Murder Suspect, 14, Allegedly Shared Chilling Selfie

Florida boy accused of killing 13-year-old classmate Tristyn Bailer
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 11, 2021 7:58 PM CDT
Florida Boy, 14, Charged With Murder of 13-Year-Old
This photo of Tristyn Bailey was shared by the St. John County Sheriff's Office.   (St. John County Sheriff's Office)

Police investigating the killing of a 13-year-old girl in northeast Florida say they will be looking closely at social media posts related to the case—including a selfie allegedly posted on Snapchat by the 14-year-old suspect. A St. Johns County Sheriff's Office spokesperson tells News4Jax that the teen in the widely shared photo is the suspect. The photo shows the unhandcuffed teen in the back of a deputy's cruiser with the caption "Hey guys has inybody (sic) seen Tristyn lately?" The body of Tristyn Bailey, who was reported missing over the weekend, was found around 6pm Sunday. Officials say the medical examiner determined she was stabbed to death, WFTV reports.

The 14-year-old suspect, one of Tristyn's classmates at Patriot Oaks Academy, is being held on one count of second-degree murder. At a detention hearing Tuesday morning, a judge ordered for him to be held in juvenile custody for at least 21 days, People reports. According to an arrest report seen by First Coast News, a security video shows two teens walking east on a street around 1:45am Sunday—and one teen walking west at 3:27am, holding a pair of shoes. Tristyn's body was found in a nearby wooded area. According to the arrest report, a search of the suspect's home found clothes that matched the outfit seen in the security video, some of which tested positive for blood. The sheriff's office says the teen changed his story several times. (More Florida stories.)

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