Tristen Bailey had no idea that her walk with her classmate Aiden Faucci would prove fatal for her. On May 9, 2021, the Florida teen’s family, including her father, Forrest, mother, Stacey and sister, Sophie noticed that she had gone missing. As police started searching for her, it was discovered that she had been stabbed 114 times and eventually it was found that her classmate Aiden Faucci was the perpetrator.
Even more disturbing was Aiden’s lack of emotion after his arrest. He had stabbed her 114 times, yet inside the police car he clicked selfies and made Snapchat posts.
These Snapchat videos were released by The State Attorney’s Office and in one video Aiden can be heard saying, “We’re having fun, in a f—— cop car.” In another one, he said, “Guess who’s in a f—— cop car… tripping, dude.”
This behavior was deeply troubling and Judge R Lee Smith also agreed that Aiden had committed the murder “”for no other reason than to satisfy this defendant’s internal desire to feel what it was like to kill someone.”
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Phil Macleod, therapist and Founder of Thought Reader talked about the incident and Aiden’s case to Mirror US as he said, “What makes this case so chilling is the complete absence of motive. When a young person kills without clear reason, we’re looking at something far deeper than anger or impulse – we’re seeing a psychological void where empathy should be.”
He then explained that Aiden was showing clear signs of affective detachment and added, “Affective detachment is an emotional disconnection from other people’s pain and when combined with a fascination and fantasy for violence and control, all points towards early signs of antisocial or psychopathic traits.”
He continued, “It’s rare to see them emerge at such a young age, but when they do, the root cause tends to be mix of chaotic home life, emotional neglect, and a growing need to feel powerful in a world where the individual otherwise feels powerless.”
Tristyn was only in seventh grade and as reported by Mirror US, her body “was later found near a retention pond, south of Jacksonville, with 114 stab wounds, including 49 defensive wounds on her arms and right hand.”
Quite shockingly, after police got hold of Aiden, he posted a selfie on Snapchat with the caption, “Hey guys has anybody seen Tristyn lately.” Aiden ultimately confessed to the crime 2 years later, in 2023. The fact that he killed her, then kept posting after being arrested, points to serious psychological issues.
BREAKING: The teen accused of killing 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey will be tried as an adult and is now facing a 1st degree murder charge, court documents show.
Aiden Fucci, 14, is at a juvenile detention center in Daytona Beach. Prosecutors will talk about the case at 4 on @wjxt4 pic.twitter.com/vJjdOExcGN
— Vic Micolucci (@VicMicolucci) May 27, 2021
Talking about the same, Macleod said, “His behaviour after the killing, from the selfies in the back of the police car, the laughter, jokes, the casual tone – wasn’t teenage immaturity. It was emotional disconnection in its rawest form. Emotional disconnection is someone has lost touch with empathy, they also lose touch with reality.”
He added, “In those moments, he wasn’t facing the horror of what had happened- he was acting out a kind of psychological script, where control and attention replaced guilt and remorse. This case shows how the human mind can lose its balance when empathy and self-awareness are not present, leaving only impulse and dangerous fantasy which can take over.”
Macleod also mentioned, “What we have to remember is that violence like this doesn’t come from nowhere. It builds quietly, often through isolation, unprocessed rage, desensitisation to violence, and also a lack of emotional boundaries at home.”
Aiden had shown concerning behavior in the past as well since one of his friends told the police that “He said he wanted to slit someone’s throat, he said it’d be satisfying” as First Coast News reported.
The incident is not only tragic but also deeply harrowing, especially because of the amount of cruelty that this young man could unleash on the girl. It also highlights the importance of better parental care as Aiden’s behavioral problems should have been noted by his family and taken care of.
