Pair To Be Formally Charged In Deadly Baseball Bat Attack
FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) - The two men accused in the deadly Farmington Hills baseball ball attack are expected to be arraigned Tuesday.
Nineteen-year-old Tucker Cipriano and 20-year-old Mitchell Young were ordered to stand trial earlier this month, accused of breaking into the Cipriano home on April 16 and attacking the family with baseball bats.
Tucker Cipriano's father, Robert, 52, was killed in the attack. His mother Rose, 51, and brother Salvatore, 17, were critically injured. Two other children, Salvatore's twin brother, Tanner, and 8-year-old sister, Isabella, hid during the brutal beating and escaped unharmed after calling 911.
Tucker Cipriano and Young face life in prison if convicted on charges of first-degree premeditated murder, first-degree felony murder, assault with intent to murder and armed robbery.
The baseball bat attack was allegedly fueled by drugs and the desire to break into a safe in the family's home. According to witness testimony, Tucker Cipriano and Young had talked about murdering a family for about two weeks before they allegedly went berserk in the Cipriano home.
The pair allegedly ran trial runs, practicing how to get into the Cipriano home through the garage, and even stole a bank card before returning to the house for the attack.
Tucker Cipriano allegedly said he would kill his brothers while Young killed the mother, father and sister, the witness testified, adding that they planned to weigh down the bodies and throw them in the Detroit River. The plan was then to take the money and flee to Mexico where they planned to start over.
During court testimony, first responders described the bloody crime scene as something out of a horror movie. A Medical Examiner testified that Robert Cipriano drown in his own blood due to massive injuries. A police officer testified that he felt like he was holding Rose Cipriano's eye to keep it in its socket. He also said Salvatore was so misshapen from the attack, he couldn't determine anything about who he was. Tucker Cipriano cried throughout much of the testimony.
Our reporters will be in the courtroom. Stay with WWJ Newsradio 950 and CBSDetroit.com for the latest.
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Witnesses Say Family's Death Was Planned, Scene Was Brutal
