Sword and Scale - Episode 288

Episode Date: April 28, 2025

On Mother’s Day weekend in 2021, a brutal crime shattered an affluent neighborhood in St. Johns, Florida. When 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey was reported missing, the community mobilized, unaware of the dark secrets lurking just beneath the surface. As investigators closed in on a suspect, it became clear that some of the most chilling betrayals came from those closest to home.

Sword and scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised. There was no reason. There was no purpose. It was done for no other reason than to satisfy this defendant's internal desire to feel what it was like to kill someone. Why is there a Sword and Scale on a Tuesday? That doesn't seem right. I should call the manager.

This is Season 12, Episode 288 of Sword and Scale, a show that reveals that the worst monsters are real! Hey, instead of complaining, why don't you head on over to the store and buy something. store.swordandscale.com We got, uh, Murder Daddy daddy shirts we got people are shit tank tops we have sass hole dad hats that are perfect for summer in fact we have a whole bunch of tumblers and things that are great for the beach or the pool but you head on over there and support your favorite podcast because I know

this is something we do for the love of it, but we also like to eat every now and then. It's getting a little warmer out there, so let me take you down to a little place called St. John's, Florida. It's a suburban dreamland, tucked between Jacksonville and St. Augustine. Sounds pleasant, doesn't it? This is a place where life feels peaceful, predictable, ordinary. Golf courses blend seamlessly into HOA neighborhoods. Everyone has a pool. Here parents trust that when their kids leave in the morning, they'll come back at night

before the streetlights turn on. St. John's wasn't always as booming as it is today. morning, they'll come back at night before the streetlights turn on. St. John's wasn't always as booming as it is today. In fact, it was barely a dot on a map just a few decades ago. But things have changed, especially in Florida. Over the past ten years, the once-quiet community has exploded in size, growing from just over 18,000 people to almost 90,000 today. Despite that growth, there's still a sense of security here. A belief that you know your neighbors, that you know your children, that bad things happen somewhere else. children. That bad things happen somewhere else. On Mother's Day, May 9th, 2021, it would take only 12 hours for that sense of safety to shatter completely. You're going to have to pay close

attention here. We're going to jump around in the timeline a bit, but we'll start at around 3.30 p.m. in the timeline a bit, but we'll start at around 3.30 p.m. On the side of one of these beautifully landscaped streets sits a cop car. In the back seat, there are two teenage boys, both about 14 years old. They live in the area and their parents have money and ring cameras everywhere. These aren't the type of kids you usually see in the back

of a police cruiser. They're laughing, each holding their own phone with one extended arm as they record videos on Snapchat for cred. Having fun in a fucking cop car, yeah? Tristan, what's up guys? Tristan, if you fucking walk out the damn, would you see this in a live hack? He's talking about a missing teen, Tristan. He says, Tristan, if you walk out the damn, and then the video cuts off.

Then Aiden posts another snap, but he's holding up a peace sign, and it's captioned, hey guys, has anybody seen Tristan lately? You see, as they're laughing and joking in the back of a cop car, their classmate is missing. It's as if the gravity of the situation hasn't sunk in yet, or worse, that it doesn't matter. Earlier that morning, 13-year-old Tristan Bailey's mother had awoken to find her daughter's bed

empty. Given Tristan's age and the fact that she's a cheerleader with good grades, her mom immediately called 911. I don't have anybody to come to my home right now. I haven't... I haven't anything to do. Take a big breath for me, okay? How old is she? I'm sure she's 13. She's 13. 13 years old? Can you go room by room with me?

I did. I did. Take a big breath. I had my whole family. Was she supposed to be sleeping in her room? Yeah. She... The last time somebody in her room? Yeah. She... The last time somebody saw her was at midnight.

Was last night? Yep. What time did she go to bed? The last time my her sister saw her was at midnight. Is there any reason that she would have left to go to a friend's house? No. Has she ever knocked out before? No, not to my knowledge. And her location is off.

Her Snapchat location is off. I have my friend has her and my friend's the key and she's not sharing location with her. Her phone's going straight to voicemail. While her mother was on the phone, Tristan's father scoured the property, desperate to find her. When that failed, he got in his car driving through the neighborhood in search of her.

Soon police started to arrive at the Bailey's residence, ready to take statements and launch a full-scale search of their own. So you know, my wife and I woke up this morning and, uh... The time is all up? It's okay. We probably both woke up around 7. Okay. And, um, my daughter was...

and said that she was going to make breakfast for my wife because it's Mother's Day. I started making breakfast, it was around 9.30, when I say 9.30 or 9.40, that we asked my son to go upstairs to wake up, come down for breakfast. Okay. He came down and said he didn't find her in her room or in the the media room. Okay. Which the kids will sometimes sleep on if they're working to read. Okay. So I went out to drive around the two amenity centers, just worried that, I'm sorry if I'm going too fast.

No, you're fine. Worried that she might be up there. And then you came back over here and that's when law enforcement started to show up, correct? Correct, law enforcement was here at one point. So that's when we started to piece together that she snuck out last night. We begin tonight with breaking news from ST john's county where police say this 13 year old girl hasn't been seen in some 15

hours. Thanks for joining us at six. I'm jeff Bellin. This is the photo of the ST john's county sheriff's office. Want you to take a close look at the the the the the the the the the with Bailey and they still can't believe something like this happened. You know, they've been living here for about 12 years now and they said never has a child

been missing. The St. John's County Sheriff's Office says Bailey was last wearing a white cheerleading skirt and a dark colored shirt. So if you have any information about the current whereabouts or have seen Bailey, please contact your nearest local law enforcement." After piecing some things together and talking with the parents of some of Tristan's friends, they quickly determined that Tristan had plans to sneak out that night, as did many other kids.

