Mother of Teen's Killer Sentenced on Evidence Charge

Plea deal keeps Crystal Smith out of prison after her son killed a 13-year-old classmate
By Bob Cronin,  Newser Staff
Posted May 12, 2023 4:07 PM CDT
Mother of Teen's Killer Sentenced on Evidence Charge
Crystal Smith pleaded no contest in a deal that keeps her out of prison.   (St. Johns County Sheriff's Office via AP)

With her evidence-tampering trial scheduled to begin Monday, Crystal Smith accepted a plea deal Friday and was sentenced to five years' probation for trying to cover up her son's involvement in a teenager's slaying. She'll also have to serve 30 days in jail. Smith, who had faced five years in prison, pleaded no contest to the third-degree felony charge, the Florida Times-Union reports. The family of Tristyn Bailey, 13, who was stabbed to death by Smith's son two years ago, was involved in the plea deal negotiations and said it supported the outcome. Stacy Bailey, the victim's mother, addressed Smith in court on Friday.

“The irreparable damage that you have caused by your actions will forever be etched in to our lives," said Bailey, per CourtTV. Smith was caught on home security video scrubbing a pair of jeans that her son, who was 14, was wearing the day Tristyn went missing. Tests later found the jeans contained blood; Tristyn Bailey had been stabbed 114 times. Aiden Fucci pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in February just before his trial was to start and was sentenced to life in prison. He never gave a reason for the killing, per USA Today. Friends said he told them he wanted to know what it was like to kill someone. (More evidence tampering stories.)

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