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Shauna Tiaffay, a 46-year-old Las Vegas strip cocktail waitress and also a mother-of-one, was beaten to death with a hammer over a decade ago, in 2012, inside her suburban apartment. She was viciously attacked by a man waiting for her arrival in the early morning hours of September 29 while her eight-year-old daughter was at her grandmother's.
Tiaffay's estranged and respected firefighter husband George was eventually convicted in the case, along with a homeless man and ex-con named Noel Stevens he reportedly hired to commit the crime. A string of evidence, including a pair of blood-covered trousers, phone records, and a tip, led authorities to the perpetrators.
An upcoming episode of Oxygen's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will chronicle Shauna Tiaffay's case in an episode titled Under a Full Moon, which re-airs this Thursday, February 2, 2023, at 7:00 pm ET. The synopsis for the episode states:
"When detectives track down the killer of a Las Vegas cocktail waitress and mother, it becomes clear that the investigation has just begun."
This article will further delve into a few key details from the murder case.
Shauna Tiaffay case: Five quick facts to know about the murder of the Las Vegas cocktail waitress
1) Shauna Tiaffay's house was broken into in the weeks leading up to her murder
In 2012, Shauna Tiaffay, 46, who worked as a cocktail waitress at the famous Palms Hotel Casino on the Las Vegas strip, was living in a separate apartment located in the Summerlin suburb of Las Vegas after her marriage to her firefighter husband George Tiaffay became strained. The two shared custody of their eight-year-old daughter, Madison.
However, in early September, someone broke into her apartment and stole her wedding ring—an incident that shook her from the inside.
2) Shauna's badly beaten body and the crime scene at her apartment were discovered by the estranged husband George
Shauna Tiaffay was attacked during the early morning hours of September 29, 2012, after she returned home from work. Reports stated that a man was already waiting inside her home when she arrived. He then attacked her using a hammer and only stopped when she was dead. The attack took place a few weeks after the break-in incident.
Her daughter Madison, who spent the night at her grandmother's, was picked up by George the following morning and headed over to Shauna's. He then discovered her body, as well as the grisly crime scene, and called 911.
According to the Mirror, in the 911 call made that morning, George Tiaffay reportedly said,
"I think I need to report a break-in and a murder."
3) A solid tip led authorities to a strange homeless man who then confessed to the murder
Authorities initially suspected Shauna's estranged husband, George Tiaffay, as the killer. However, he provided a solid alibi, claiming that he was on a 24-hour shift at the fire station before picking up their daughter. Authorities subsequently received a critical tip from a man who stated that his friend Noel Stevens, an ex-con living outside the city in a tent, had confessed to killing a woman with a hammer.
When authorities arrested him, they investigated the area next to the tent where he lived and discovered a pair of his pants that were covered in Shauna's blood. They also found a barcode sticker that matched one for a hammer, the suspected murder weapon. Noel eventually admitted to murdering Shauna at the police station.
4) Authorities were able to draw links between Noel Stevens and George Tiaffay using phone records
Upon examination, authorities found a contact under the name George on Noel's phone. When asked who that was, he stated that "that’s my friend the firefighter." It was eventually revealed that George Tiaffay had befriended Noel Stevens. Phone records further revealed that the two men had been in constant touch in the days leading up to Shauna's murder.
It was alleged that George persuaded Noel to kill his estranged wife, Shauna Tiaffay, by promising him money in exchange. Lastly, authorities also discovered CCTV footage of the two suspects together shopping for the murder weapon, a hammer.
5) Shauna Tiaffay's estranged husband George was charged and convicted in her murder
Noel Stevens, the reported hitman in Shauna's murder case, pleaded guilty in 2013 to avoid the death penalty and even consented to testify against George Tiaffay, who adamantly maintained his innocence. Prior to his arrest, George even got into a car accident while attempting to flee. Authorities alleged that the incident was an attempt to die by suicide.
In 2015, George was found guilty of first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder by a jury after Noel gave detailed testimony about all that transpired that ultimately ended with Shauna Tiaffay's brutal murder. The father-of-one was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Meanwhile, the hitman was sentenced to 42 years to life in prison.
