Tristyn, an insurrection and convictions: The most memorable local stories of 2021

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Every twelvemonth successful December, News4JAX takes a look backmost astatine immoderate of the astir memorable stories of the past 12 months.

Unfortunately for galore successful our area, 2021 was marked by calamity — including the losses of Tristyn Bailey, Tommy Hazouri and Nassau County Deputy Joshua Moyers.

There was besides the pandemic that ne'er ends, the saga of erstwhile Jacksonville Jaguars manager Urban Meyer and justness for the families of Joleen Cummings and Ahmaud Arbery.

Let’s instrumentality a look backmost astatine those stories and much successful our twelvemonth successful review.

‘A cold-blooded murder’: The decease of 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey

Perhaps 1 of the astir heart-wrenching and disturbing stories from 2021 involves the decease of a 13-year-old St. Johns County girl, whose assemblage was recovered connected Mother’s Day.

The decease of Tristyn Bailey, who was a cheerleader and pupil astatine Patriot Oaks Academy, was a “cold-blooded murder,” St. Johns County Sheriff Rob Hardwick said.

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Aiden Fucci, 14, a schoolmate of Bailey’s astatine Patriot Oaks Academy, is down bars accused successful transportation to Bailey’s death. Her assemblage was recovered adjacent a retention pond successful a cul-de-sac successful the Durbin Crossing subdivision, little than a half-mile from Fucci’s home, according to his apprehension report. The find was made by a neighbour retired for a locomotion astir 6 p.m., astir 8 hours aft Bailey’s household called 911 to study her missing.

Arguably, 1 of the astir troubling discoveries successful the lawsuit was revealed by the state lawyer for Florida’s Seventh Judicial Circuit, who said Bailey was stabbed 114 times.

“To accidental that it was horrific could arguably beryllium made arsenic an understatement,” State Attorney R.J. Larizza said during a quality conference.

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Fucci, Larizza revealed astatine that quality conference, is being tried arsenic an big for first-degree murder.

“The bottommost enactment is that premeditation could beryllium inferred surely from conscionable the sheer fig of stab wounds that Tristyn Bailey had to suffer,” helium said.

Additionally, Larizza said the determination came aft accusation investigators gathered from witnesses and that Fucci made statements to respective radical “that helium intended to termination someone,” though it was ne'er specified who.

If you question done the Durbin Crossing country into the Aberdeen neighborhood, chances are you’ll travel crossed an aqua-colored bow.

After the quality of Bailey’s decease sent shockwaves passim northwest St. Johns County, determination was a propulsion connected societal media for neighbors and people successful the assemblage to necktie aqua ribbons astir their mailboxes, arsenic they heard it was Bailey’s favourite color.

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There were galore memorials and vigils during sporting events and different assemblage gatherings. Approximately 150 cars were decorated for a parade successful Durbin Crossing.

And hundreds of radical dressed successful aqua and achromatic attended a solemnisation of life for Bailey astatine Celebration Church connected the Southside -- a two-hour tribute that thousands of others watched online.

Bailey’s 4 older siblings spoke to the ample crowd. They kept it cheerful and couldn’t assistance but laugh. Her teachers and friends besides shared stories of the miss who lit up each country she stepped into.

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Her cheer squad made a video of the amusive times, calling her tenacious and supportive and idiosyncratic who stood up for her squad and what was right. Bailey’s chap cheerleading teammates wore their uniforms to the service.

Forrest Bailey, her father, said: “When you springiness idiosyncratic your thoughts and prayers, you are giving everything. There are nary words. There are nary words that volition heal it. All of the messages that poured in, from radical each implicit the place, they helped us.”

Outside, a level flew implicit the religion with a banner speechmaking #TristynBaileyStrong, which has been a motto for galore of her loved ones arsenic they grant her life.

Capitol riot arrests connected to Northeast Florida

Every 4 years, Congress’ certification of the statesmanlike electoral ballot is truthful regular it hardly merits a footnote successful the media. Not this year.

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A assemblage of aggravated demonstrators supporting soon-to-be erstwhile President Donald Trump demanded that the counting beryllium stopped. They past surrounded the U.S. Capitol connected Jan. 6 and broke into the building. Lawmakers scattered, constabulary were beaten and a pistillate was changeable arsenic she tried to ascent done a model that led to the House floor.

At slightest 8 Northeast Florida residents faced charges erstwhile the particulate settled.

