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LAS VEGAS (AP) — A 43-year-old former Las Vegas firefighter and U.S. Military Academy graduate should never get out of prison for hiring a homeless ex-convict to kill his cocktail server wife, a jury decided Friday.
The same seven men and five women who found George Miguel Tiaffay guilty Thursday of first-degree murder, conspiracy and other charges in the September 2012 slaying of Shauna Tiaffay chose the most severe penalty they had available.
Tiaffay's defense attorney, Robert Langford, said he'll appeal.
Prosecutors didn't seek the death penalty, because Tiaffay wasn't the one who carried out the slaying.
Shauna Tiaffay, 46, the working mother of an 8-year-old daughter, was attacked and killed by Noel Scott Stevens.
Stevens, 40, took a plea deal that spared him the death penalty, and testified against Tiaffay. He pleaded guilty to murder, conspiracy and other charges and faces 21 years to life at sentencing next month.
Stevens admitted hiding in an apartment and attacking Shauna Tiaffay as she returned home alone from a night shift as a cocktail server at the Palms Casino Hotel.
Stevens testified that George Tiaffay promised him $5,000, bought the murder weapon and other supplies, and plotted several methods before the deed was done.
"Who told you to kill Shauna?" DiGiacomo asked during Stevens' testimony last week.
"George did," Stevens responded.
Tiaffay was at work when the murder occurred, and their daughter was with him when he went to Shauna Tiaffay's apartment later that morning and discovered her bloody body.
The jury heard testimony on Tiaffay's behalf Friday from his sister and brother and a firefighter friend, and from a sister and brother of Shauna Tiaffay before deliberating several hours.
As during his trial, Tiaffay didn't take the witness stand. He gave no visible reaction as the sentence decision was read.
The jury rejected 20-years-to-life and 20-to-50 year options.
Clark County District Court Judge Eric Johnson scheduled sentencing Oct. 27.
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