“You demons killed my soul” - Aiden Fucci mental health explored amid Tristyn Bailey murder sentencing

Aiden Fucci, the teen who murdered 13-year-old cheerleader Tristyn Bailey in 2021, was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in 25 years on Friday, March 24, 2023. Aidan Fucci was 14 years old when he stabbed Tristyn Bailey 114 times.

Before issuing the sentence, Circuit Judge R. Lee Smith said that while determining the excessive punishment, he did factor in multiple variables regarding the now 16-year-old suspect, including his age and mental health.

The suspect’s mental health has been a subject of concern since the 2021 preliminary hearing on Zoom. Fucci was seen rocking back and forth, seemingly disoriented, while he muttered, "I won't let you demons take my soul, " adding “You demons killed my soul.”

However, during the sentencing, the judge said that the depravity of the crime outweighed other elements, as Fucci's behavior before the murder showed a "heightened level of premeditation." After reviewing the evidence, the judge also noted that the senseless murder was carried out to merely gratify Fucci's inner desire to kill.

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Aiden Fucci allegedly heard voices telling him to kill people before the murder

Shortly after Aiden Fucci was taken into custody in connection to the death of 13-year-old cheerleader Tristyn Bailey, authorities discovered he had told friends he planned to kill someone in the months leading up to the murder. Investigators said Fucci, who had a notebook with satanic drawings, had also confided in his former girlfriend that he heard voices in his head telling him to kill people.

During his time in jail, Fucci allegedly told a juvenile probation officer that he was "hearing voices," as per the Florida Times. Shortly before his sentence hearing, the suspect’s defense team was reportedly going to present the officer as a witness to testify about Fucci’s mental health. However, prosecutors opposed the move, stating that the witness was not an expert, prompting the judge to side with the state.

Prosecutors also argued that the suspect appeared unremorseful after he was arrested for the killing. Providing insight into his state of mind, authorities said that Aiden Fucci reportedly took a Snapchat selfie in the back of a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office patrol vehicle following his arrest for the crime.

Aiden Fucci was also accused of bragging about the killing while being taken to the police station for questioning. Authorities said that in multiple social media posts, Fucci mentioned Tristyn, even going as far as flippantly asking if anyone had recently sighted the victim. Shortly after, a surveillance video from the interrogation room captured Fucci speaking to a family member, feigning ignorance about the crime.

Dr. Greg Prichard, a Psychologist who testified during the hearing, told the judge that the suspect’s former girlfriend had revealed that Aiden Fucci was fascinated with violence in the days leading up to the victim’s death but noted that the obsession was out of character.

As per WOKV, he said:

“Mr Fucci talked about death and killing a lot. This was important because there was a lot of this killing and death talk from Mr Fucci, that was unusual.”

Prichard also noted that Fucci's lack of contrition was concerning and showed that any consideration of rehabilitating the unrepentant suspect would be futile. However, shortly before the judge announced the sentence, Aiden Fucci reportedly wrote a letter to the victim’s family pleading for forgiveness for taking the life of the innocent victim, who was killed without provocation.

According to The US Sun, he wrote:

“I’m sorry that you didn’t get to know her that long. You did not have any long relationships with and for that I’m sorry. For the Community, I'm sorry I brought all this pain every day and I'm sorry and I know my [apology] will not fix anything or bring her back but I hope it helps in some way.”

However, the judge, who sentenced Fucci to life imprisonment, agreed with the Psychologist and said he believed that there was a "poor prognosis for rehabilitation" as the suspect, who had planned out the killing, was fully aware of the consequences of his actions.