Aiden Fucci pleads guilty

St. John's County, Florida: On Monday, February 6, 2023, the jury selection was scheduled to begin for 16-year-old Aiden Fucci's murder trial.

"I just want to say I plead guilty, and I'm sorry for the Bailey Family and my family," Fucci said in court on Monday.

Fucci was charged with the murder of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey on May 9, 2021, and faces the possibility of a sentence of life in prison with a mandatory minimum of 40 years, and a review after 25 years.

Fucci was just 14-years-old when he stabbed Tristyn 114 times.

A status hearing has been scheduled for February 23 and the defense is now preparing for the sentencing hearing.

"His defense attorneys are going to tell the Aiden Fucci story- Who is he? How did we get here? And what failures occurred in his young life that led to the death of a beautiful young girl?" defensive attorney and juvenile law expert Shannon Schott said to News4Jax.

Schott anticipated that mental health would factor in to the defense's approach.

During a pre-trial conference, Fucci was heard making statements on the video feed asking, "Please don't let the demons take my soul. The Demons are going to take my soul away." He was then heard asking, "What's going on?" and then asking "Why am I here?"

During the course of the investigation, Fucci's mother was charged with tampering with evidence after she attempted to wash blood from her son's clothing.