13-Year-Old Cheerleader Tristyn Bailey Was Stabbed to Death in 'Cold-Blooded Murder,' Sheriff Says

Tristyn Bailey.Photo: sjso

The cause of death forTristyn Bailey— the 13-year-old cheerleader who was found dead on Sunday, hours after she went missing in St. Johns County, Fla. — has been determined.

“We will continue to investigate this case fully and will begin transitioning this case to the State’s Attorney Office,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement.

In an interview with local news outletWJXT, Sheriff Robert Hardwick described Tristyn’s death as a “cold-blooded murder.”

“That being said, I don’t wanna mention the number of times [Tristyn was stabbed], but it is horrific. It is horrible,” Hardwick said. “And the word accident is nowhere involved in this case.”

Tristyn Bailey.Courtesy Tanya White

Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE’s free True Crime newsletterfor breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.

A 14-year-old suspect — whom PEOPLE is not identifying because he is a minor — was arrested this week in connection to Tristyn’s death, Hardwickannounced during a press conferenceon Monday.

“That’s actually a decision we made collectively … with the State Attorney’s Office,” Hardwick said at the time. “We can always increase the charge.”

A spokesperson for the 7th Circuit State Attorney’s Office tells PEOPLE that the office has not yet determined if he will be charged as an adult.

Tristyn Bailey.gofundme

According to Hardwick, both Tristyn and the suspect attended Patriot Oaks Academy, a public K-8 school about a mile from where the seventh grader went missing.

In a Tuesday morning detention hearing held via Zoom, a judge ordered the teen suspect be held in juvenile custody for at least 21 days. The boy did not speak in court, and his attorney did not immediately return a message for comment.

The suspect has not yet entered a plea.

In the wake of Tristyn’s death, aGoFundMe campaignhas been set up in support of her family. As of Tuesday night, the fundraiser has surpassed its $20,000 goal.

source: people.com