Exclusive: Girlfriend Opens Up About Tucker Cipriano
FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) - Accused killer Tucker Cipriano of Farmington Hills is not a monster. He is not a murderer. He is not insane. That's according to Cipriano's girlfriend, 19-year-old Sofiya Baskin of Metro Detroit.
In an exclusive interview with WWJ Newsradio 950's Roberta Jasina, and Cassandra Llamas-Fossen, Baskin says she dated Cipriano for a month and a half, when they were "ripped apart" by the murder of Tucker's father, Robert Cipriano in mid-April.
She has been subpoenaed to testify in the case.
Baskin says she loves Cipriano, and has a lot in common with him. (She is adopted, and is currently homeless.) She has been phoning Cipriano and writing to him while he's locked up, awaiting the resumption of his preliminary exam, June 8.
What first attracted her to Cipriano?
"What attracted me most to him, Tucker said he didn't have a heart. He actually carved into his body a heart, because he thought that maybe a new one would grow. Because of just all the hurt, and heart-break he's been through with his parents, his brothers, family, and friends. He doesn't have the best past relationships with anybody," Baskin said.
Baskin tells WWJ that she feels Tucker Cipriano is guilty of breaking and entering. And that he's guilty of being under the influence of drugs on probation. But she believes he does not have the heart and mind to commit murder. She says he worshipped his father.
Listen to Baskin's full interview:
She believes Cipriano's co-defendant, 20-year-old Mitchell "Roderick" Young masterminded the break-in, threatened and forced Cipriano to co-operate, and that it was actually Young who beat Robert Cipriano to death, and attacked the other family members.
"Our lives were at stake. Mitchell threatened us," Baskin says. "Mitchell threatened that he would kill Tucker's family... all of us, if Tucker did not go into that house to steal money so that Mitchell could run away."
Baskin says she worries about Cipriano being behind bars. She believes he has considered suicide. Baskin believes he needs a new lawyer. She says she tried to hire Geoffrey Fieger, but his $40,000 price tag is too high.
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Cipriano's friend, 17-year-old Keauntae Williams, wrote and recorded a song about him. Listen below:
Baskin says the murder case has taken its toll on her. She says there have been death threats on her Facebook page, among other things.
"I got kicked out of my house because I was dating Tucker. My dad said, "you brought a murderer into my house."
She doesn't understand it.
"If I ever have kids, I wish my son would be as good as Tucker Cipriano."
(Catch up on this story here).
