ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Johns County Sheriff's Office says 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey's death was caused by "sharp force trauma by stabbing," according to a news release Tuesday.
Tristyn's body was found Sunday evening in a wooded area of the Durbin Crossing neighborhood after she was reported missing early that morning.
"It has now been determined by Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Predrag Bulic that the cause of death is sharp force trauma by stabbing," the release says. "The manner of death is homicide. We will continue to investigate this case fully and will begin transitioning this case to the State Attorney's Office."
The state attorney’s office confirms Tristyn was stabbed more than once.
Monday, Sheriff Rob Hardwick announced the arrest of a 14-year-old boy, who is charged with second-degree murder in the case.
The release also says investigators were able to obtain numerous search warrants which led to the location of several items of evidence at the boy's home.
Initially, the sheriff's office planned to give the update via livestream; but due to technical difficulties, deputies released a written statement instead.
The 14-year-old appeared in court Tuesday morning, where a judge found "probably cause" that an act of delinquency occurred by him. And, because of that, the judge ordered him to remain in custody for 21 days or until further order of the court. So far, the state attorney's office has not determined whether he will be tried as an adult.
The suspected killer and Tristyn went to school together, but the sheriff's office would not say whether they were classmates at Patriot Oaks Academy. Investigators are interviewing several witnesses in relation to the case, Hardwick said.
What other people are reading right now:
- How to bounce back financially after COVID-19 pandemic
- Searching for a job? Local businesses are finding creative incentives to get new hires in the door
- Ex-fashion design teacher who spied on students sentenced to 15 years in prison
- Dunedin couple decorates entire house with mosaic tiles
- Child vaccinations could help chart path to herd immunity as some communities struggle to vaccinate
►Breaking news and weather alerts: Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter
