ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Aiden Fucci, the St. Johns County 14-year-old accused of killing his 13-year-old schoolmate Tristyn Bailey last month, is scheduled to be arraigned June 10 on a first-degree murder charge in her stabbing death.
Defendants enter their plea during an arraignment, and a defendant can only plead not guilty during a felony arraignment.
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Fucci, who is now in the juvenile wing of the Duval County jail, will be tried as an adult in the stabbing death of Bailey. St. Johns County’s jail does not have a juvenile wing.
The arraignment in St. Johns County court is slated for an in-person hearing at 9 a.m. June 10. It could be the first time Fucci appears in court in person. His previous court appearances have been conducted virtually.
It’s possible his attorney will file a motion to waive Fucci’s appearance, which means the attorney appears alone on Fucci’s behalf and Fucci does not have to be present in the courtroom.
Fucci was arrested May 10 and was held at the Department of Juvenile Justice facility in Daytona Beach until last week, when he was transported to St. Johns County by the Sheriff’s Office for his first appearance on an upgraded first-degree murder charge.
Bailey’s body was found on Mother’s Day near a retention pond in a cul-de-sac in the Durbin Crossing subdivision, less than a half-mile from Fucci’s home, according to an arrest report. The discovery was made by a neighbor out for a walk around 6 p.m., roughly eight hours after Bailey’s family called 911 to report her missing.
Fucci is the lone suspect in Bailey’s murder. If convicted, Fucci could face up to life in prison, but because of his age, he is not eligible for the death penalty.