Shauna Tiaffay, a 46-year-old Las Vegas striptease cocktail waitress and mother of one, was beaten to death with a hammer in her suburban apartment in 2012. In the early morning of September 29, when her 8-year-old daughter was at her grandmother’s house, she was brutally beaten by a man waiting for her arrival. George, Tiaffay’s beloved and estranged firefighter husband, as well as a homeless former prisoner named Noel Stevens, whom he allegedly hired to commit the murders, were ultimately convicted in the case. A trail of evidence, including blood-stained pants, phone records and tips, led detectives to the culprit.
Under the full moon, the upcoming episode of Oxygen’s Timeline: Secrets Uncovered will look at the Shauna Tiaffay case on Thursday, February 2, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. ET. According to the episode synopsis:
“When investigators caught the killer of a cocktail waitress and mother in Las Vegas, it became clear that the real investigation was just beginning.”
This post will dive deeper into some of the key aspects of the murder case.
Five fast facts about the death of Las Vegas cocktail waitress Shauna Tiaffay
1) In the weeks before her murder, Shauna Tiaffay’s house was broken into.
Shauna Tiaffay, 46, a cocktail waitress at the famous Palms Hotel Casino in Las Vegas, was living in a separate apartment in the Summerlin neighborhood of Las Vegas in 2012 when her marriage to firefighter husband George Tiaffay became strained. Madison, their eight-year-old daughter, is shared by the two. However, in early September, someone entered her apartment and stole her wedding ring, leaving her in shock.
2) George, Shauna’s estranged husband, finds her brutally beaten body and murder scene in her apartment.
Shauna Tiaffay was attacked after coming home from work early in the morning of September 29, 2012. According to reports, the guy was waiting at her house when she arrived. He then hit her with a hammer and didn’t stop until she died. The attack happened a few weeks after the theft.
Madison, who spent the night at her grandmother’s house, was picked up by George the next morning and driven to Shauna’s house. He then found her dead and a gruesome murder scene and called 911. According to the Mirror, George Tiaffay is said to have commented during the 911 call that morning,
“I think I should report the theft and murder.”
3) A trusted tip led detectives to a strange homeless man who confessed to the crime.
The killer was previously believed to be Shauna’s estranged husband, George Tiaffay. However, he gave credential alibi, saying he worked 24-hour shifts at the fire station before raising their daughter. Authorities then received a tip from a man who said his friend Noel Stevens, a former prisoner living in a tent outside the city, had confessed to killing the woman with a hammer.
When the police arrested him, they searched the area around his tent and found a pair of Shauna’s blood-stained pants. They also discovered a sticker with a barcode that matched a sticker depicting a hammer believed to be the weapon used in the murder. At the police station, Noel finally confessed to killing Shauna.
4) Using phone records, authorities were able to connect Noel Stevens and George Tiaffay.
Authorities searched Noel’s phone and discovered a contact named George. When asked who it was, he said: “That’s my firefighter friend.” It was later revealed that George Tiaffay had befriended Noel Stevens. Phone records show the two were in regular contact in the days leading up to Shauna’s death.
George is said to have convinced Noel to kill his estranged wife, Shauna Tiaffay, by giving him money in return. Eventually, detectives discovered CCTV evidence of the two suspects buying together the murder weapon, a hammer.
5) George Tiaffay, Shauna Tiaffay’s ex-husband, was prosecuted and convicted of her murder.
Noel Stevens, the alleged killer of Shauna, pleaded guilty in 2013 to avoid the death penalty and even agreed to testify against George Tiaffay, who has always maintained his innocence. George even got into a car accident while trying to escape before being caught. Authorities said it was a suicide attempt.
After Noel presented plenty of evidence about everything that happened leading up to Shauna Tiaffay’s gruesome murder, the jury found George guilty of first-degree murder and attempted murder in 2015. The father-of-one was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Meanwhile, the killer received prison sentences ranging from 42 years to life in prison.
Categories: Entertaintment
Source: HIS Education