Florida Teen Accused Of Stabbing Classmate To Death Heard Voices And Spoke Of Murder, Says Friend

The Florida teenager accused in the brutal stabbing death of his 13-year-old classmate, Trystan Bailey, told friends the month prior to her death that he had planned to stab a random person to death, according to a police report detailing interviews surrounding the shocking case that was released this week.

Aiden Fucci, 14, has been charged with first-degree murder in the death of 13-year-old Bailey, his Patriot Oaks Academy classmate who was found stabbed 114 times. Bailey’s body was discovered on May 9 in a wooded area in St. Johns County; she had been reported as missing that morning by her family.

Fucci acted aloof about the teen’s murder when interviewed by police alongside his mother on May 9, according to investigators; following the interview and the collection of evidence at his home, Fucci was arrested on a first-degree murder charge. He has pleaded not guilty. The teen is set to be tried for Bailey’s murder as an adult. 

"How is that my problem?" Fucci responded to deputies when discussing the murder, according to the police report. The teen also told investigators that the night Bailey died he had kissed her while in the woods, then pushed her to the ground after she grabbed his penis. He told investigators that he walked off after Bailey fell down and hit her head. 

Tristyn Bailey and Aiden Fucci. Photo: St. Johns County Sheriff's Office

The report details interviews conducted by the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office with a girl who says she was a close friend of Fucci. She claimed that the accused teen frequently spoke of killing and that on occasion, Fucci "would take his knife out and pretend to stab her with it." Within a month of the discovery of Bailey’s body, Fucci had allegedly told her that he planned to drag a random person into the woods and stab them. 

"Aiden would draw graphic pictures depicting mutilated bodies,” she told police, according to the document, adding that he told her he heard voices when he was angry that told him to kill.

"Aiden knew something was wrong with him and wanted to reach out for help," she added.

Bailey’s parents told investigators they saw her just after midnight on May 9; surveillance camera footage captured her walking with a male around 1:14 a.m. near the North Durbin Amenities Center, according to the arrest report previously obtained by Oxygen.com.

The two were spotted later on surveillance camera footage around 1:45 a.m. But only one individual was seen returning from the location around 3:27 a.m., authorities said. Fucci, who investigators said had changed the details of his account of what happened that morning while under questioning, at one point said that he had walked around after departing the woods. 

The medical examiner said Bailey’s arms and right hand had 49 defensive stab wounds. The police report states that the word "karma" had been written in blue ink on her left ankle and a smiley face was drawn onto her right ankle; it’s unclear who wrote on her body. There were other wounds to Bailey’s torso, chest, back and upper extremities, the report states. 

Florida State Attorney R.J. Larizza said that Bailey died “fighting for her life.”

The police report also details some of the evidence that led to Fucci’s arrest. Inside his bedroom, it states, a Buck knife sheath, a pair of shoes, and a bloody shirt were discovered. The coroner who examined Bailey’s body reported that her wounds were consistent with that of a Buck knife, according to the local outlet. 

On June 5, Fucci’s mother, Crystal Smith, turned herself in on a warrant issued by local police, which indicated that Smith had washed the jeans her son was wearing when he allegedly killed Bailey. Cameras inside their home captured Smith going into her son’s bedroom to find a pair of jeans; she then scrubbed the jeans in a sink and returned them to the room, police said.  

Smith​​ has been charged with destroying evidence in the case.

Fucci's pretrial hearing is set for July 28. He is being represented by Public Defenders Josh Mosley and Matthew Phillips. A representative for the Public Defender's Office declined to comment on the police report or case when contacted by Oxygen.com on Thursday afternoon.