Cipriano, Young Sentenced to Life in Prison in Baseball Bat Murder of Robert Cipriano

Almost one year ago, we wrote about two young men who had been involved in the beating of one of the young men’s family with a baseball bat. Now, Tucker Cipriano and Mitchell Young have been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Tucker’s father, Robert Cipriano.

On Wednesday July 24, 20-year-old Tucker Cipriano and 21-year-old Mitchell Young were sentenced to mandatory life in prison for the April 2012 murder. Tucker is adopted, and according to news reports denies any responsibility in the beating of his father. Cipriano’s mother, Rose, was severely beaten in the attack, as was his brother Salvatore, who still remains in the hospital as the result of injuries he sustained in the altercation.

While Cipriano and Young were friends prior to the baseball bat attack of Cipriano’s family, the two now each point the finger at the other as being the mastermind behind the attack.

After being abandoned by his birth mother, it was said in court that Tucker Cipriano had a difficult life. While Oakland County Judge Shalina Kumar acknowledged the fact, she said he was not the only individual who has been in a situation where as a child, he was abandoned and adopted by a loving, supporting family who was well-to-do. Kumar said in court that, “With all the support you had, and all the love you had, you threw it away.”

Mitchell Young maintains he is innocent, and according to a news article at Mlive.com, guaranteed he would appeal at the sentencing hearing on Wednesday. Young accused his attorney of failing him, claiming that there were several things he had requested Michael McCarthy do during the trial so that jurors could see the discrepancies in testimony of Ian Zinderman, a key witness, but that his attorney did not follow through. After nearly 30 minutes, Judge Kumar told Young that it was not an appeal hearing.

It is believed that drugs and alcohol played a role in the downfall of Tucker Cipriano, who became involved with the substances in his teens.

As all Michigan criminal defense attorneys would no doubt agree, this is an extremely sad situation. While it’s not always possible to get to the truth, it is a tragedy to think that two lives are wasted, and that men who are barely out of their teenage years will spend the rest of their lives behind bars.


Anyone who has been accused of or arrested for murder or any serious/violent crime must speak with an aggressive and dedicated Michigan criminal defense lawyer at once. Your freedom and future are at stake, so do not waste time in securing capable legal counsel.

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