Apparently, there were secret tunnels underneath Tristan's neighborhood, which is straight out of a Stephen King novel and, you know, kind of cool. We heard that she was linked with potentially this boy Trey, a boy Trent, and a boy Aiden. There was also another boy Joshua, but from everything I've heard, the Joshua didn't pan out. At one point, I also left. I left with my daughter because we heard there's this place called the tunnel where kids sometimes go and use drugs. Here's one of the other parents talking about the notorious tunnels. They were hanging out at the North. They snuck out sometime in the middle of night and were hanging out at the North and then the two boys went home and

they said they were gonna go home, but she was gonna meet this 22 year old guy that I guess she buys babe stuff from or if that's a 20 year old dealer or 20 year old plug, whatever that means. And, uh, but I don't know who that guy was. Sneaking out into those tunnels wasn't uncommon, especially for teens looking for an escape from the ordinary or the watchful eyes of their parents and the numerous, numerous security cameras. I mean, I really should buy some ring stock. parents and the numerous, numerous security cameras. I mean, I really should buy some ring stock. Describe to me what takes place at the back of these trails

as far as your understanding of it. What are these? People do drugs, they come out high. What kind of drugs? All I know of or I've seen when I was a marijuana and I've seen vapes. Okay. 95% of the time when I go to North,

I do not see people coming in or out, or even if I go in there, people in there. It's normally like 1.30 in the morning, people go back there. What's your relationship with Trey and Aiden? Do you know? I mean... I have no idea. I personally didn't even know they knew each other.

You didn't know who knew each other? I didn't, I didn't knew, I didn't know Aiden, Trey, them two. I didn't know they knew. Okay. What do you know about, I mean, how is she? Describe her to me. She, I just know she did. She played, uh, cheer. I...

I knew she was friends with... She's known me friends with older kids. She would, at lunch, she'd know me come sit up with, like, the older kids, because she's... she was in sixth when I was in eighth. So she would always be up with, like, the seventh or eighth graders. And I just know she was kind of one of the popular people.

Okay. Describe Trae and Aiden for me, Adi. What I just know she was kind of one of the popular people. Okay. Describe Trey and Aiden for me. What do you know about them? I know, first with Trey, I used to, I would help volunteer and coach the POA volleyball team for boys. And he used to play and he got kicked off for punching this kid named Josh in the face

and like hurting him pretty badly. And I just know that he has a bad background. I've heard things from people about his family and just not to mess with him in general. I just know he's one of the bigger kids that just is one of the bullies of the school. He's had problems and then Aiden, he's, I've had problems, he has in the past,

I think maybe three or four months ago, jumped one of my friends named Henrik in my grade. And that's how I know he's not a very good person. Trey has been held back, he's 15, but he's in the eighth grade. And Aiden, I'm pretty sure is 14 and in the eighth grade. In Aiden, I'm pretty sure he's 14 and in the eighth grade. Rumors were starting to spread fast. Group chats lit up with speculation,

quickly adding new names to the mix. From everyone talking about it, I just heard that she was missing, and I thought she just like snuck out or something, but it turned out people talking about what they thought happened or what happened. And one of the kids that was supposed to be involved. And who was that? Abdel-Ebrehi, I think you say his last name.

How old is he? He is 14. He's in my grade. And he had said some things in a, was it a private chat? And someone screenshotted it and put it on the wall. Do you know who he was talking to? Um, it's his name is on it. And he says, Aiden Trey just snuck out with her, Trey and Trockin, so they went in the woods.

He raped her. And when she was all up on him, she tried running away. And he hit her, and she fell, and she bled out, literally 30 seconds away from my house. Aiden tried to get me to go with them. Do you know who screen, who got the screen grab of this? That kid, that's right there. And he sent it to you? It was in a group chat.

It got reposted. It got reposted everywhere. I'm sure. Okay, do you know Aiden? He went to my school last year. He was in my math class. He was really bad. He was always getting into trouble with girls at school

as all over them. Yeah. I'm pretty sure he got expelled from our school. That's why he goes to VOA. Okay. What about Trey? I have no clue. I just, my boyfriend was, he said set the lunch table

with him and he was like, I would never suspect him to do that. Like he's not a very good kid, but he was like, I would have never thought he would do that. Gotcha. You said that there was another conversation between that had been deleted.

Oh yeah, they, someone posted on their story, but I don't think anybody even had time to screenshot it there was another conversation between that had been deleted. Oh, yeah. Someone posted on their story, but I don't think anybody even had time to screenshot it, because they deleted it like that. It was like a group chat that they had planned to do this. Between Trey and Aiden, or? Yeah. Who was on that group chat? Abton, Trey, and Aiden.

That's for Aiden? Yeah. My understanding is that I know both kids decently well and have had problems with both of them in the past. And that their area, or all the kids' area around here that do drugs or just don't do good things, hang out at this spot by north, just way back there in the woods. And I know that it just sounds like an error they would take people to do things like that.