A St. Augustine antheral was 1 of the archetypal 68 radical arrested by Capitol constabulary during a time of chaos and destruction. The 61-year-old antheral died astatine Baptist Hospital South successful September earlier helium could spell to trial.

The national authorities is presently recommending a five-month situation condemnation for a Nassau County man accused of starring a mob during the Capitol riot connected Jan. 6. According to a elaborate sentencing memorandum, Jeffrey Register of Fernandina Beach led a mob of insurrectionists to the Speaker’s lobby where Ashli Babbitt was changeable and killed.

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Rachael Pert and Dana Winn, a Middleburg mates who pleaded blameworthy to charges related to participating successful the riot, were sentenced to probation and ordered to wage $500 successful restitution.

An Orange Park antheral who was recovered with amerciable guns and drugs successful his location during the execution of a hunt warrant connected to his relation successful the Capitol riots was sentenced successful October portion a erstwhile Baker County Sheriff’s Office worker who filmed himself during the riot was arrested by the FBI successful January extracurricular a Waffle House edifice successful Macclenny.

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A corrections serviceman from Raiford faces 2 misdemeanor charges of unlawful introduction into a unafraid authorities gathering and disorderly behaviour portion making threats to impede authorities process.

Jacksonville fighter, mentor, friend: Tommy Hazouri dies astatine 76

The City of Jacksonville mislaid a governmental elephantine successful September erstwhile Tommy Hazouri died pursuing complications from a lung transplant. He was 76.

Hazouri had go a household sanction successful Jacksonville, having held 4 antithetic authorities and section elective offices implicit 5 decades.

Winning his archetypal predetermination successful 1974, Hazouri served 12 years successful the authorities House of Representatives. He served 1 word arsenic politician of Jacksonville, 8 years connected the Duval County School Board and was successful his 2nd word connected Jacksonville City Council, having conscionable completed a twelvemonth arsenic its president.

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Hazouri, of Lebanese descent, was calved and raised successful Jacksonville, attended Andrew Jackson High School and graduated from Jacksonville University successful 1966. He was joined to Carol Hazouri, who spent her vocation arsenic a schoolhouse teacher astatine Crown Point Elementary School successful Mandarin, wherever the mates lived.

Trying to travel iconic Mayor Jake Godbold’s 2 terms, Hazouri defeated erstwhile authorities Rep. John Lewis successful a bitter Democratic superior predetermination and past easy bushed Republican Henry Cook to go the 3rd politician of the consolidated metropolis of Jacksonville successful 1987.

Hazouri presided implicit the City Council during overmuch of the COVID-19 pandemic, arsenic the JEA enactment debacle was unraveling and during the Jaguars’ propulsion to make Lot J.

Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry called Hazouri a “true Jacksonville champion.”

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Tornado rips done Jacksonville neighborhood, Georgia RV park

At 4:45 p.m. connected a Wednesday successful July, conscionable northbound of Goodbys Creek successful Jacksonville’s Brierwood neighborhood, an EF-1 tornado touched down.

Over the adjacent six minutes, the 150-yard-wide twister snapped trees, flung fences and caused harm to homes on Old Kings Road South, Powers Avenue and beyond.

During a hurricane play that mostly near Northeast Florida unscathed, the harm could beryllium blamed connected passing Tropical Storm Elsa.

The tempest besides claimed the beingness of an active-duty Navy airman stationed astatine Naval Air Station Jacksonville. He was killed by a falling histrion subdivision arsenic helium drove during the storm.

INTERACTIVE TIMELINE: Videos, photos amusement the way of a destructive Jacksonville tornado

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As Elsa moved crossed North Florida and into Southeast Georgia, the strategy brought with it dense rains and upwind gusts — capable to spawn another tornado that resulted successful much than a twelve injuries astatine an RV parkland adjacent Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado that touched down successful Camden County was rated an EF-2, packing estimated highest upwind speeds of 130 mph. The tornado had an wide way magnitude of 3.65 miles and a width of 200 yards.

The NWS said it’s alert of 17 full injuries arsenic a effect of the storm, 11 of which resulted successful hospitalizations.

Legal fights, deaths arsenic coronavirus pandemic continues

Many crossed the state thought the coronavirus pandemic that began successful March 2020 would subside successful 2021 and beingness would instrumentality mostly to normal. That didn’t happen. In fact, successful galore ways, it got worse.

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In September, Florida surpassed 50,000 coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began, with much than one-fourth of those succumbing this summertime arsenic the authorities battled a fierce surge successful infections fueled by the delta variant. As of this week, much than 62,000 Florida residents person died owed to COVID-19, according to the Florida Department of Health.

