PALATKA, Fl – In 2003, Robert and Melanie Belton, to their delight, learned they were expecting their 5^th child. Shortly into the pregnancy, the Beltons were informed that their baby showed signs of Downs Syndrome and an abnormal heart. It was recommended that they have an abortion. Mrs. Belton told the doctor, “I will keep her just like God gave her to me.” Her doctor supported this decision and, on November 17, 2003 in Berlin, Germany, the Beltons welcomed an 8-pound, perfect and healthy, little girl, Ayana Grace, into the world.

Ayana and Family Move to The United States

Three years later, Mr. and Mrs. Belton packed up their family of 7 and moved to the United States, where Mr. Belton was from. It did not take long for young Ayana to transition into her new life. She started at a Head Start Program and made friends. Ayana proved herself a great student with good grades, graduating middle school as one of the top 8^th graders. This would continue throughout her school years, all the way into high school.

Mrs. Belton describes Ayana an easy going and laid back but with a fire inside of her and the biggest smile. Ayana had a “big heart, quiet and sweet.” She was a good child, never giving her parents any problems. Her friends describe her as shy and quiet, but very kind. She was a happy child.  Her freshman year of high school went by without incident. She enjoyed being in band, where she played the drums, and the Photography Club.

In her free time, Ayana loved to make YouTube videos, chat online with her friends, and play Fortnite with her brothers. She liked watching shows like All Americans and The 100 on Netflix or listening to music from XXXTentacion and Juice Wrld.Like most typical teenagers, she loved fast food, specifically Wendy’s and Dunkin Donuts.

Ayana also loved swimming and family vacations. She was close with all of her siblings but especially close with her older sister Denisha and younger brother Jaremiah with whom she shared secrets.

Ayana and Anthony

In her sophomore year, Ayana met Anthony Foxx, Jr., who was a little under 3 years older than Ayana. Mrs. Belton felt like something was off about Foxx but could never put her finger on what it was. The two dated throughout that year. While the family could see problems in the relationship, noticing Ayana and Foxx arguing a lot, they never saw anything that pointed to Ayana being in danger. When asked what the arguments were about, Ayana told her mother that Foxx was always talking to other girls and possibly cheating.

After months of being off and on, Ayana started talking to another boy, getting emotionally involved. This seemed to anger Foxx. He began to threaten and stalk Ayana. Her parents asked him many times to leave her alone but he kept on. This led to the Beltons changing Ayana’s cell number, at Ayana’s request, and switching her school to get her away from him. Unknown to the Beltons, these steps did nothing to help.

Mrs. Belton feels that her daughter still cared for Foxx and tried to continue a friendship. Messages found after the death of Ayana point to this conclusion. Messages also indicated that Foxx planned to kill Ayana, but she didn’t seem to take them seriously and instead brushed off the threats. The evening of March 26, 2020, she agreed to meet up with him.

A Parent’s Worst Nightmare

The day of March 26 started like any other. Mr. and Mrs. Belton went to work. Schools closed due to Covid lockdowns, the Belton children stayed at home. That evening, the Beltons had dinner together, as a family.

Mrs. Belton was cleaning up after the meal when she noticed Ayana was not around. She searched the house for her daughter. Ayana had snuck out. Mrs. Belton called her daughter’s phone and asked her to come home. Ayana complied and told her mother she would, but Ayana didn’t return.

Fifteen minutes after the phone call, there was a knock on the door of the Belton home. Foxx was standing at the door, covered in blood. Foxx told them that Ayana was dead. At first, he claimed Ayana had been shot but quickly changed his story to say that she had been stabbed.

Mr. Belton ran to where Foxx said Ayana was, finding his daughter lying on the side of the road about 100 yards away from the front door of the Belton home. Ayana had been stabbed multiple times and died at the hospital.

At approximately 8:35 p.m., Palatka Police Department were called to the area of Hussan Avenue and Pink Orchard Way. It didn’t take long for the police to put the pieces together and, within the hour, Foxx was named the suspect. 