As Trey Absher and Aidan Fucci sat in the back of a cop car broadcasting themselves on Snapchat, rumors continued to circulate. The leading theory was that the two boys had lured Tristan into the woods, assaulting her and killing her. Allegedly, they had even tried to involve the third boy who backed out. Even more suspicious, Tristan allegedly had an ongoing sexual relationship with Trey. Keep in mind, folks, these kids are 13 and 14 years old. Prior to Tristan's disappearance, a video had been circulating around the school that depicted the teens were in a

sexual act. Trey had secretly recorded the encounter and shared it with other boys, which, by the way, can stick your kid with charges in the realm of possession, production, and distribution of child pornography, even if they're a minor in case you didn't know. So, if you're parenting via iPad, I would suggest you get off your ass. So anyway, the night before Tristan went missing, Trey had been badgering a different girl from their school to come meet them out in the woods that night. Her name is Lola. Do you know, I don't know how you pronounce his name, Adrian?

Adrian Fuji? Do you know him? Well, I didn't know him personally, but I heard about him a lot in the fifth grade. He got sent home because he broke a kid's nose, and then he's been getting in a lot of trouble and stuff because of... Sure. And, like, I didn't know him personally. I stayed away from people like him. And then earlier today, he posted something in the back of the cop car saying,

yo, anyone seen him? Traded the same thing. And everybody's been reposting that and saying about how messed up that is. Right. He asked me to sneak out earlier that morning. And I said, yeah, because like, live a little. Have fun.

What time do you think? Around 10.30, he asked me first. And then he kept snapping me throughout the whole entire day, which was like, are you still going? Are you still going? Which I found a little bit weird. And so then... That was at 10.30 AM or PM?

That was AM. And... So that would have been Saturday morning, yesterday. So what my main theory was is that after Trey got mad at me and I got mad at him, he asked her to sneak out and then... So... I know that, like, at food trucks, she would always talk about the times when she sneaks out and stuff and... I know that she's not exactly, like, you know, like, ideal daughter and...

Everybody just wants to sneak out and have fun. and everybody just wants to sneak out and have fun. Tristan had actually told one of her friends about her plans to hang out with Trey and Aiden. Tristan was the only one who thought that sneaking out and hanging out with these boys was a good idea. Even her fellow 13-year-olds told her not to go. She was like, I'm supposed to meet up with them sometime this weekend, so I guess it was like after school. I didn't really know when it was. Like, I had this like really bad feeling not to go and I mean I guess she went anyways but

Despite the warnings though Tristan followed through with her plan walking straight into the unknown but while everyone was busy pointing fingers there was one side of the story that no one had heard yet of the story that no one had heard yet. The boys. As afternoon turned evening on Mother's Day 2021, the peaceful St. John's community had become the epicenter of a frantic investigation. What began as a simple search for a missing teenage girl had quickly morphed into something dark and strange. All eyes were on three teenage boys. Daphis Sabcher, known by everyone as Trey, Aidan Fucci, and a third boy, Abton.

The rumor mill was in overdrive, and no one knew what to believe. So it's around 4pm and St. John's County cops have Trey and Aiden in the back of a squad car. They have to get a statement from each of them before they decide what their next move is. Meanwhile, another deputy drives over to Abdon's house to get statements from him and his family. Hey, are you Aiden? Hey, I'm Detective Police Officer with the Sheriff's Office.

We're trying to figure out where Christian's at, and I'm not trying to get you in trouble or anything like that. Obviously, I'm more concerned now about her safety and what she's doing and where she could be hanging out. You're telling him that there may be another path that he's maybe staying at? Where she's staying at? What's yeah. Or she's staying at? What's the path?

Down in the woods? OK. Have you heard from her at all? No? OK. All right. So are you willing to kind of give me a statement about what's going on with her? Yeah, so we were at Trace's house. And I stayed there until probably like 1.15 AM.

And then I was really late to be home. So I just had to leave. Whereas my mom was like, she was just killing me. So we started walking home. And then next to where that brick wall starts up there is where she touched my dick. And I pushed her off me real hard. And then I just kind of walked away in anger. OK. Is where she touched my dick, and I pushed her off me real hard.

And then I just kind of like got, I kind of walked away out of anger. So why did she do that, though? Was she like, were y'all talking about? She's a ho. Oh, she's a ho is what you're saying? OK. She's a touch person.

She's ready to like do it. Are you a lady? She has a guy who's been selling stuff. She says she bangs him. He's like cleaning something. She's told you about this before? Yes stuff. She says she bangs him. He's like, clean something. She's told you about this before? Yes, she's told me and said that. Other classmates had mentioned this elusive 21, 22-year-old guy, too.

Apparently Tristan was, quote, banging him, and was being provided cases of white claw, along with vapes, and whatever drugs she wanted. LSD, shrooms, weed, you name it. Both Trey and Aiden told police they thought she might have been picked up by this guy after she and Aiden had their little fight and parted ways in the middle of the night. They weren't the only ones with this theory. As these stories unfolded, the police were working behind the scenes, gathering hard

evidence. All of the kids' houses were within walking distance, but the streets were densely packed, meaning officers would have to knock on a lot of doors. Then after scanning hours of security and doorbell camera footage, someone finds a clip. The truth is about to surface surface one frame at a time, and it's far more chilling than anyone imagined. You see, when law enforcement first located Aidan, he gave his side of the story. He said that after leaving Trace House on Telford Drive at around 1 a.m. He and Tristan walked along North Durban Parkway. He claimed that about a quarter

out of the way into their walk, she parted ways and made a left onto Cloisterbane Drive, her street. Aiden said he kept walking toward his home on Castledale Court and got home at around 3 a.m. But the detective quickly picked up on a problem. Why had it taken Aiden two hours to get home? The distance from Trey's house to Aiden's home was just under two miles. A walk like that shouldn't have taken more than 40 minutes tops. Aiden, sensing the shift in tone,

tried to adjust his story a bit. He told the officer he'd been walking around by himself for a while, for whatever reason. This inconsistency raised red flags, of course. To get a clearer picture, the detective asked Aidan if he'd be willing to ride in the back of a patrol car and retrace the path they had walked together. Aidan agreed and his dad followed behind him in his golf cart. As they drove up North Durban Parkway, Aidan's story shifted once again. This time he admitted that he had an argument during the walk, he claimed Tristan had tried to make a move on him. And because he didn't want to cheat on his girlfriend, he pushed her.

