Tears, heavy hearts expected during Cipriano hearing

Sibling expected to testify against brother accused of beating Farmington Hills family, killing father

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – A friend of a man charged in a brutal baseball attack on his family in their Farmington Hills home testified Wednesday that the whole thing had been planned and that it was meant to be deadly.

IMAGES: Inside the courtroom of the baseball bat beat death preliminary examination

Tucker Cipriano, 19, is charged in the April 16 attack that killed his father, Bob. His mother, Rose, and Tanner's twin brother, Sal, were critically injured.

--Bob Cipriano was killed in the attack

Sal's twin brother,Tanner, and an 8-year-old sister hid during the attacks and called 911.

Another man, Mitchell Young, is also charged in the attack.

Special coverage: Attack on Farmington Hills family

Police have said Tucker and Young broke into the house with bats to steal anything of value. Both have confessed.

Cipriano's defense attorney, Mitch Ribitwer, told Local 4, "At least the information I have from Mr. Cipriano is at the time of the incident he was hallucinating, he was not in his right mind."

Tucker Cipriano had been kicked out of the house for using drugs.

-- Tucker Cipriano and Mitchell Young both face murder charges.

Friend says he was asked to get rid of knife

Ian Zinderman testified that he was with Tucker and Young the night they planned to "kill a family."

Zinderman said he was offered money to be a getaway driver or help cover something up.

He said Tucker told him he wanted to break in to steal money or anything of value they could use to buy a synthetic marijuana called "spice."

Zinderman said Tucker and Young planned out what was going to happen once they got in the house.

"I don't' remember who said it, but one of Tucker or Roderick said, they were talking about which family member should be taken care of, who would take care of which family members," Zinderman said.

He said Tucker would go after his brothers and Young would go after Tucker's mom and dad.

Zinderman said he asked not to be a part of the plan - but testified that he later saw blood on Tucker's clothing and was told to get rid of a truck by leaving it in Ferndale and throw a knife in a river.

READ WITNESS TESTIMONY: Friend Ian Zinderman

Police officer describes 'bloody' scene in home

Farmington Police Office Mike Meister told the court the call he initially responded to on April 16 was for "family trouble."

Meister said the first person he saw when he approached the house was the Cipriano's 8-year-old daughter. He took her out of the house and later found Rose and Sal covered in blood.

Watch: Chilling testimony heard in Cipriano case

"I could hear gurgling coming from Salvador," Meister said.

Meister said when Bob Cipriano was found in the kitchen, he was pronounced dead.

READ WITNESS TESTIMONY: Police officer Mike Meister

Testimony is scheduled to resume June 8