ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – Surveillance video obtained by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s office showed Crystal Smith washing her son, Aiden Fucci’s bloody jeans in a sink, just hours after he murdered 13-year-old Trystan Bailey two years ago.
One of the few times 38-year-old Crystal Smith was seen in court before a judge was Friday. That’s because she chose not to attend her son’s sentencing hearing.+
Lawyer Belkis Plata, who’s not associated with this case, says Smith’s absence was by design and likely a legal strategy to separate Smith’s crime from her son’s.
Smith was sentenced to 30 days in prison, and five years probation. Plata says she was surprised at the punishment that was handed down.
“I think it’s probably because the victim’s family agreed,” Plata said. “I don’t think it’s the sentence the judge would have given had she had gone to trial.”
Plata thinks Trystan Bailey’s family agreed to the plea deal and sentence because they’ve heard the painful details surrounding their daughter’s death dozens of times in court and didn’t want to relive them again in trial.
Plata says even though Smith will serve her time in a St. Johns County Jail and not a state prison, she says the five year probationary period severely limits Smith’s liberties.
″She’s going to have a probation officer she’ll have to check in monthly with, if not more,” Plata said. “The probation officer can come to her house whenever he wants, go through her things, she’s going to have to ask permission for travel, to change housing if she wants to move.”
In court today Trystan Bailey’s mother spoke directly to Crystal Bailey urging her to take full responsibility for her actions..
″Crystal no one can make you regret what you did, only you can do that, I do have hope as a mother that when you are in prison, that you can take this time and get back on track,” Stacy Bailey said.
Plata points out that both mothers lost their children, one was murdered and the other will spend the rest of his life in prison.
″Trystan they’ll never see again, but Aiden’s going to be incarcerated for the rest of their life, so I think her mother was being genuine to speak with Crystal,” Plata said.
Plata also points out that Crystal Smith didn’t have any criminal history, which could have been another reason why she wasn’t sentenced to a lengthy sentence in a state prison.