Does that sound believable, ladies? I didn't think so. Anyway, he said she fell and he even got out of the car to demonstrate the push, saying he thought maybe she hit her head. But he walked away and didn't look back. But something still didn't add up. Surveillance footage obtained from a home on Saddlestone Drive up near Castledale Court where Aidan lived showed something entirely different. At approximately 1 45 a.m. two figures were captured walking east along the road. One was wearing a light-colored hoodie and wearing Nike shoes, and the other was dressed

in black. But by 3.27 a.m., the same camera captured only one figure, wearing a light-colored hoodie running west. The footage even captured the sound of his feet slapping against the sidewalk. He was shoeless, carrying his white Nikes. This raised a question. Why had Aidan and Tristan been spotted together way past Tristan Street on Saddlestone Drive if he had claimed she parted from him much earlier and headed home.

After seeing this footage, investigators knew they had to bring in Aidan one more time for questioning. They now had proof that he wasn't telling the full story. Aidan was the last person to see Tristan. No one else was involved. Once he's put in the back of a squad car, Aidan's behavior turns desperate. When you're done over there, bring the canines over to Leith Hall and North Durban to get a scent from over here. Yeah, no, he's with me in the car. Okay, bye. No, yeah, he's with me in the car.

Okay, bye. As soon as the door shuts and the cop walks away, he tries to FaceTime his girlfriend, whom he has in his phone as, quote, Dream Girl. I mean, I can't even make this shit up, guys. Okay. Let me see your phone. Thank you. Take his phone too for now. Let me hold on to your phones, all right buddy?

These kids are much more technically savvy than the cops that are dealing with them. Did he really think that just putting Aiden's phone in the front seat would keep him from using it? Hey Siri, text Dreamgirl, they took my phone, I'm using Siri, and I love you bye. Your message to Dreamgirl says they took my phone I'm using Siri and I love you bye. Ready to send it? Yes. Okay, it's sent. Hey Siri, text Dream Girl, I'm talking through the glass.

I cannot see your text. Your message to Dream Girl says I'm talking through the glass I cannot see your text. Ready to send it? Yes. Okay it's sent. Hey Siri, text Green Dream Girl please stick with me through this. Sorry I missed that, could you say it again, please? Please stick with me through this. I'm sorry. While Aidan was being driven to the police station, he lashed out in frustration, kicking the seat in front of him and complaining.

I'm going to get arrested for bullshit, he said. At the same time across town, detectives were at the Bailey residence trying to gather more information about Tristan, hoping to understand what kind of girl she really was. So obviously we're here because we went missing, and We're trying to figure out where she could be at. And I just want to ask you some questions about like the last time you had maybe seen her or you know what's been going on with her or anything like that. From your knowledge, when was the last time you saw her talk? It was sometime after 12.

So I think it was probably around 12, 15. She came downstairs, she talked about something that I can't remember. Okay. And then she went out to the garage to take the call and then when I went to see what she was doing she was on FaceTime with a boy and I think it was tried. Now have you tried calling her or texting her or anything like that? Have you had any luck? Yeah, I've called her a few times but it just got straight to voicemail. Okay. Has this ever happened with her before that you're aware of?

No. No? You've never heard of her sneaking out until today or? No. No? Okay. Now at this point the Bailey's knew nothing of Aidan's story. They were still trying to investigate their mysterious 22 year old drug dealer lead. The officer following up with them instructed Tristan's younger sister to call a girl named Sam. You see apparently Sam and her sister Lena were closer to Tristan and had more information about this guy.

Ultimately, this would end up being a fruitless so when she said that, I was like, oh my god. I know someone. I don't associate with them whatsoever. But I know of them. I really hope everything's OK. Thank you, Sam. If you guys need anything else, just let me know. OK, I'll let you know.

Sam. Sam. OK. All right if anything else happens. Sam. OK. All right. Sam. Sam. Sam. What?

Please just be honest with me. I don't think you're not being honest, but somebody just sent me a message, and it said that Lena didn't tell the police everything that she knows. Sam, does Lena know anything else? How can we, if she doesn't know anything, can you get it out of her? As Tristan's mother and sister talked with a detective in the kitchen, someone was walking near Saddlestone Drive where Aiden and Tristan had been caught on camera the

night before. As Tristan's family speculated about different possibilities holding out hope that she may be found alive, this person had just come upon her body. Hello? Hi, this is Upper Deer Heartsville's Sheriff's Office. Your phone call 911, is everything okay? No, I found the missing girl. There's a, at the end of the street, there's a retention pond and a piece of property.

