Jurors in Murder-for-Hire Trial Hear from Suspect's Father

The father of a Bloomfield, Connecticut woman who is accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill her ex-husband gave an emotional testimony on his daughter’s behalf on Monday and said Eric Stevens  put strain on the entire family.

Tiffany Stevens, 39, of Bloomfield, is accused of paying John McDaid $5,000 to kill Eric Stevens in 2012 during a child custody dispute with $50 million reportedly at stake, but her father, Edward Khalily, denied that a trust fund even exists.

Police started investigating after McDaid accepted money from Tiffany Stevens, but went to Eric Stevens with a recording of the conversation, according to police.

On Monday, a computer and technology expert testified that she could not tell if the tape given to police was edited.

Monique Ferraro, a computer and technology expert, testified that the audio recording was garbled and “low-quality,” which would allow for easier editing because the edits would not be as obvious.

Khalily has traveled from New York every day to be with his daughter and Monday testified about a history of violence in her marriage.

"Every time he was having a losing day in gambling. he would be breaking all chinaware and my daughter and grandchild would run into the bedroom and hide there," Khalily said.

The rage amplified when Tiffany was given custody of the couple's daughter, her father said.

He said his daughter sought treatment, was clean until 2012 and decided she did not want to be in a relationship with Eric because of abusive behavior.

While prosecutor claim that a fund worth millions is the reason Tiffany Stevens tried to hire a hit man, Khalily denied that there has ever been a $50 million trust fund for his granddaughter.

He also said his daughter is a great mother and he stands behind her 100 percent.

The closing arguments are scheduled for Wednesday.
 

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