Crystal Smith is the mother of Aiden Fucci, the 14-year-old Florida teen who is accused of fatally stabbing his 13-year-old classmate has been charged and arrested for tampering with evidence in her son’s case.
First Coast News obtained a statement from the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office that said Smith was arrested on Saturday and that Smith, 35, surrendered herself before she “was subsequently booked into the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Detention Center for tampering with evidence.”
“I remain incredibly proud of the men and women of the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office for their continued thoroughness in this investigation,” St. Johns County Sheriff Robert Hardwick said in the statement. “Our goal in any investigation is to ensure proper accountability across the board for successful prosecution.”
According to PEOPLE, Tristyn Bailey was found dead on May 9 after her parents reported her missing. She was stabbed 114 times and had at least 49 stab wounds to her hands., arms, and head that were “defensive in nature.”
Fucci was taken into custody the next day and allegedly made “admissions” of guilt, authorities reported. Police also found his clothing stained with blood and a knife that is assumed to be the murder weapon. The same knife found was missing a tip, which was recovered from Bailey’s body.
Court documents filed in the case on Thursday show that Fucci entered a plea of not guilty to first-degree murder. He remains in jail at an undisclosed adult prison in Florida and has no bond.
As for Smith, authorities say they obtained surveillance footage showing the mother going into her son’s bedroom after being taken into custody.
She is allegedly seen taking clothing and washing them in a bathroom before putting them in her own bedroom.
She is also accused of “inspecting the jeans several times” with another witness before returning the blue jeans to Fucci’s room.
When the teen suspect was being held in an audio and video recorded interview room with his mother and father, he was allegedly asked if there would be anything on his clothing from the night prior.
“Crystal Smith will be held responsible for her role in this case, and justice will be served for Tristyn Bailey and her family,” confirmed Sheriff Robert Hardwick.
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