Yeah, at the end of that, if you come back to the pond, at the southern end of it, she's about 25 feet in the woods. She's in the woods and not in the pond? She's in the woods back here behind the pond. Yes, sir. She looks like she's wearing black shorts and a black shirt. Don't touch her, please, sir. She looks like she's wearing black shorts and a black shirt. Okay, don't touch her, please, sir.

No, no, I'm about to go in the left-view way. It looks like black shorts, black Nike shorts, and a black shirt. And she's not moving, correct? No, there's bugs flying all over her. I don't think she's alive. As a 911 caller hung up the phone, Tristan's family was ending their call with Sam.

Tristan's father was in another room at the time. He was the first of them to hear the news and, I gotta say, brace yourselves. Alright, thanks. Okay, I love you. Love you too. I'm gonna be okay. Okay, bye Sam. Bye. This is coming through. Okay, I'll call you guys back soon, okay? Okay, thank you. Love you too. I wanna be your pet. Okay, bye Sam.

This is coming through. Okay, I'll call you guys back. Okay, thank you. Of course, bye bye. Okay. No, no, no. Well, one family faced the unthinkable loss of their daughter. Another parent just a few miles away was already trying to protect their own child no matter the cost. But as the truth started to unravel, it became clear not every parent was grieving.

In fact, some were already covering their tracks. During the night and into the early morning hours, Aiden and his family were being kept in an interview room. Holding them in a room together was intentional, but this flew right over their heads. You need to talk to your lawyer first. Do I have a lawyer? Yeah. You do? Yeah. Thank you. You want to sit down?

That's the sound of Aidan's mother, Crystal, entering the room. You're going to love her. You know, you don't speak until Andy comes. You don't have to speak in the cop car. You don't have to speak anywhere until your attorney comes, which is Andy. You know, yes, so you do not have to speak in none of the cop cars. You had to speak anywhere until he was present. You just cannot speak as much on this year. That was it.

I've been asking questions. Um, well, that's like what caused my what color are my eyes, and all that. That's all I am. And then where do you live? You know they found this girl, right? Where? In our neighborhood, down our main street. Yes, she did.

No, she's not. No, she's dead. That's why this is very important. It's all in you right now. That's why this is very important. It's all in you right now. Oh, my problem. You were the last one seen with her. So right now it's a lot of, it's facing you right now, son. So however you talk, you breathe, you think, then you respond. This is very serious, Aiden.

You can't act like, I don't know. I don't know. You can't know. You can't say nothing. Do you understand this is serious? Clearly? You understand, right? Everything you say will affect you. Everything you say will affect you, she says, right after. You can't act like I don't know. Hmm. What did she mean by that? That Snapchat that you did was not very smart. I don't know. Hmm. What did she mean by that? When you did the Snapchat, it fired up. Hannah heard about it. And it just doesn't look right. So everyone thinks that you did.

You and another kid killed or raped her. And that's going around social media pretty fast right now. Before we play the next clip, remember what Crystal had told her son when she came into the room. She basically scolded him for talking to the cops before his lawyer was present, but not realizing there are cameras in every room. She nonchalantly goes on to ask him all the same questions

a detective would ask in an interrogation. She does their work for them. You think she got picked up by him? Yeah, probably. She said she wasn't coming home. She said she was going to find somebody to stay at her house. After you left her there walking, you think she got picked up after that? She just kept walking? Probably.

You know, I don't know. Do you know if she turned the other direction or if she was just still walking behind you? She pushed her down, and then you all know what we should be talking about. I'm just asking when you told the cops. I her. I'm just asking what you told the cops. I understand. I was just asking what you told them.

As you... You walked away, you came straight home. You didn't turn back around and see where she went? What were you doing outside in outside late at night? No, I'm at Trace's house, you know, with them. Did you kiss or do anything with this girl? Be honest as you can to them. To Andy, your lawyer?

Yes. You kissed her? Anything further? Mm-hmm. So your DNA's gonna be on her? I remind you that these people are allowed to vote. Are you just gonna be blessed with this? This is, this is serious, Aiden. It's very serious. This is no joke, this is your whole life, your whole life. And hers. And ours.

And your brothers and sister? Did she really grab you when you just really pushed her, or was that? No, she did. Okay. You don't know what happened to her after you pushed her? Did she say ow or get mad? She said, and, she was like, and.

I think I pushed her, but I just told her to flip that phone. I just left her. The other direction she walked it? Probably the other way, because she wasn't next to me anymore. You didn't look back on her? Mm-hmm. They're searching our house right now.

Crystal sounds really nervous, doesn't she? Try to keep up here, I know it's a lot. The lawyer she mentioned hiring for Aidan is actually a family member. Crystal isn't married to Aiden's dad. She remarried and her new husband's brother-in-law is a lawyer, so we're talking about that level of lawyering. The lawyer's wife's name is Victoria, and she knows Crystal did something very bad.

First off, if you could just tell us, what is your relationship to Aidan Fucci's family? How do you know them and what's the relationship there? Through marriage. My husband and Aidan Fucci's mother's husband are first cousins. That morning we decided on a golf cart ride to go see their construction that's being taken in their home. We got there and we're looking at their kitchen and light pendants and officers showed up needing to speak to Aiden and his parents. I soon followed after just to see

what was going on and the officer was asking questions about where the last place Aiden had seen the girl and were there any drugs involved, etc. The officer asked if he could take Aiden so Aiden could show him where the underground tunnels are in the neighborhood and his mom agreed to that. So Aiden left with the officer in his patrol car, and they went to the North Amenity Center. Crystal and I were outside with the children, and I had asked her, had she looked in his room to see if she'd seen anything that would

be beneficial or strange. And she said no, and said that she was going to. So she went up to his room and I stayed outside with the children she had came back down and she had said that his jeans were damp and I had asked her they are wet or damp and she said damp and I said okay like her face looked kind of pale and I said, what else? And she said, um, there was like a discoloration on the jeans. And I said, I don't know exactly what I said, to be honest. I had asked her where the jeans were. I believe in, she brought me inside.

