A 14-year-old boy (now 16) accused of stabbing a 13-year-old girl cheerleader to death in 2021 has been held in isolation in solitary confinement for over a year. His lawyers have appealed to have him moved to a different facility, but the appeals have so far failed and he is staying where he is. Lonely.
Alden Fucci was only 14 years old when he was arrested and accused of stabbing Tristyn Bailey, a 13-year-old cheerleader on Mother’s Day in 2021. He allegedly stabbed her 114 times.
Tristan’s dead body was found near a pond in Durbin Crossing, south of Jacksonville, Mississippi. Security footage caught her at around 1:45 am with someone police believe to be Fucci.
The killer had written the word “karma” on her left ankle and had drawn a smiley face on her right ankle.
Fucci was detained by police and while riding in the backseat of the patrol car, he sent a photo to the Snapchat app showing him making a peace sign with his fingers, with the caption, “Hey guys has inybody [sic] seen Tristyn lately?” It was like he was proud of the murder, or felt it was funny, or even justified.
Police revealed that the boy told some of his friends that he wanted to “take someone into the woods and stab them,” making the police believe that he had premeditated the murder.
The two young teens were students at the same school – The Patriot Oaks Academy.
Fucci is being tried as an adult for first-degree murder. He was placed in solitary confinement in Duval County since the St. Johns County jail does not take in juveniles.
The teenager, now 16 years old has been in solitary confinement for more than 400 days, out of the total 583 days that he has been in custody. He was placed in solitary because of a suicide watch, and because of threats from other inmates, for his own protection. In November, his lawyers filed a motion to get him transferred to another facility.
On Tuesday, Judge Lee Smith denied the lawyers’ multiple requests to move Fucci from solitary confinement and said that the court is trying to find a less restrictive way to detain him.
St. Johns County Sheriff, Rob Hardwick, said he didn’t want Fucci to change jails, because the teen “had lost the right” to choose where he’s incarcerated.
The lawyers have also tried to move the trial to another county because they are concerned about the jury’s impartiality.
State attorney R.J. Larizza said that the huge number of stab wounds was evidence of premeditation – 114 times. He stated, “Every time that arm went down, that was premeditation.” Larizza said that the boy told other students that he wanted to kill someone.
Fucci’s mother, Crystal Smith, was also charged with a crime and accused of tampering with evidence. She was arrested because she allegedly washed blood off Fucci’s jeans. Both the mother and the son have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Fucci’s trial is scheduled to begin on February 6, 2023.