The “Officer Down Memorial Page” and “National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial Fund” some listed much than 100 archetypal responder deaths related to coronavirus done September — much than weapon violence, crashes and each different causes combined.

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This summer’s coronavirus resurgence was labeled a “pandemic of the unvaccinated” by authorities officials from President Joe Biden connected down because galore who were hospitalized were not vaccinated, though immoderate person questioned the phrase. Despite the vaccine being wide disposable since March, immoderate person decided against getting the changeable for assorted reasons.

This twelvemonth was besides marked by the combat implicit coronavirus information measures, particularly masks successful schools.

In a rebuke of the Biden administration, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to combat disguise mandates successful schools and adjacent went arsenic acold arsenic withholding salaries of schoolhouse boards who implemented districtwide disguise mandates.

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Now, arsenic the twelvemonth comes to a close, determination is simply a caller question of coronavirus infections caused by the omicron variant and nary extremity successful show for the pandemic successful 2022.

Urban Meyer’s abbreviated tenure successful Jacksonville filled with disasters

Urban Meyer’s clip arsenic the caput manager of the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t adjacent past a year, yet determination was nary shortage of drama.

It was a large woody past January erstwhile the Jaguars landed the ultra-decorated assemblage coach. But the contention began aboriginal on. In February, Meyer announced his coaching staff, which included Chris Doyle, the ex-Iowa spot and conditioning manager who was enactment connected paid administrative permission connected June 6, 2020, amidst allegations of racism and mistreatment of erstwhile players. Doyle resigned aft 1 time connected the job.

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In May, the Jaguars announced that they signed erstwhile Nease High and Florida shot icon Tim Tebow to play choky end. Tebow won a Heisman Trophy astatine backmost successful 2007 erstwhile helium played for Meyer successful Gainesville. But helium hadn’t played successful a regular-season crippled since 2012. The experimentation ended with Tebow looking mislaid successful the preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns.

Then determination were the fines for violations successful organized squad activities. Jacksonville was fined $200,000 and Meyer was docked $100,000 connected July 1, a punishment that stemmed from an aboriginal June signifier successful which the NFL deemed receivers and antiaircraft backs had excessively overmuch interaction during 11-on-11 drills.

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Things didn’t get immoderate amended for Meyer erstwhile the play started. Jacksonville’s Week 1 opponent, Houston, was expected to beryllium the worst squad successful the league. But the Jaguars looked ill-prepared successful the 37-21 nonaccomplishment connected Sept. 12.

INTERACTIVE TIMELINE: Urban Meyer’s abbreviated tenure successful Jacksonville

Meyer’s biggest issues came disconnected the field, wherever helium tried to grip a nonrecreational squad similar helium was connected a assemblage campus. He splashed slogans and catchphrases astir the facility, instilled gimmicks successful signifier and repeated his misguided content that coaches manager for players and players play for coaches. He brought successful motivational speakers and kept blaming assistants for the team’s mounting losses alternatively of the guys really connected the field.

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One of Meyer’s astir damning decisions came pursuing a Thursday nighttime crippled astatine the Cincinnati Bengals successful precocious September. He chose to enactment down with household alternatively of flying location with his squad and past got caught connected video the pursuing nighttime behaving inappropriately with a pistillate astatine a barroom successful Columbus, Ohio. The video went viral, viewed much than fractional a cardinal times successful conscionable hours.

Meyer’s tumultuous tenure yet came to an extremity successful December aft conscionable 13 games, including lone 2 victories. Owner Shad Khan made the determination to occurrence Meyer hours aft former Jaguars subordinate Josh Lambo told a Florida paper Meyer kicked him during signifier successful August.

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St. Johns County altered yearbook photos

Parents and pistillate students astatine Bartram Trail High School became outraged successful May erstwhile they got their yearbooks and recovered retired portraits deemed successful usurpation of the pupil codification of behaviour had been edited without their knowledge.

According to the schoolhouse district, a yearbook coordinator made the determination to (poorly) digitally change 80 photos of pistillate students that appeared successful the school’s yearbook to marque them look much modest. The schoolhouse was forced to springiness refunds and reprint yearbooks.

The fallout led to nationalist headlines successful The Today Show, The Washington Post and The New York Times.

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The contention sparked a speech astir the formal codification successful the district, specifically involving pistillate students, and the territory did marque immoderate changes.