Okay. When she brought you inside, did she show you the jeans? Yes. And how did she show you the jeans or Yes. And how did she show you the jeans, or did she say anything while she was showing you the jeans? She brought the jeans out of her room and handed them to me. And I held them up, and I didn't see anything on the jeans. And I said, I don't see anything. And she said, yes, you do. And I looked at them, and it was like on the back butt pocket,

there was a discoloration underneath the pocket of the jeans. And I said, it looks yellow. And she said that she had washed it. When she said she had washed it, I said, why would you wash it? And I don't recall what she said to me at that point. There was something else you said. Why would you wash to search jeans?

Oh, you could get in trouble. OK. Yeah, I'm sorry. Well, I just knew that there was a missing girl at that point, and he was the last person seen with her. And in my mind, I wouldn't have touched anything in his bedroom. I mean, if it was my child, I would have went up there and looked to see what was going on,

but I wouldn't have messed with anything in his room, just because I know they probably would come with a search warrant to search the home. to see what was going on, but I wouldn't have messed with anything in his room, just because I know they probably would come with a search warrant to search the home. By dinnertime on May 9th, 13-year-old Tristan Bailey's body had been found, and 14-year-old Aidan Fucci's guilt seemed undeniable. The home security footage showed him walking to his house in the early morning, wearing the same jeans as Mother Crystal, later admitted to washing. But it wasn't just a simple wash.

Crystal was doing more than laundry. She was rewriting the truth. And as investigators circled closer to the Fucci family, Crystal wasn't just hiding evidence. She was actively trying to reshape the narrative, attempting to coach her son into saying he wore a different pair of pants that night. This wasn't just a mother protecting her child. This was something much more calculating. Aiden tries to tell the truth that he was wearing blue jeans that night, but his mother says,

Are you sure? When we checked the security camera, you were wearing khakis. When police checked Crystal's security camera footage, they found something very different. Not only was Aiden seen entering the house in the blue jeans, cameras inside the home caught Crystal scrubbing them by hand in the sink. Now she was working overtime to cover both of their asses. Soon, Aiden had to be swabbed for DNA samples and after that, Aiden had to be swabbed for DNA samples and after that they're all moved to a different room than the one they were in before. What a fucking idiot. Don't say nothing. Don't take nothing from anybody.

Keep your head down. No, just keep your head down. It's gonna be rough. You'll be fine,. I taunt you. Did you say there's a chance of me going home? Yes. We're gonna search my house first. And if there's any kind of thing that links. I doubt he's gonna go home, Jason. There's always a chance.

You're right. I'm gonna have to put his hope-set. Hope-set, Mom, I know I'm standing here. So nothing else like mess with your mind, do anything you're supposed to? The CBD. Mm-hmm. He was CBD, not THC. THC gets you high, CBD. Don't do jacking.

I'm just trying to think he did something stupid. Maybe something made you do it so that would justify it. Even if he had been high, nothing could have justified what Aidan did to Tristan. Nothing. Nada. His parents babied him, comforted him, and even assured him they'd put money on his books. Aiden was no victim, though. He was not a child. He was a monster. A cold-hearted killer. Someone with absolutely no conscience. Today, the St. John's County grand jury convened and issued an indictment against Aiden Fucci totally no conscience. the At least 49 of those stab wounds were to the hands, arms, and the head, and were defensive in nature. The bottom line is that premeditation could be inferred, certainly, from just the sheer

number of stab wounds that Tristan Bailey had to suffer. Every time that arm went back, and every time that arm went down, that was premeditation. And it happened a few times, one 14 by two, that's 228. But it's not just the fact that she was stabbed 14 times, or 114 times. It's also information that we were able to glean from witnesses. The defendant made statements to several people that he intended to kill someone.

He didn't say who that was, but he indicated to witnesses that he was going to kill someone. He didn't say who that was, but he indicated to witnesses that he was going to kill someone by taking them in the woods and stabbing them, which are certainly the facts of this case. Remember Dream Girl? Aiden's girlfriend? Well, here she is. Did you ever hear Aiden discuss having a certain plan that he wanted to carry out? And not maybe specifically to a certain person, but did he ever discuss in detail like this is how I would do something or this is what I want to do? Yeah, he did.

Can you tell me about that? Um, they were sitting on my roof, and the topic was brought up about, brought up again about... He asked me, like, what I would do if he murdered someone. Mm-hmm. I don't know what my answer really was, but he would say that if he was going to murder someone,

it was gonna be planned. He said that he would just walk at night or something and find, like, a random person walking to and just drag them in the woods and stab them. Okay. He said that he thinks it's going to happen soon. He said I should expect it within the month. And when was that that he said this?

I think this month. The defendant had a knife that he carried with him. A knife was found in the pond very close in proximity to our victim's body. That knife had a tip that was broken off. That tip was located by the medical examiner in the scalp of our victim. Aidan kept knives for protection.

