With Aiden Fucci sentenced, here's the status of his mother's tampering arrest

On the day Tristyn Bailey was stabbed to death and after Aiden Fucci left with deputies to show them where he had last seen the 13-year-old, security video from his home shows his mother going into his bedroom and scrubbing the blue jeans he had been wearing.

Later that same night when she and his father were talking with him in a St. Johns County Sheriff's Office holding room being recorded, she asks him again if he is sure nothing was on his jeans. When he responds he thinks so, why, she whispers "Blood," and the 14-year-old gets quiet.

The jeans were located during a search warrant in Aiden’s room and tested positive for blood, as did the drain in the sink where his mother was seen scrubbing them, according to court records.

That led to the June 4, 2021, arrest of his mother, 37-year-old Crystal Lane Smith, who was released the next day on $25,000 bond, according to jail records. Her attorney represented her in court Tuesday for her final pretrial hearing on a charge of tampering with evidence. The third-degree felony is punishable by up to five years in prison, according to Florida statutes.

St. Johns County's most horrific case: Aiden Fucci stabbed 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey 114 times. Here's everything to know

Victim impact statements: Tristyn Bailey's family describes never-ending torment Aiden Fucci has put them through

Tristyn Bailey: As Aiden Fucci learns fate, 'Bailey 7' urges for Tristyn's legacy not to be forgotten

The two sides — prosecutor Jennifer Dunton and defense attorney Matthew Kachergus — advised Judge R. Lee Smith they had nothing new to address at this time. So he said they will meet again April 12 for the "docket sounding," which allows for final efforts to determine if the defendant is ready for trial or if more time is needed.

The trial is tentatively planned for the week of April 17, the judge said.

Fucci, 16, was sentenced to life in prison on March 24 in the highly publicized murder that he pleaded guilty to of his friend and classmate Tristyn. They had been last seen walking together in their Durbin Crossing community shortly after 1 a.m. on May 9, 2021. She was found early that evening in some nearby woods stabbed over a hundred times.

Aiden Fucci's mother addressed the Bailey family and judge

Smith had not actively been attending Fucci's court proceedings while awaiting her own trial as recommended by her attorney, but she did submit letters to the judge and the Bailey family during his sentencing phase.

To the judge, she wrote, "Your Honor, nothing can measure the depth of despair caused by Aiden's crime and the inability to help your child when they need you most. From a mother pleading on behalf of the life of her adolescent son, please show my Aiden mercy, he is not beyond saving."

To the Bailey family, she wrote, "I have thought of Tristyn every day since her death. I know I will think of her every day for the rest of my life. I know my words cannot undo anything and I know you will experience the grief you are suffering for the rest of your lives. ... I understand your family is forever scarred, but I also wanted you to know that we grieve with you."

More from Crystal Smith's arrest report

In the video from her Castledale Court home, Smith also is seen a few minutes after scrubbing the pants showing them to another woman whose name was not released. They appear to be having a discussion while inspecting the jeans several times before she returns them to her son's room, according to the arrest report.

Investigators contacted the unidentified witness on May 12, 2021, at her residence. She told them Smith located a pair of damp jeans in the teen's bedroom hamper and asked her if she saw anything on them. She said Smith also stated she washed the jeans. The witness advised she could not see anything that appeared to be blood and that she could get in trouble for washing them, according to the report.

For clarity, Smith made no mention of knowing what happened to Tristyn in the report. At the time of the video, she hadn't been found yet and it was still a missing-person investigation.

What else was on the video of Aiden Fucci with his parents?

During the holding cell video with Fucci and both parents, Smith grills him because now they know Tristyn has been found and their son is a suspect. But he holds to his story that they had a brief spat and he pushed her down and left. He said he had kissed her but nothing more.

Here's some of their opening conversation.

Smith: "You know they found this girl, right?"

Fucci: "Where?"

Smith: "In our neighborhood, down our main street."

Fucci: "Is she good."

Smith: "No, she’s dead. That’s why this is very important. It’s all on you right now."

Fucci: "How’s it my problem?

Smith: "You were the last one seen with her. ... Everything you say will affect you.”

His father brings up his Snapchat posts while in the back of a patrol car with his friend who also was being questioned — they're goofing around boasting about being in a cop car because of Tristyn being missing and he's flashing a peace sign — and says that wasn't smart.

His mother chimes in, “Now we have people wanting to burn our house down, our cars down, because of that Snapchat thing you did.” It’s all over the internet and social media, she tells him.

"This is no joke," she says. "This is your whole life, your whole life, and ours, and your brothers and sister."

They continue to press him if there's anything they don't know, but he offers very little while appearing calm and unemotional. Then they prep him to stay with his same story and answers.

"They’re going to badger you and badger you and badger you and badger you until your answer changes, or even goes off a little bit," Smith says.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Tampering case moves forward for Aiden Fucci's mother, Crystal Smith