The short side of the love triangle. That is what prompted a former Meriden man to hatch a murder-for-hire plot that killed three people, a prosecutor argued Thursday while delivering closing arguments.
Prosecutor Dennis O'Connor alleged that Benedetto Cipriani hired others to kill Robert Stears so he could be with Stears' wife. He made his closing argument in Hartford Superior Court on Thursday.
Stears, his business partner Barry Rossi and auto mechanic Lorne Stevens were shot to death in Windsor Locks in 2003.
Cipriani's lawyer told the jury there was no evidence linking Cipriani to the killings, and the testimony of other defendants wasn't to be believed because they had leniency deals with the state.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
