ST. JOHNS, Fla. (NEXSTAR) — The 14-year-old boy charged with murder in the death of a 13-year-old girl allegedly snapped a photo of himself in the back of a deputy’s car as they were searching for the victim.
Authorities say Tristyn Bailey was killed by the boy, a neighbor, who left her body in the northeast Florida woods. The juvenile was scheduled for his first court appearance on Tuesday to face a second-degree murder charge.
St. Johns County Sheriff’s officials say Bailey was last seen early Sunday at a community center south of Jacksonville. The teens attended nearby Patriot Oaks Academy. She was reported missing Sunday morning.
Detectives are reviewing social media posts as part of their investigation, WJXT4 reported.
WJXT4 reported that a St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson confirmed the teen in a photo being circulated online is the suspect. In the photo, the teen is giving a peace sign. He captioned the snap with: “Hey guys has inybody (sic) seen Tristyn lately.”
The photo would have been taken after Bailey was murdered, WJXT4 reported.
The suspect is in the custody of juvenile justice officials. It hasn’t been determined whether the teen will be charged as an adult.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.