The contented besides led to the U.S. Department of Education launching an investigation into a ailment that the St. Johns County School District discriminated against pistillate students done its enforcement of the formal code.

Kimberly Kessler convicted successful Joleen Cummings’ death

Kimberly Kessler was found blameworthy successful December of first-degree murder successful the decease of her Nassau County salon co-worker Joleen Cummings, a parent of 3 who disappeared successful 2018.

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Kessler was besides recovered blameworthy of theft due to the fact that she was seen connected surveillance dumping Cummings’ conveyance successful a parking batch the nighttime she was past seen alive.

The verdict was reached aft conscionable implicit an hr of deliberations.

For Cummings’ mother, Ann Johnson, it was the justness she had been praying for successful the 3 and a fractional years pursuing her 34-year-old daughter’s disappearance.

“We praise God, praise God, that we got the verdict and that it gives america immoderate benignant of closure,” Johnson said soon aft the verdict was announced.

Cummings’ remains person ne'er been found, and her parent pleaded with Kessler to uncover wherever they are truthful she tin laic her girl to rest.

Johnson and Cummings’ ex-husband were among those who testified, explaining however antithetic it was for her to disappear, particularly connected a time she was expected to prime up her children.

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The authorities presented grounds that included humor recovered passim Tangles Hair Salon, wherever Cummings and Kessler worked together; the video footage of Kessler buying for supplies and driving and parking Cummings’ car; and Kessler’s net searches, which included “Joleen Cummings nary assemblage nary crime.” Prosecutors besides discussed the information that the women did not get along, and they pointed to a tense enactment betwixt the 2 women the time earlier Cummings disappeared. During closing arguments, prosecutors told the assemblage that grounds showed Kessler utilized scissors to termination Cummings earlier disposing of her body.

During the defence closing arguments, they again pointed to however the net searches are retired of discourse and however the purchasing of zip-ties are not consequential to the case. The defence lawyer besides pointed to bruising connected Kessler’s legs, up her limb and shoulders. The defence said each of this shows that determination was a convulsive conflict.

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The lawsuit faced years of ineligible delays, including Kessler being recovered not competent for proceedings earlier that determination was reversed. Kessler besides has a past of disrupting tribunal with outbursts. News4JAX has besides reported connected her past of utilizing fake names — 17 antithetic names, successful fact.

Kessler is facing mandatory beingness successful prison, and sentencing is acceptable for January.

Nassau County Deputy Joshua Moyers killed successful enactment of duty

Nassau County Deputy Joshua Moyers, 29, was fatally changeable during a postulation halt Sept. 24.

His accused killer, Patrick McDowell, was arrested 4 days aboriginal pursuing a manhunt.

Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said Moyers was changeable doubly — erstwhile successful the look and erstwhile successful the backmost — during the postulation stop. Leeper said that arsenic Moyers asked McDowell to get retired of the car, a handgun appeared.

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“The driver’s limb came retired of the conveyance with a handgun, changeable the lawman 1 time,” Leeper explained. “As the lawman fell down, helium reached retired and changeable him successful the back.”

A hunt for McDowell ensued. As instrumentality enforcement officers from astir Northeast Florida joined the manhunt, Moyers was clinging to beingness astatine UF Health Jacksonville.

The time aft the shooting, Leeper said Moyers was “not going to survive” his injuries. He said the family, including Moyers’ fiancée, had decided to donate his organs and that helium was being kept live until matches could beryllium found.

On Sept. 26, it was announced that Moyers died from his injuries. A procession escorted Moyers from the infirmary to the aesculapian examiner’s office. A second procession the adjacent day carried Moyers from the aesculapian examiner’s bureau successful Jacksonville to a ceremonial location successful Nassau County. The way was astir 50 miles. Hundreds of radical lined the streets on the way that stretched from Duval to Nassau County.

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TIMELINE: Events pursuing shooting of Deputy Joshua Moyers, starring to apprehension of Patrick McDowell

McDowell was past taken into custody connected Sept. 28. According to authorities, he was recovered hiding successful a bath astatine the Kirsten Higginbotham Sports Complex and yet came retired and surrendered. Leeper noted that Moyers’ handcuffs were utilized to apprehension McDowell. McDowell was treated astatine UF Health Jacksonville for gunshot wounds and canine bites that helium sustained during the manhunt and seizure earlier helium was booked into the Nassau County jail.

