Aiden Fucci was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for killing his 13-year-old classmate, Tristyn Bailey, by stabbing her 114 times.
In February, the 16-year-old pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in St. Johns County, Florida, Breitbart News reported.
“She suffered a painful, horrifying death from someone she trusted,” Judge Smith said prior to handing down the sentence, First Coast News reported.
The teenager stabbed the girl to death in their neighborhood on Mother’s Day that year. Due to the fact he is a juvenile, his sentence will be up for review 25 years from now.
On Wednesday, the mother of the young cheerleader expressed her sorrow in court, and offered harsh words about the boy involved.
“Your Honor, I plead with you, please consider everything he has done to our daughter and our family. Aiden Fucci made a heinous decision on May 9, 2021, and took the very life that I brought into this world,” Stacy Bailey said.
“Please do not for one second think that he could be rehabilitated at any point. He is beyond saving,” she continued.
Authorities found the girl’s body near a retention pond after she went missing on May 9, 2021. She also had numerous wounds on her hands, arms, and head. In addition, the tip of the hunting knife used in the stabbing broke off inside her skull.
“On the night she died, Tristyn left home and met up with Fucci and another classmate. She and the young man were seen on a surveillance camera walking down the street in a suburb outside Jacksonville,” according to Breitbart News.
“A few hours later, he was spotted leaving a wooded area. The next morning, her family realized she was gone and reported to authorities she was missing,” the outlet said.
Meanwhile, video footage shows Fucci’s parents talking to him about what happened while they waited at the police station.
“This is serious Aiden. This is no joke. This is your whole life,” his mother tells him:
In addition, the victim’s family members do not believe Fucci is truly sorry for his actions, deeming the apology he offered in February a “lie.”