Tucker Cipriano, Mitchell Young to stand trial for baseball bat beatings

Oakland County medical examiner says Robert Cipriano was beaten on head with bat

DETROIT – Gruesome testimony from witnesses in the deadly baseball bat beatings of the Cipriano family in their Farmington Hills home led up to a judge's decision Friday to send Tucker Cipriano and Mitchell Young to trial.

The two are accused of breaking into Cipriano's family's house on April 16 and attacking the family. Cipriano's father, Robert Cipriano, was killed.

--Robert Cipriano

His mother, Rose, and 17-year-old brother, Sal, were critically hurt.

Sal's twin, Tanner, and the family's 8-year-old daughter escaped the attack.

Tucker Cipriano and Mitchell Young are charged with first-degree murder.

"In listening to the testimony, it is clear there was a crime committed," said 47th District Court Judge Marla Parker.

Tucker Cipriano will undergo psychological testing.

IMAGES: Inside, outside the courtroom for Cipriano hearing

--Tuck Cipriano's defense attorney Mitch Ribitwer

UNCUT INTERVIEW: Cipriano defense attorneys

Medical examiner says Robert Cipriano had severe head injuries

An Oakland County medical examiner testified that Robert Cipriano suffered severe blunt force trauma to his body, which is consistent with being attacked with a bat.

Deputy medical examiner Ruben Ortiz-Reyes testified that he performed an autopsy on Cipriano April 17 and found the most severe injuries were to the top and side of his head.

UNCUT TESTIMONY: Ruben Ortiz-Reyes

Ortiz-Reyes said Cipriano suffered a particularly hard blow to the left side of his head, which caused bones to fragment and hemorrhaging.

Ortiz-Reyes said Robert Cipriano had "aspirated blood" in his lungs, which means he died from drowning in his own blood.

Tucker Cipriano breaks down during description of bloody scene

Tucker Cipriano was visibly upset, crying, when Farmington Hills police detective Richard Wehby described the scene inside the house when he arrived.

"There was blood spatter on the walls. There was blood all over the floor," Wehby said. "In the kitchen where Mr. Cipriano was laying, there was also blood on the cabinets, on the ceiling."

UNCUT TESTIMONY: Richard Wehby

Wehby said he took Tanner Cipriano back to the police station and then went to Botsford Hospital, where he saw Rose and Sal being treated by medical staff in the emergency room.

"I noticed, obviously, that she [Rose] was covered in blood," Wehby said.

Another detective, Jason McDonald, told the court what Tucker Cipriano had told him about when his father confronted him.

"He held him from behind, hitting in the head with a baseball bat," McDonald said.

When Rose Cipriano came down, McDonald said Tucker Cipriano had described her as having a "stupid face, like she didn't know what was happening."

The detectives also described how Sal Cipriano had tried to fight back by using a BB gun.

UNCUT TESTIMONY: Jason McDonald

READ: Police report details Cipriano beatings

COMPLETE COVERAGE: Attack on Farmington Hills family

MORE: Timeline of Cipriano attack

Suspects' statements paint violent picture of April 16

When the two went inside the home, according to police reports obtained by Local 4, Tucker said, "S*** popped off."

"The dog started barking, he held it down to stop, and it bit him," the report reads.

Then Robert Cipriano, came downstairs. Tucker told police in the reports that Young, whom he called Roderick, said, "Get him now. Get him now."

READ: Mitchell Young's confession, according to police reports

"Roderick was fighting with his father, mother and brother," the report reads. "Roderick was swinging and grabbing things to hit people. Screaming and yelling went on for a while."

Later in the report, Tucker told police Young said, "Hit (Bob)" and that he "grabbed his father from behind."

"While he was holding his father, Roderick hit his dad on the top of his head a lot," the report reads. "His mother Rose came into the kitchen, began crying and had a dumb look on her face."

Tucker told police that "Roderick hit her on the front of her head, she ran out of the kitchen into the foyer and collapsed."

Tucker's 8-year-old sister, Isabella, came and said, "I thought you loved me ... I want my mommy," according to the reports.

Tucker first told police he took her upstairs then later said it was the basement to be out of danger.

The story would later change to Young was the one who took the young girl to the basement "to do something."