He always had a knife on him if he wasn't at school. He would keep his AirPods. He listened to music to try and calm him down. He said that helped him with his anger. Well, there was mainly two that he would have on him. And it was one that his stepdad gave him. It was like a, it was like a kind of gray, black, It was like a kind of gray, black, like army looking one. It had a skull on it, maybe like an orange skull on it

or something. And he called it Picker. OK. Because it had, I guess, teeth. And I fed. You mean like it had a serrated edge? Yeah. OK.

There was another one. It was like yellow, and it was made out of wood, I think. He called that one. He called one picker, and then he called not one poker. The statements that the defendant made to his friends made it clear that he was considering a homicide. And I got to tell you this, it's disturbing and concerning that those statements were not, let's say, adequately or appropriately, or not taken

seriously by the folks that heard them. I'm not saying that this could have been avoided, but I'm saying that it was never reported beforehand. Along with a series of violent drawings, investigators found blood stains on clothing and shoes Aidan had hidden in his bedroom. The samples matched Tristan's DNA profile. Slam dunk. All the while Aiden's parents took extreme measures to protect their sweet little angel from a big scary thing called consequences. How long was that good bit? a big scary thing called consequences. They were in fact going to take him away.

It was 1am by this point. He was dressed in an orange jumpsuit and he was destined for a jail cell. for. Just to be certain. Turn around. Begins being arrested. Aiden pleaded not guilty to his charges, even without the support of his family lawyer and under the guidance of a public defender. He was confident enough to take his case all the way to trial. In February of 2023, jurors were selected, but before that could begin, Aiden changed his plea to guilty. And that's a good thing that he did because someone at the county jail had already snitched on him. This guy came forward with no promises made in his own case. Aiden had apparently told

him the whole story of what happened that night. I know it's going to be really hard to understand this guy, but he's a, well, he's a criminal. He's a jailhouse informant, a snitch, a rat, not a public speaker. So there's that. At some point in time, the defendant in our investigation, Aiden Fuji, was transported to the Duval County Jail and he was placed somewhere in the vicinity of you, correct? Okay, and where were you located at

whenever Aiden Fuji was transported and housed in the Jacksonville County Jail? I mean, I blocked segregation. I blocked segregation? Yeah, I blocked segregation. Okay, so- One man cell. So if you could explain to me kind of how these cells are

arranged or situated. They're right next to each other. They're one man cells. They got a shower, a toilet, and a bunk in each one of them. OK. The only way you could talk is through the vent. OK. That's it.

I don't get no newspaper. I only get to make one phone call. I don't come out for no read. I can't see nobody paperwork. Do you have a television? I have no television. I have none of that. Okay.

I have no internet access. I have none of that. Okay. Before Aidan Fucci was transported and housed in the Jacksonville County Jail, did you have any knowledge of this case that we're investigating in St. John's County? No, sir. Okay. So how did you become aware of this investigation that we're working in St. John's County? No, sir. Okay, so how did you become aware of this investigation

that we're working in St. John's County? It was before she told me. He told me, he said, me and Trey, this is my writing, he said me and Trey was at Trey House and he wanted Christian to come over. She snuck out of her house and it was like 12 a.m. when we left, saying him and Trey, I mean him and Christian. When he left her house and went into the woods.

I made sure I had my knife. We walked on the streets a little bit first, and I carried my guys going in together. Didn't mean to leave them by myself, but once we got into the woods, we had to get past this bar-wire fence to get to the pond. We got on these flo floor and we had sex. She act like she ain't want to, but I made her.

It was good. I came inside her a little bit, and that shit was on my mind. So I said to myself, she got to die. Man, I just snapped, and I stabbed her a lot of times. She was yelling my name. Excuse me, I ain't care. Then I threw the weapon in the pond, and I left. A lot of time she was yelling my name. Excuse me, I ain't care. Then I threw the weapon in the gun and I left.

I got home, it was like two a.m. Trey called me the next day and asked, have I seen her? I said, no, it's crazy, cause that's one of the things in my head that I planned out. He said there was no witness that a neighbor camera had him and her going in the woods, but only him coming out.

He said he told the police he was walking around. He said he told the police she was running away and she could sleep there. He said she was Trey's girlfriend. That's his homeboy and she was 13. He said it was by his house. He said it was a pun. It's a big, it's a big pun.

It got floaters on it. He said he smoked some weed and he been playing to have sex with her. He said he ice her. Can they have sex? She said no and he raped her. Though there were no sexual assault charges pursued, this one witness says that Aiden confessed to raping Tristan before killing her. It just gets worse and worse, doesn't it?

Aiden's sentencing hearing occurred over the course of three days. His mother faced charges for her involvement as well. Thank goodness, with her sentencing to occur right after her son's. I have considered all of the evidence that has been presented during this week, the testimony that was presented, the victim impact statements, the evidence that was submitted, the filings. And I have analyzed each and every one of those factors as well as any other factors that may be relevant to these proceedings in order to determine an appropriate sentence for this case. I would say that the defendant has shown

some ability to modify his behavior that was shown in school through the dean of students. modify his behavior that was shown in school through the Dean of Students. However, as Dr. Pritchard noted, this crime is extraordinary. His behavior was so unusual compared to individuals his age that there is a poor prognosis for rehabilitation. The effect of this crime that has had on the victim's family and on the community is significant. of this crime that has had on the victim's family and on the community is significant. There is no greater loss than the loss of one's own child. The nature and circumstances of her death have caused an even greater trauma on her loved ones. Her siblings, parents,