Nineteen years old at the time of the incident, Foxx was indicted on murder in the first degree. Foxx went to trial in December 2022. The trial lasted two days, December 6 and 7. On December 7, 2022, Foxx was found guilty as charged on First-Degree Murder and, on January 3, 2023, was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

In a letter written by Mrs. Belton and read as part of the victim impact portion of the sentencing, we learned that Ayana “loved babies” and was “beyond excitement when she heard her sister was having a baby.” And it’s the small things that will be missed. “I miss Ayana like I have never missed anybody in my life,” her mother wrote. “I miss seeing her in the kitchen, standing up, eating cereal…She liked standing up, leaning against the counter, enjoying her cereal.”

Ayana’s father, Robert Belton, spoke of his daughter at the sentencing as well. Mr. Belton spoke of how “it hurts when you have somebody in your heart but no longer physically present with you or your family.” He expressed the difficulties of trying to “understand why so precious a person as [his] daughter, Ayana, died so [brutally], with 124 stabs” and how “without God’s grace, I would never endure such pain and loss, my family and I.”

For Ayana’s family, the conviction of Foxx gives some release but, as her mother says, “it doesn’t bring her back. [Their] lives are shattered, and Ayana is gone, [her] family is incomplete without her.”

Remembering Ayana, Always

The Belton family will always miss their beautiful Ayana, but they have found ways to keep her memory alive, both privately and publicly. Ayana was interested in the medical field. She dreamed of going to the University of Florida in Gainesville with the goal of becoming an ARNP (advanced registered nurse practitioner). In her memory, they set up the Ayana Grace Belton Nursing Memorial Scholarship Fund (https://bold.org/funds/ayana-grace-belton-nursing-memorial-scholaship-fund) to help others live this dream.

Mrs. Belton runs a Facebook page in memory of Ayana (https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091905277695). There she shares her daughter with the rest of us.  And then, there are the more personal ways to keep Ayana around. Ayana’s sister, Xavier, shared a picture of a beautiful quilt made out of Ayana’s clothing. 

Her classmates and high school also found a way to keep Ayana alive. Ayana would have graduated in 2022. During the ceremony, attended by her family, a friend of Ayana gave a speech and a friend’s sister read a poem written for Ayana.

I can’t forget to mention how grateful I am that I was trusted with telling you this story. I have had the honor and privilege of getting to know Ayana through her mother’s words. I’ve spent so much time reading and re-reading those words, looking at social media posts, and scrolling through photos sent to me by Mrs. Belton, two of which are posted on the wall next to me at this moment.

Ayana may have been taken from this world way too early, but she clearly made the world a better place during the short time she was here. The love she shared continues to make the world a better place and her memory will never die.

Dating Violence: Information and Resources

Ayana’s life was taken by a romantic partner. According to the 2019 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 1 in 12 U.S. high school students experience physical dating violence. A 2013 study of 10^th graders (found in the Journal of Adolescent Health) found that 35% had been either physically or verbally abused, and a 2005 study showed that 57% of teens know someone who has been physically, sexually, or verbally abused in a dating relationship. If you, or someone you know, has experienced abuse, there is help. If you have a teenager that’s dating, three are resources available for you to discuss this difficult but important topic.

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) has easily accessed information including fact sheets and other valuable information at www.ncadv.org.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is available 24/7 and can be reached 3 ways. Chat is available through the website, https://www.thehotline.org. One call at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Or, you can text ‘START’ to 88788.

For information and hotlines aimed specifically towards teens, please visit or contact the organization love is respect (https://www.loveisrespect.org). They can be reached by texting ‘LOVEIS’ to 22522, called at 1-866-331-9474 (1-800-787-3224, TTY) or live chat through their website. Their one-on-one, confidential, and real-time services are available 24/7.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla – Thomas Isaiah Mosley, 21, has been arrested on two counts of first-degree murder charges, for the deaths of his 2-year-old son, Taylen Mosley, and Taylen’s mother, 20-year-old Pashun Jefferey. If convicted, the charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, or death. Mosley has no known criminal history of violence.

After her daughter, Pashun Jefferey, failed to FaceTime her, something they did every day, Lakita Denson called the manager of the apartment building where Jefferey lived. The property manager finds what is described by St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway as a “very violent” crime scene. The manager called 911.

