13-Year-Old Florida Girl Found Dead After Reported Missing
KEY POINTS
- Tristyn Bailey was last seen at Durbin Amenity center at 1:15 a.m. Sunday
- Her family filed a missing person report at around 10 a.m.
- The teen's body was discovered Sunday evening
The police have discovered the body of a Florida teen girl who was reported missing since Sunday morning, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said.
Tristyn Bailey, 13, from St. Johns County was last seen at the Durbin Amenity Center at around 1:15 a.m. ET. The authorities were alerted about her disappearance at around 10 a.m. After a missing report was filed, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement joined search efforts and issued a Florida Missing Child Alert for Bailey Sunday afternoon, First Coast News reported.
Neighbors, friends, and teammates also assisted the deputies in finding the teen girl. The sheriff's office called off the search at around 6 p.m. after the body was discovered.
Based on an initial investigation, the sheriff’s office identified the body to be that of Tristyn Bailey, St. John’s County Sheriff said in a news release.
“This is a grieving community and we're going to respect that grieving community. I ask that you put this out there and help us stand by this community and let them grieve together,” the sheriff's office said.
The deputies said they have notified the St. Johns school district. The officials are still in the early stages of their investigation and have not released any further information.
“I love her so much. It makes me really sad that the last time I saw her was at cheer,” Bailey’s friend and a teammate told the First Coast News.
A "close friend" of the dead teen girl said that she talked with her Saturday night on Snapchat at around 10 p.m. Calling Bailey "a really good athlete" and "strong," her friend said that she is "just heartbroken."
According to St. John’s County Sheriff Robert A. Hardwick, the sheriff’s office will be giving an update on the case Monday morning.
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