TRUE CRIME'Cold-Blooded Murder': Death Of 13-Year-Old Cheerleader Tristyn Bailey Ruled A Homicide
The cause of death of Tristyn Bailey, the 13-year-old cheerleader who went missing and was later found dead in St. Johns County, Fla., has been determined.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s office announced Tuesday, May 11 that Bailey died of “force trauma by stabbing” and the medical examiner has ruled her death as a homicide.
In an interview with local news outlet News4Jax, Sheriff Robert Hardwick told the outlet, "This is a cold-blooded murder of a 13-year-old young girl who did not deserve to die."
"That being said, I don't wanna mention the number of times [Tristyn was stabbed], but it is horrific. It is horrible," Hardwick said. "And the word accident is nowhere involved in this case."
"We will continue to investigate this case fully and will begin transitioning this case to the State's Attorney Office," the sheriff's office said in a statement.
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The suspect in Bailey’s death is a 14-year-old boy who was arrested last week. The teen suspect is currently being held on one count of second degree murder.
"That's actually a decision we made collectively with the State Attorney's Office," Hardwick stated. "We can always increase the charge."
The relationship between Bailey and the suspect has not yet been determined, but the two did attend Patriot Academy together, a public school that is approximately about a mile from where the teen went missing, PEOPLE reported.
"We’re going to look at every aspect, every crime that’s out there. Our guys and girls are going to leave no stone unturned," Hardwick said.
As of now, the teen boy is not being charged as an adult, but the judge has ordered for the teen to be held in juvenile custody for at least 21 days during the hearing that took place Tuesday via Zoom.
A GoFundMe fund was made to support the cheerleader’s parents. The fund currently has almost $6,000 over their $20,000 goal.