Jefferey was last seen by family at 5:20 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29, 2023. At around 8:30 p.m. that same night, a neighbor claims to have heard a noise coming from Jefferey’s apartment but did not report it. Approximately 30 minutes later, around 9 p.m., Thomas Mosley arrived at his mother’s home, cuts on his hands and arms. From there, he admitted himself to the hospital.

At 2:30 p.m. the next day, Jefferey’s body was found dead in her apartment. She had received multiple stab wounds.  This is when it is discovered that Jefferey’s 2 year-old-son, Taylen, is missing and the search for him begins.

Police Chief Holloway held a press conference to update the public on the search for Taylen on Friday, March 31. “It is with great sadness that I have to tell you that we found the body of Taylen Mosley. My condolences to his family.” According to Chief Holloway, the investigation led detectives to search Dell Holmes Park and Lake Maggiore, 13 miles away from the Jeffrey apartment.

This is where investigators spotted an alligator with an object in his mouth. A single bullet was shot, killing the alligator, and the object was retrieved. The object turned out to be the dead body of Taylen Mosley. The boy’s body was reportedly intact. As of now, it is unknown whether Taylen was deceased before he went into the lake and the cause of death is unknown. Investigators are waiting on the medical examiner’s report.

The investigation into the deaths of Pashun Jeffrey and Taylen Mosley is ongoing. Mosley is not speaking with detectives and has been assigned a public defense attorney.

Lakita Denson, mother of Pashun and grandmother of Taylen, describes Pashun as “very outspoken” and someone who “always makes you laugh; always joking. She was 20 but she’s a loving kid and she loved that baby. That baby loves her. She was doing well. She wanted more of life.”

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ST. JOHNS, Florida – A guilty plea has been entered in the case of State of Florida vs. Aiden Sean Fucci.

On Monday, February 6, 2023, the day jury selection was set to begin, the defendant, Aiden Fucci, accompanied by his attorneys, pleaded guilty to the charge of first-degree murder. This was a straight plea to the court as no plea agreement had been met between the state and defense.

Fucci, 14 years old at the time, killed classmate Tristyn Bailey, 13, on Mother’s Day 2021. Tristyn’s body was found in a wooded area next to a retention pond. She had been stabbed 114 times, including numerous appearing to have been defensive wounds.

The next steps in the case will be in respect to the punishment phase. A sentencing hearing is expected to be schedule for the month of March or April. The next court appearance for Fucci is for the status hearing, scheduled for February 23, 2023, at 9 a.m. Fucci is facing a possible punishment of 40 years to life with a sentence review in 25 years.

Fucci made a brief statement at the end of today’s hearing, “I just want to say I plead not guilty and I’m sorry for the Bailey family and my family.” That first part I listened to many times and every time I heard “not guilty”. This is something that leaves me curious to know if I am the only one that heard those words and what the official court transcripts recorded.

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ST. JOHNS, Florida – May 9, 2021, 10 a.m., Mrs. Stacy Bailey makes a phone call to 911 reporting a missing juvenile, her 13 year old daughter, Tristyn Bailey.

The St. Johns Sheriff’s Office is dispatched to investigate the appearance of Tristyn. The following narrative of the timeline of events of that day has been put together using the Arrest Report created on May 11, 2021, and the Incident Report Narrative created on June 21, 2021. Kurt E. Hannon is the reporting officer named on both documents.

At 12:25 a.m. Tristyn Bailey received a phone call from Aiden Fucci (corroborated by Fucci’s cell phone records) to talk her into sneaking out of the house and meeting up at a mutual friend’s house, D.A. (initials used to protect the identity of minor child). Tristyn arrived at the house of D.A. At approximately 1230 a.m. According to D.A., Tristyn and Fucci spent most of the time outside together. They left together at approximately 1 a.m. Both, D.A. and Fucci confirm this to during later interviews.

During law enforcement’s initial discussion with Fucci, Fucci claimed that Tristyn turned down Cloisterbane Drive to go home, while he walked along North Dubin Parkway, arriving at home between 3 a.m. and 3:30 a.m. but would changed his story after the officer asked him to clarify why it took him two hours to walk what would would normally be a 28 minute walk, as he lived 1.4 miles from D.A.’s house. That’s when he told the officer he and Tristyn both walked north along North Dubin Parkway. That’s when, according to Fucci, the two got into an argument and he pushed her to the grown, causing her to hit her head. He could not say for certain if she got up. He left her there and “walked around alone for a while.” Further investigation will give a look at the chain of events of that night.

