Testimony In Cipriano Murder Case Continues In Circuit Court
PONTIAC (WWJ) - Testimony in the Cipriano murder case continued in Oakland County Circuit Court.
Several Farmington Hills police officers testified to the bloody and chaotic scene at the Cipriano home April 16, 2012 when Robert Cipriano was murdered and his wife and son were severely beaten.
A stone faced Mitchell Young, charged with murder, stared straight ahead as photos from the crime scene were admitted in the case.
A police supervisor was called to the scene and stated during questioning that she was surprised as she approached the home.
"As I am coming up the street and it was a dirt street, I can see ahead a little girl standing in the road," said the Farmington Hills police supervisor.
The supervisor said she later found out the little girl was Isabella (8-year-sister of Tucker Cipriano).
"I looked at her and I thought what I saw was blood on her," she continued. "It was her clothing area ... I couldn't tell you where - it kind of shocked me."
Isabella was not injured and was placed in the squad car as the supervisor went in to the house to assist at the scene. She found the defendant (Young) Robert Cipriano dead in the kitchen, and Rose and Salvatore Cipriano severely injured.
Officer Eric Buckberry told jurors that when he arrived at the Cipriano home he began putting the case together.
"I went back and talked to Tanner for a little bit, tried to ascertain what happened. He was obviously upset that his brother had come in and a friend he did not know ... had attacked their family," said Buckberry.
Buckberry said that Young would only say that Tucker went crazy and started swinging.
Officer Mark Rousch described the physical appearance of Rose and Salvadore Cipriano when he went to the hospital to retrieve DNA evidence.
"Her eyes also seemed to be swollen ... and her head was very swollen," he described Rose.
Rousch noted that the injuries to Salvatore were more serious.
"Just -- major injuries to the head area ... traumatic - he was swollen all over," he testified.
Other officers testified that Young suffered from some type of seizure while in the hospital.
Young's co-defendant, Tucker Cipriano pled no contest to first degree murder in the case earlier this week.
Thursday, a friend of both defendants took the stand, Ian Zinderman testified that the group drank, did drugs, and talked about breaking into the Cipriano home, killing everyone, and stealing cars and money to buy drugs.
He said the pair had debated between the Ciprianos and another local family before deciding the Ciprianos had more wealth.
"Both of them picked assignments, discussed about picking assignments, on which family member to kill," Zinderman said. "… Young was supposed to take the parents, and Cipriano was supposed to take his brothers."
