ST. JOHNS, Fla. (Court TV) — Confessed teen killer Aiden Fucci said his missed his mother’s “lemon peper (sic) chicken” and “the fun we had” in an “apawlagy” letter to the court ahead of his sentencing.
Fucci, 16, was sentenced to life in prison on March 24 for the killing of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey. He pleaded guilty Feb. 6, moments before jury selection was set to begin in his trial.
This combination image shows Aiden Fucci’s letter to the Judge Lee R. Smith ahead of his March 24 sentencing. Fucci was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to the murder of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey. (St. Johns County – Seventh Judicial Circuit Court of Florida)
Then-14-year-old Fucci stabbed Bailey to death on Mother’s Day 2021. Her body was found near a retention pond eight and a half hours after her parents reported her missing. She suffered at least 114 stab wounds.
Days before his sentencing, Fucci penned a letter to Judge Lee R. Smith apologizing “for all the pain (he) caused to the Bailey family.” In his letter, he wrote that he missed “being outdoor’s (sic)” with his father and siblings. He also sent his “apawlagy’s” to his mother for threats the family received.
To the Bailey family, he wrote, “Im sorry that you diden’t get to know her that long. You did not have any long relationship’s with Tristen and for that I’m sorry (sic).”
At sentencing, Judge Smith said, “This case is probably the most difficult and shocking case that this county has dealt with.” He urged the Bailey family to “allow ‘Bailey Sunday Fundays’ to return to (their) home” and noted their patience with court proceedings.
WATCH: The Sentencing of Aiden Fucci
Because of Fucci’s age, his sentence will be up for review in 25 years when he’s 41 years old. Jail records show Fucci was moved from the Duval County Jail in Jacksonville to Suwannee Correctional Institution in Live Oak on March 26.