and extended family members all provided compelling victim impact statements relating their personal struggles with coping with her death. It has caused them deep and emotional and mental health problems. They are no longer able to function as the family they once were. It has also had a tremendous impact and effect on this community. This court has reviewed all of the letters that were submitted by her friends, teachers, coaches, and others. Approximately 150 letters were received. I have read all of them, and all of them strike a similar chord. This was a devastating crime. It was devastating to the children of this community. It materially changed an entire community. Some of the letters indicated and discussed children who were teenage children who could not sleep in their beds alone and had to sleep in between their parents for fear of what happened in this case. I would submit that this case is probably the most difficult and shocking case that

this county in St. John's County has dealt with. 114 stab wounds, 49 defensive wounds, 35 wounds to the head and neck, 29 to the back and shoulder, and six fatal wounds. This court has reviewed and seen more than its fair share of autopsy photos. The autopsy photos in this particular case were particularly difficult. The 49 defensive wounds indicate that Tristan Bailey

was conscious, that she was aware, and that she was doing everything she could to fend off this attack. She suffered a painful, horrifying death from someone that she trusted. Her screams were most likely stifled by her own suffocating lungs. He lured her into a secluded place in the woods near his home, a person that she trusted, and he led her there under false pretenses. There was a heightened level of premeditation in this case. Based on the prior statements that he made to his girlfriend and his friend,

he indicated that he was going to kill someone. At which point he determined that it was going to be Tristan Bailey, I don't know. But there was going to be a victim. He indicated that he was going, how he was going to do it, that he would take them into a wooded place, that he would stab them, he would kill them and then run away so that he could keep on killing. He told his

best friend that he wanted to kill someone to see what it felt like and he wanted to watch them bleed out. This particular crime was committed with the weapon of choice as a knife which he nicknamed poker. That required a up close personal type of murder that is rare, it's unique. What is also very troubling is that this crime had no motive. This was not done out of greed, it was not done in retaliation, retribution, or revenge. It was not a crime of passion. It was not a crime that was committed because he felt rejected by her. It was not done in a fit of uncontrollable anger. There was no reason. There was no purpose. It was done for no other reason than to satisfy this defendant's internal desire to feel what it was like to kill someone. It is for this reason and all of the reasons previously stated that leads this court to the conclusion that there is only one appropriate sentence in this case.

Mr. Fucci, if you and your attorneys would please rise. Counsel, is there any legal reason why this court cannot impose sentence at this time? No, sir. Mr. Fucci, having entered a plea of guilty to the crime of first degree murder, I adjudicate you guilty of the premeditated first degree murder of Tristan Bailey. I sentence you to life in prison. Because of your age, you are eligible for review of the sentence in 25 years. You will be taken back to the Duval County Jail and then transported into the Florida

State Prison System. We are adjourned. This sentence means that Aidan Fucci could get out of prison before his 40th birthday if he behaves well. If he's a good boy. So far, he's not really made a name for himself as an obedient inmate. His mother, on the other hand, only spent 30 days in jail for tampering with evidence,

and will be on probation for five years. This murder not only shattered a family, but it made everyone in the community leery of each other. As I would argue, you should be in any community, especially small ones. The fact that an adult was involved in the cover-up made it all the more shocking. Parents were slammed right into the face of reality

when it came to what their teenagers were doing behind their backs. But no one expected a crime so brutal, let alone a cover-up so close to home. After the sentencing, Tristan's father spoke outside the courthouse. As part of this investigation, the amount of kids sneaking out in our community and the frequency of how often they are doing so had us completely dumbfounded.

With regard to Crystal Smith and her apology, as I mentioned before, there's an open case with her. So it's difficult to comment. The fact that we are continuing to have to go through the legal process makes the apology questionable. You've seen the videos from the home. You've seen the videos from the interrogation room. I would say if she's sorry, she can start by accepting responsibility. To Aidan's family, I would remind them that he is still here. They can still see him.

They can encourage him to change his behavior, of bragging about his brutality and threatening the corrections officers and their families that keep him from harm and setting out on a better road. In a tight-knit community like St. John's, everyone thought they knew each other. Neighbors trusted one another, families felt safe, and parents believed they understood their children. But this case, and cases like it, shatter those illusions. It wasn't just about sneaking out or the dangers of lurking online. It was about realizing how much of their kids lives parents were missing.

As Tristan's father put it, they didn't even know what their own kids were truly capable of. But this case wasn't just about the actions of teenagers. It was also about the choices made by full grown adults that should know better. Crystal Fucci's desperate attempt to protect her son to cover up for him in his darkest moment taught us all a painful lesson. When someone is drowning in their own choices, sometimes trying to save them without thinking can pull you

under too. Sometimes the instinct to shield a loved one from consequences only drags you down with them. This crime took more than just Tristan's life. It shattered a family and forced a community to confront the uncomfortable truth. Sometimes the darkness we fear most isn't lurking out there. It's right in front of us, hidden beneath the choices we make. And when someone is drowning in their own sins, jumping in after them only ensures you both sink. This episode was written and produced by Elena Thomas, one of our senior writers. We're gonna start giving our producers a lot more credit in the future. Something we should have done a long time ago. If you enjoyed that show, head on over to swordandscale.com, consider signing up for plus and getting a whole lot

more content commercial free and also check out store.swordandscale.com. Stay safe. So So I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you

I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you I'm gonna be here for you Thanks for watching!