A 14-year-old boy accused of stabbing a 13-year-old classmate to death reportedly posted a selfie of himself from the back of a police car flashing a peace sign after the girl was reported missing.
A Snapchat photo obtained by local media outlets shows the boy posing, holding up his hand with the peace symbol, before he was charged. The caption asks about the whereabouts of Tristyn Bailey, who was reported missing by her family in St. Johns, Florida, on Sunday morning. Her body was recovered near a retention pond later that evening.
“Hey guys has inybody seen Tristyn lately” the caption read.
The photo was posted before Tristyn’s body was found, when the boy was only considered a witness, the St. Johns Sheriff’s Office told NBC News.
The boy, who is not being identified by HuffPost because he is a minor, has been charged with second-degree murder in Tristyn’s death. Authorities said at a news conference Monday that additional charges may be brought against him.
Investigators haven’t revealed a motive. They described the boy and Tristyn as classmates who grew up in the same neighborhood.
Tristyn was a cheerleader on the Infinity All Stars cheer team, which expressed shock and heartbreak over her death in a statement Sunday.
“We ask for our Infinity family to pray for comfort, strength and understanding for Tristyn’s family and all of the athletes from our gym,” the group said in the statement. “This is just absolutely devastating for everyone who knew and loved her.”
St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick has said there were no other suspects in the killing.
“This is a cold-blooded murder of a 13-year-old young girl who did not deserve to die,” Hardwick told local station WJXT.
An attorney listed as representing the teen suspect did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment on Thursday.
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Source: huffpost
