14-Year-Old Boy ‘Stabbed Cheerleader 114 Times,’ Charged As Adult

A 14-year-old boy who was arrested in connection with the brutal stabbing death of a 13-year-old cheerleader is being charged as an adult after an autopsy revealed that the victim suffered “114 stab wounds,” many of them defensive, authorities said.

Tristan Bailey’s body was found in the northeast Florida woods earlier this month.

The accused killer, Aiden Fucci, was initially charged with second-degree murder as a juvenile, but a St. Johns County Grand Jury upgraded the charge to first-degree premeditated murder Thursday after the autopsy revealed gory new details.

At a press conference, Florida State Attorney RJ Larizza said that the victim suffered at least 114 stab wounds, 49 of which she had on her arms, head, and hands as she tried to defend herself, reported NBC-affiliated Firstcoast News.

"To say that it was horrific could arguably be made as an understatement… There were 114 stab wounds," Larizza told reporters.

Bailey’s family reported her missing on May 10, spurring an intense countrywide search which ended eight hours later when her body was discovered near a retention pond on a street where she was last seen, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office previously said.

The murder weapon, a hunting knife, was recovered next to her body and Bailey’s DNA was found on the blade. Fucci, who attended the same school as Bailey, told several of his friends that he planned to kill someone, though it wasn't clear whether Bailey was his intended target, Larizza said.

The victim was last seen early May 9 at the community center in the Durbin Crossing community south of Jacksonville. Bailey’s parents reported her missing later that morning.

According to an arrest report, home surveillance footage showed Bailey and Fucci walking together near the Durbin North Amenity Center in the south of Jacksonville and at a point heading "east on Saddlestone Drive."

The arrest report further stated that Fucci was seen walking alone on Saddlestone Drive at around 3:30 a.m. ET carrying a pair of white shoes with a black ‘Nike’ logo." Traces of blood were also found in the clothing recovered from the boy’s bedroom during a police search.

"Teenagers are capable of things we never imagined them doing," Larizza said during the press conference.

Fucci has so far pleaded not guilty to the juvenile charges. The boy has not yet been arraigned on the adult charges. He could have his first appearance on the new charges Friday.