Weapon discovered in violent murder of teen stabbed 114 times

Forensic investigators matched a blade fragment pulled from Tristyn Bailey’s body with a knife found in a nearby pond

Authorities in Florida have matched a blade fragment found in the body of homicide victim Tristyn Bailey with a knife they pulled out of a nearby retention pond.

Aiden Fucci has been charged with stabbing the 13-year-old 114 times in a frenzied attack on Mother’s Day last year in St Johns County when he was just 14 years old.

Mr Fucci, now 15, allegedly posted a selfie of his arrest photo from the back of a police car with the caption: “Hey guys has anybody seen Tristyn lately?”

A report by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement released this week said it had determined a silver-coloured knife recovered from a retention pond near where Tristyn’s body was found had matched to a blade tip recovered from her scalp, Click Orlando reported.

The evidence was located in May last year soon after the killings, and submitted to investigators for forensic analysis in April, Click Orlando said.

Tristyn was stabbed to death in Durbin Crossing, about half a mile from the neighbourhood where she and Mr Fucci lived.

They were both students at Patriot Oaks Academy in St Johns, south of Jacksonville.

Mr Fucci has been charged with first-degree murder and will be tried as an adult.

His mother Crystal Lane Smith faced charges of evidence tampering after she was accused of scrubbing a pair of jeans belonging to her son.