ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Fifteen-year-old Aiden Fucci, the St. Johns County teen accused of brutally stabbing his 13-year-old classmate Tristyn Bailey in May 2021, was back in court on Tuesday morning.
Fucci’s public defender said she’s gathering testimonies from several witnesses between now and next month.
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There could be between 70 and 80 sworn testimonies from witnesses which Fucci’s attorney will need to gather out-of-court.
His attorney said on Tuesday she’s already scheduled several of those for this month and for July.
LAST COURT APPEARANCE: Aiden Fucci, teen charged with murder of Tristyn Bailey, appears in court ahead of trial
Fucci faces one count of first-degree murder in the death of his 13-year-old classmate, Tristyn Bailey, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
Fucci is being tried as an adult, and on Tuesday, the judge said he is still on track to stand trial some time in November.
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We know attorneys on both sides are combing through evidence, which includes jail calls, surveillance videos from neighbors and several Snapchat videos. Witness accounts will also be critical.
Many of the witnesses used in Fucci’s case will also be used in the case surrounding Fucci’s mother, Crystal Smith.
Smith is charged with tampering with evidence in this case, after investigators say she washed blood off her son’s jeans while he was being questioned. She has pleaded not guilty to that charge.
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Some members of the Bailey family were also inside the courtroom on Tuesday.
The final hearing in Fucci’s case before it heads to trial is August 31. It’s at this point we’ll know if attorneys are ready for that November trial, and a date could be set.
Meanwhile, Smith’s next pre-trial hearing is August 5. The judge has agreed this case will go to trial after Fucci’s.
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