Are online vendors profiting off Tristyn Bailey’s murder?

3 years ago 223

Online posts amusement T-shirts, posters with teenager’s face, name

13-year-old Tristyn Bailey

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The News4Jax I-TEAM is looking into online posts selling T-shirts and posters with Tristyn Bailey’s look and name.

St. Johns County deputies said the 13-year-old cheerleader was stabbed to decease adjacent her location successful May. Investigators person charged her schoolmate, 14-year-old Aiden Fucci, with first-degree murder. Bailey’s decease has affected radical crossed the satellite who followed the case, sending condolences to her household and friends.

But arsenic the lawsuit against her accused slayer awaits trial, it appears immoderate radical are trying to marque wealth disconnected her sanction and picture. A acrophobic spectator sent america a posting connected Amazon from a third-party seller successful China. They’re selling the archetypal missing person’s flyer arsenic poster. The price? $12 to $35 depending connected the size.

The I-TEAM spoke to Bailey’s mother, begetter and sister. They’re upset that idiosyncratic would effort to nett disconnected her death, and they said this isn’t the lone case.

They sent america an Etsy posting from a seller successful Atlanta. The $21 garment says “Her combat is my fight” with Tristyn Bailey’s sanction successful an aqua ribbon. The teen’s household said they didn’t authorize it and nary of the proceeds are going to the instauration they’re gathering successful her honor.

News4Jax has requested remark from some Amazon and Etsy, asking what it would instrumentality to get the items removed. Our petition was not returned astatine the clip of publication.

Attorney Lauren Prater says there’s decidedly ineligible grounds to combat the websites and the vendors.

“To person idiosyncratic bash this for their ain idiosyncratic monetary summation is sick,” said Prater. “This is simply a young child, and I truly anticipation there’s an contiguous extremity enactment to these actions.”

Bailey’s household said they privation her sanction utilized for bully and that determination are plentifulness of ways to bash that. Simple things, similar rocks painted with her name. The household is besides suggesting donations to her memorial fund, which volition spell backmost to the community.

The Bailey household released a connection to News4Jax connected Thursday afternoon. It reads:

“We would similar to erstwhile again convey the assemblage for their support, thoughts and prayers arsenic we spell done the heartbreaking nonaccomplishment of Tristyn. Again, we truly admit that you are helping to code these situations wherever radical are trying to nett from her name.”

A typical for Etsy responded that it does not remark connected circumstantial pages oregon listings, but “the household tin usage our online reporting form to study a usurpation of rights related to close of publicity, sanction and likeness.”

A spokeswoman for Amazon said the institution is reviewing the point and it’s precise apt that it volition beryllium removed.

Prater said if a cease and desist is sent and ignored, “Game on, it’s suit time. That’s it astatine that point, past it’s get the lawyers up, get the squad acceptable and a suit is going to beryllium filed.” said Prater. “And astatine that point, the radical that are doing this, they’re going to beryllium taxable to the courts.”