PONTIAC, Mich. – Testimony resumes in the Cipriano murder trial against alleged accomplice Mitchell Young.
WATCH LIVE: Testimony resumes in Cipriano murder trial
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Young is accused of helping Tucker Cipriano carry out brutal baseball attacks in April 2012 that killed Cipriano's father, Robert, and seriously injured his mother, Rose, and brother Sal.
Tucker Cipriano has already pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and attempted murder and faces an automatic penalty of life in prison without parole when Judge Shalina Kumar sentences him July 9.
First witness:
Farmington Hills Sgt. Richard Wehby
Defense attorney Mike McCarthy gets testimony from Sgt. Wehby that Mitchell Young was instrumental in helping to locate Tucker Cipriano.
He suggested the Keego Harbor address where Tucker was found.
He told police there was a cell phone in his car. Police received assistance from Verizon in locating the phone and the vehicle.
McCarthy continues to fill in portrait of Young as a cooperative suspect and placing blame on Tucker Cipriano.
McCarthy attempting to show Young was truthful in what he told detectives about his role in the attack.
Wehby tells defense Young only volunteered information after confronted with knowledge they had a witness.
Isabella Cipriano told detective she saw Young hit her mother with a baseball bat.
Rose Cipriano lingered near death after the beating.
McCarthy is hammering witness on why the interview with Young was not recorded.
McCarthy: An interview like this would be pretty important wouldn't it?
Wehby: Yes.
McCarthy: You have recording capability in interview rooms correct?
Wehby: Two of them. We had one digital recorder but it was not available at that time. It was not in safe with that equipment.
McCarthy: There were a load of other people working on this case?
Wehby: Yes, sir.
McCarthy: In fact, most of the FH police department detectives were involved in this case.
Wehby: Yes, all were involved at some point in this case.
McCarthy: Somewhere in that long list of detectives someone could have gotten that digital recording device.
Wehby: Yes. At the point in time, when the interview was going on there were only three of us at the station. I do not know. There were several others doing interviews with Tanner and Isabella.
Interviews with Tucker Cipriano were recorded.
McCarthy: Young told a detective that his jaw was dislocated by Tucker Cipriano and that he was afraid of him?
Wehby: We don't know who did it. It could have been Bob, Rose or Sal Cipriano.
Yes, he did say he was afraid of him.
Ian Zinderman testified he was afraid of Tucker Cipriano
McCarthy asks about Young's demeanor during the preliminary exam June 8th.
Wehby: It wasn't the question that caught me off guard. It was the demeanor. He was near tears, upset. That's what I thought was odd. Then he turned it off immediately and asked question with smile on his face. I thought that was odd.
McCarthy: You didn't see him cry in courtroom?
Wehby: I was not looking to see if actual tears were falling. It appeared he was near tears.
McCarthy asks witness if Young was cooperative during the instigation and told you Tucker did everything in the attack on Bob Cipriano.
Wehby: Yes. That a bat was used.
Prosecutor is now detailing the break-ins, thefts and spending the money to undercut defense's storyline that Young was consistently cooperative.
More cross-examination from McCarthy, who is attempting to create reasonable doubt about Young's incriminating statements by showing there was no recording of interview with detectives.
Wehby: I did not see blood on his pants at hospital. His clothing had been removed. I was shown photos on a detective's phone. I did not ask about it specifically.
Young changed his story about who was driving the truck to Cipriano home, first telling investigators he drove, then saying Tucker drove.
You were asked if Young moved any bodies.
Wehby: No, he didn't say whether he moved bodies. I can only say there were drag marks on scene leading to stairs. I did not see it prior to talking to Young. I did not ask him about it.
Did you ask for written statement?
Wehby: No, I don't believe so.
--Tucker Cipriano
WATCH: Tucker Cipriano's interview with police read in court
Testimony from a friend of Tucker Cipriano has already testified that there was a plot
First responders have described a gruesome scene in the Cipriano Farmington Hills home.
The jury has seen graphic photos from the Cipriano home including images of the alleged injuries to Young's face after the attack.