2 Face Trial In Fatal Farmington Hills Family Beating
FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) - Tucker Cipriano and Mitchell Young have been bound over for trial, charged in a deadly attack on a Farmington Hills family.
Dr. Ruben Ortiz-Reyes, a forensic pathologist with the Oakland County Medical Examiner's, took the witness stand at Friday's preliminary hearing -- testifying that Robert Cipriano drown in his own blood due to massive injuries.
"In the external examination there were multiple blunt traumas ... I took pictures of it to record it," said Otriz-Reyes. "They were on the left side, on the top of the head, on the back on the head, on the right side of the head, and also on the face."
Otriz-Reyes said Robert Cipriano died when he "drown in his own blood" due to those injuries.
Next on the stand was a Farmington Hills police detective describes what he saw when he arrived at the Cipriano home.
"I briefly observed the main floor area, noted the blood all over the foyer, all over ... there was blood spatter on the walls. There was blood all over the floor in the kitchen where Mr. Cipriano was laying. There was also blood all over the cabinets," he said.
The 19-year-old Cipriano and his friend, 20-year-old Young, are charged with first-degree murder in April 16 attack, allegedly fueled by drugs, during with they beat to death 52-year-old Robert Cipriano. In addition, each has been charged with two counts of assault with intent to murder for the beatings of Tucker Cipriano's mother, Rosemary, and his 17-year-old brother, Salvatore Cipriano. They've also been charged with armed robbery.
The officer also described serious head and facial injuries Rose and Sal Cipriano sustained in the attack.
Reporting from the court house, WWJ Newsradio 950's Marie Osborne said Cipriano was crying during some of Friday's testimony.
Cipriano's attorney, Mitchell Ribitwer said he will seek to have his client tried individually.
"With respect to the discovery (materials) that I have received -- a review of the statements made by Tucker Cipriano and Mitchell Young, assuming they're admissible -- they tend to blame one another for the events of the evening," Ribitwer said.
RELATED: Witnesses: Family's Death Was Planned, Scene Was Brutal
Ribitwer said his client is distraught.
"He's upset ... He may even be suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome," Ribitwer said. "I mean, it was a bad even for, obviously, everybody involved."
WWJ Newsradio 950's Mike Campbell spoke early Friday morning with a man who says he's a friend of Tucker Cipriano.
Marshall Walston, 20, is supportive, as many who know the young man have been.
"I'm really worried about him. Wherever he's heads at, he's gotta be thinking about what he did and I know it's setting in with him that ... he did it. And you can't take that back, pretty much," said Walston."But he's still the same person he's always been. He's still a good person as he always is."
Walston said he's been writing to Cipriano in jail.
