespected," and "he had a temper."
Between joining the school in January and the incident in May, Aiden had two In-School Suspensions and one Out of School Suspension, one of which involved the 16-year-old threatening violence on another student.
What happened to Tristyn Bailey?
On Sunday, May 9, 2021, Tristyn Bailey was reported missing from her home. After her body was found outside of Jacksonville, investigations revealed that she was stabbed 114 times and suffered around 49 defensive wounds.
According to witnesses, Fucci had admitted his intention of stabbing someone in the woods. Additionally, his DNA was found on the body.
Aiden Fucci was arrested a day later as the primary suspect in the investigations. According to NBC News, while the 16-year-old was still a witness in the case, he had snapped a selfie in the back of the police vehicle and shared it with the caption:
"Hey guys has anybody seen Tristyn lately."
Judge Smith expressed that there was no motive behind the horrific crime, stating :
"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."
Following Friday's verdict, the judge stated that Aiden Fucci has 30 days to appeal the sentence.