At 1:24 a.m., two subjects are seen on video footage walking along North Dubin Parkway. The same two subjects are then seen on video footage at 1:45 a.m. walking east on Saddlestone Drive towards the area of where Tristyn’s body would later be found.

Two hours pass before the next siting is made. At 3:27 a.m., one of the two subjects was seen on video footage walking west, away from the area of the pond, carrying a pair of white shoes with a black “Nike” swoosh. At 3:32 a.m. Fucci entered his residence carrying the same Nike shoes seen on the aforementioned video footage. Fucci went directly to a bedroom on the second floor. He then went to the bathroom across the hall and exited wearing a robe. Fucci’s movement following, are as of yet unknown.

At approximately 9:40 a.m., the siblings of Tristyn were making Mother’s Day breakfast when they went to wake her but. She was not in her room, and could not be located in the house. Tristyn’s mother, Stacy Bailey, calls 911 and reports her missing. After confirmation that Tristyn is not in the house, a search ensues.

The St. Johns Sheriff’s Office receives a call at 6:06 p.m. From Daniel Hart, who searched the property around his and located what appeared to be the body of a deceased female in a wooded area east of the cul-de-sac on Saddlestone Drive, at a retention pond. The body, with multiple sharp force injury would to her hands, arms, neck and the appearance of sharp force trauma to her back is that of Tristyn Bailey Tristyn was pronounced dead at 6:15 p.m. Her parents received the notification at 630 p.m.

Person of Interest – Aiden Fucci

8 p.m. that same day, Aiden Fucci was transported to the St. Johns Sherrif’s Office Central Investigation Division (CID). Fucci was delivered to CID and placed in an interview room, accompanied by his father, Jason Fucci, and mother Crystal Smith. There, Fucci’s mother informed him that Tristyn is dead. They are escorted to another room at 9:08 p.m. to meet with an attorney.

The meeting with the attorney lasts until 10:26 p.m. after which Aiden, Crystal, and Jason are escorted back to the interview room. All three are noticeably upset and appear to have recently been crying. Crystal reminds Aiden that the room is recorded and he should not say anything.

Search warrants 1-3 are obtained. The first, “Search Warrant #1 – Aiden Fucci Cell Phone”, is to collect Fucci’s cell phone. The next, “Search Warrant #2 – 724 Castledale Court”, for the Fucci residence. And, “Search Warrant #3 – Person of Aiden Fucci” is obtained to collect evidence from the person (body) of Aiden Fucci.

Search Warrant #3 is executed at 12:09 a.m., on May 10, 2021. DNA buccal swabs, major case prints, a penile swab, fingernail scrapings, Aiden’s clothing, and digital photographs are obtained.

The search of the Fucci resident begins at 12:44 a.m. Several notable items are collected from the residence including a “Buck” brand knife sheath, found inside a dresser drawer in Aiden’s bedroom. No “Buck” knife was located. Police also collected, from Aiden’s bedroom, a pair of white “Nike” brand athletic shoes, one white, short sleeve t-shirt, and a pair of wet denim jeans. All items of clothing tested positive for blood. The drain of the sink in the bathroom adjacent from Aiden’s bedroom (of which he was seen coming out of in video footage) was tested for the presence of blood and came back with a positive result. The drain trap and water in the drain was removed and taken as evidence.

An Arrest Is Made

Aiden Fucci is officially arrested and is charged with 2^nd degree murder for the suspected involvement in the murder of Tristyn Bailey, at 3:30 a.m. on May 10, 2021. The police are now able to inform the parents of Tristyn, Forrest and Stacey Bailey, an arrest has been been in the murder of their daughter. This notice is made fifteen minutes later., at 3:45, approximately 24 hours after the estimated death of young Tristyn.

Fifteen hours after Fucci is arrested, the dive team locates a “Buck” brand folding knife with a wood and brass handle within the pond, approximately 140 feet from where the body of Tristyn was located. During a later interview with D.A., the friend of Fucci, the knife is positively identified to be the knife carried by Fucci.

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