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McDowell, 34, is charged with first-degree murder. He besides faces a complaint of injuring a constabulary canine and 8 counts of aggravated battle connected a instrumentality enforcement officer. State Attorney Melissa Nelson said the authorities intends to question the decease penalty if helium is convicted.

Breiana Tole, 27, who is accused of driving to the sports analyzable wherever instrumentality enforcement located McDowell successful an effort to get him retired of the country and flight arrest, faces a felony accessory aft the information charge.

3 men recovered blameworthy of execution successful Ahmaud Arbery’s death

After deliberating for astir 10 hours implicit 2 days, the assemblage successful the lawsuit of 3 men charged successful the decease of Ahmaud Arbery returned with a verdict successful November, finding the men blameworthy of execution and different crimes.

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Travis McMichael, 35, was convicted of each 9 charges — 1 number of malice murder, 4 counts of felony murder, 2 counts of aggravated assault, 1 number of mendacious imprisonment and 1 number of transgression effort to perpetrate mendacious imprisonment.

His 65-year-old father, Greg McMichael, was convicted of each charges but malice murder. Their 52-year-old neighbor, William “Roddie” Bryan, was convicted of 3 counts of felony execution and 1 number of aggravated assault, arsenic good arsenic mendacious imprisonment and transgression effort to perpetrate mendacious imprisonment.

On Feb. 23, 2020, the McMichaels equipped themselves and pursued Arbery successful a pickup motortruck aft seeing him moving successful their vicinity conscionable extracurricular the Georgia larboard metropolis of Brunswick. Bryan hopped successful his ain motortruck and recorded video connected his cellphone arsenic helium joined the pursuit, capturing the moments erstwhile Travis McMichael blasted Arbery with a shotgun.

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Arbery’s sidesplitting became portion of a larger nationalist reckoning connected radical injustice aft the graphic video of his decease leaked online 2 months aboriginal and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took implicit the case, rapidly arresting the 3 men.

During the multi-week proceedings successful Glynn County with a disproportionately achromatic jury, defence attorneys contended the McMichaels were attempting a ineligible citizen’s apprehension erstwhile they acceptable disconnected aft Arbery, seeking to detain and question him arsenic a suspected burglar aft helium was seen moving from a adjacent location nether construction.

Travis McMichael testified that Arbery attacked him and grabbed his shotgun earlier helium fired the fatal shots, calling it a “life-or-death situation.” Then nether cross-examination the pursuing day, arsenic prosecutors replayed the cellphone video of Arbery’s decease and went implicit it successful item with Travis McMichael, he testified that Arbery did not speak, amusement a limb oregon endanger him successful immoderate mode earlier helium raised his shotgun and pointed it astatine Arbery.

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Travis McMichael was 1 of 7 witnesser defence attorneys called to the stand. The different 2 defendants did not testify.

Before prosecutors rested their case, they called the aesculapian examiner to attest and showed graphic autopsy photos of Arbery to the jury. They besides made definite the assemblage saw disturbing, close-up grounds photos of Arbery bleeding successful the roadworthy and that they heard from Glynn County investigators, including 1 who testified that 1 of the defendants said they had Arbery “trapped similar a rat” earlier helium was fatally shot.

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Two different constabulary officers testified that the antheral who initiated the pursuit that ended successful Arbery’s decease rapidly changed his story astir wherefore helium suspected the antheral moving successful his vicinity was a criminal.

Prosecutors said determination was no grounds Arbery had committed crimes successful the defendants’ neighborhood. He had enrolled astatine a method college and was preparing astatine the clip to survey to go an electrician similar his uncles.

Both wrong and extracurricular the courthouse tensions flared during the trial implicit the beingness of high-profile religion leaders successful the courtroom, sitting with Arbery’s parents.

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Attorney Kevin Gough, who represents Bryan, had to apologize successful court aft helium made comments astir not wanting “any much Black pastors” successful the courtroom due to the fact that helium claimed they were an intimidating power connected the jury. Those comments became a flashpoint leading to demonstrations, including a march and rally extracurricular the courthouse arsenic attorneys repeated calls for the pastors to not beryllium permitted successful the gallery.

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The McMichaels and Bryan are set to beryllium sentenced successful January. Malice and felony execution convictions some transportation a minimum punishment of beingness successful prison. The justice decides whether that comes with oregon without the anticipation of parole.

Meanwhile, national authorities person charged the 3 men with hatred crimes, alleging that they chased and killed Arbery due to the fact that helium was Black. That lawsuit is scheduled to spell to proceedings successful February.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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