While there are coincidences between two violent family dramas in Oakland County in recent weeks, those close to the case of a grandmother shooting to death her grandson discounted speculation that his case is linked to that of Tucker Cipriano.
Cipriano is charged with Mitchell Young in the baseball-bat attack that killed Cipriano's father and injured his mother and brother.
Sandra Layne, 74, appeared in 48th District Court on Thursday for a pre-exam conference on charges of open murder and felony firearm in the May 18 shooting of her 17-year-old grandson.
Her attorney, Jerome Sabbota, told Mike Martindale of the Detroit News afterward that Layne knew of the Cipriano case and feared her grandson, who was living with her and was into drugs.
She was in "fear for her life" and in a "panic" due to escalating problems with the teenager, culminating in him taking a drug test that revealed he had ingested K2, also known as "Spice," Sabbota said Thursday.
"My client heard of the Cipriano murder — she would have had to be deaf, dumb and blind not to," he said. "We talked of it and also of a Detroit home break-in where someone was shot and killed. These things bothered her, like they would anyone. But she seemed more concerned about his (Jonathan's) problems, especially drug use … that's why she bought a handgun."
He said about a month ago, Layne obtained a .40 caliber Glock handgun. Investigators said she was still holding in her hand when they responded to the home Friday night.
