Who is raising shauna tiaffay daughter

LAS VEGAS — Family and friends of Shauna Tiaffay said her husband showed a pattern of abuse toward her, including demeaning her in front of their daughter and berating her over shopping purchases.

Shauna Tiaffay, 46, was found beaten to death in her Summerlin apartment Sept. 29. Her estranged husband, George Tiaffay, was arrested Wednesday in connection with her death.

Family members said George Tiaffay put Shauna through years of verbal and physical abuse.

They said they knew there was violence in the tumultuous marriage and wished they could have stepped in sooner.

With a bouquet of pink flowers, George Tiaffay appeared grief stricken at his wife’s funeral.

But those closest to Shauna Tiaffay said her husband was anything but loving.

“I really believe that on the inside, Shauna was very much in turmoil,” said her sister, Paula Stokes-Richards.

Stokes-Richards said the physical and verbal battles fought inside her sister’s home were well known to Shauna’s loved ones.

“When this tragedy happened, everyone who knows Shauna … was very aware of her situation with George,” Stokes-Richards said.

Shauna Tiaffay’s former live-in boyfriend said George abused Shauna in front of her daughter by degrading and demeaning her.

“He would say things about Shauna to (her daughter) with her present and directly antagonize her like, ‘your mom doesn’t love us’ with her right there,” said Alberto Rodriguez, Shauna’s former boyfriend.

Another friend said Shauna never knew what to expect from George from one day to the next.

“One day he’d be really, really nice to her and then she’d consider ‘Well, maybe I want to stay,’ and the next day it was a different story,” said Shauna’s friend, Stephanie. “It was Jekyll and Hyde.”

Safe Nest spokeswoman Lisa Lynn Chapman said many of those signs are key in identifying an abuser.

“If somebody is really nice and great at one moment and a split second yelling and screaming, that’s another sign to look for,” said Chapman, a domestic violence expert.

At the time of Shauna’s killing, the couple was married but not living together.

Chapman said when an abuser loses control of the situation, violence can be the result.

“Leaving is always the most dangerous time for a woman in domestic violence situation,” she said. “This is about power and control. And this is someone taking that power and control back.”

Investigators said George Tiaffay paid Noel Stevens to kill Shauna.

Shauna’s family and friends said George’s arrest in connection with Shauna’s death does not surprise them.

“I thought George was responsible … immediately,” Rodriguez said.

Added Stokes-Richards: “We were careful not to point fingers, but really in my gut and my heart, I’ve just known all this time that George was somehow involved.”

Chapman said victims should not stay in an abusive relationship, but should have a plan to get out safely.

Shauna Ann Castleton Tiaffay

Shauna Ann Castleton Tiaffay, of Las Vegas, returned to her Heavenly Father Saturday, Sept. 30, 2012. She was born March 13, 1966 in Salt Lake City. Her parents are William L. Thompson (deceased) and Nancy Rutter Thompson of Ogden, Utah. Shauna lived in Utah until 1978, then moved with her family to Broomall, Pa., and two years later moved again to Northern Virginia, where she attended Middle School and High School. She was a cheerleader and always had many friends. As a young girl she loved to draw, especially flowers. She also loved to read. She was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shauna moved to Las Vegas in 1994 and worked selling cosmetics at Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. A few years later, she began working as a cocktail waitress at the Fiesta and later moved to the Palms where she worked from opening day in 2001 until her death. Shauna is survived by her husband, George Miguel Tiaffay, whom she married March 16, 2006; and daughter, Madison Taylor Tiaffay of Las Vegas. She is also survived by her sister, Paula Castleton (John D.) Richards of Nashville, Tenn.; and five brothers, David R. (Sally) Castleton of Salt Lake City, Michael R. Castleton of Layton, Utah, Brian A. (Stephanie) Thompson of Ogden, Michael L. (Graciela) Thompson, of Boise, Idaho and John K. Thompson of Boise. Throughout her life, Shauna was always a very thoughtful, kind person. Over the years in Las Vegas, she surrounded herself with many friends who loved and adored her. She was famous for baking cupcakes for many of her co-workers' birthdays, and she truly lit up a room with her beautiful smile. She was a girly-girl inside and out, and loved anything pink. Shauna's greatest joy in life was her daughter Maddie. Everything she did revolved around her little girl. She was a wonderful, loving mother. Services will be at 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 6, with burial following, both at Palm Mortuary-Northwest, 6701 N. Jones Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89131. "Sweet Shauna, we will miss you dearly, but feel truly blessed to have had you touch our lives."

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