ST. JOHNS, Fla. – St. Johns County detectives are reviewing social media posts as part of the investigation into the death of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey, including a widely-shared photograph showing a teenager in the back seat of a deputy’s cruiser.
The photo comes from a Snapchat account by the name of Aiden Fucci, the same name as the 14-year-old boy charged with second-degree murder in connection with Bailey’s death. A St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson confirmed to News4Jax that the teen in the photo is Fucci. In the photo, the unhandcuffed teen has his hands in the peace sign with the caption: “Hey guys has inybody (sic) seen Tristyn lately.”
St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick said at a news conference Monday that investigators were reviewing online evidence and that it may help their case.
“I will say our real-time intelligence center really has captured all these videos as much as we can. We monitor it,” Hardwick said. “Unfortunately, with some of these things that are actually maybe you think is detrimental to the case actually help us to in the case and actually don’t actually hurt the case because we’re collecting this media.”
After the news conference, the Sheriff’s Office spokesperson confirmed that “all social media is being looked at and is part of the investigation.”
This Snapchat selfie shows Aiden Fucci,14, in the back of a deputy’s car as they were searching for Tristyn Bailey, 13....
Posted by WJXT4 Vic Micolucci on Monday, May 10, 2021
Gene Nichols, an attorney who’s not involved in the case, said investigators will use search warrants and subpoenas to pull information from phones and internet accounts of anyone involved.
“The Sheriff’s Office is going to do as much as they can do scour the internet, to check every social media site, check all the chat rooms, all the communication between the young people,” Nichols said.
TIMELINE: What we know about Tristyn Bailey’s disappearance | RELATED: What we know about Aiden Fucci, the teen accused of killing Tristyn Bailey
Investigators have also spent hours searching Fucci’s home in the Durbin Crossing community. They also looked in the pond in his backyard.
Fucci and Bailey went to school together at the nearby Patriot Oaks Academy.
Fucci made his first appearance in court Tuesday. The state attorney is working with the Sheriff’s Office to determine whether he’ll be tried as an adult.