U.S.
Florida man who killed parents and brother for cutting off his relationship with webcam model avoids death penalty
FLORIDA MAN WHO KILLED PARENTS AND BROTHER FOR CUTTING OFF HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH WEBCAM MODEL AVOIDS DEATH PENALTY
By Shane Croucher On 8/13/19 at 6:08 AM EDT
Florida man Grant Amato will not face the death penalty despite killing his parents and brother after they tried to stop his relationship with a webcam model in Bulgaria.PHOTO: SEMINOLE COUNTY PROSECUTOR
U.S. FLORIDAFLORIDA MAN CRIME
A Florida man who killed his family after they attempted to end his relationship with the Bulgarian camgirl he funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to has avoided the death penalty for three counts of first-degree murder.
Grant Amato, 30, of Chuluota, will instead spend life in prison without parole after Monday's verdict by the Seminole County courthouse jury, which decided after three hours of deliberations not to recommend a death sentence, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Amato shot dead his parents Chad Amato, 59, and Margaret Ann Amato, 61, as well as his brother Cody Amato, 31, at their home on January 24 following an argument about stealing the money he had sent to the webcam model.
He first shot his mother as she sat at her computer desk. He then waited for his father to return home from work to shoot him too. Finally, several hours later, he shot dead his brother, who had come by the house to visit.
"For over four hours, with the bodies of his dead mother and father in the house, the defendant waits for Cody to come home," prosecutor Stewart Stone told the court, the Sentinel reported. "By any definition of the word 'cold,' these murders were cold."
Amato had told police that his family gave him an ultimatum when they found out about his payments to the camera model, which was to seek treatment for internet and sex addiction or leave the family home.
Amato began a 60-day treatment program in Fort Lauderdale on December 22, but left before it was completed. Upon returning home, Amato's father gave him a list of rules to follow if he wanted to continue living there.
Among them was that he break off contact with the Bulgarian webcam performer. When Amato continued to stay in touch with her, he was asked to leave the home. Cody Amato's girlfriend told investigators that her boyfriend feared his brother would "kill everyone."
The killer had stolen $60,000 and guns from his brother and a further $150,000 from his father, including a loan taken out on his parents' house, Fox35 reported.
"It's so hard to go through the grieving process when there are multiple losses and uncertainty in the future," Jason Amato, the surviving brother, told the court, WESH reported. "Through all this, though, I'm a proud Amato, and I will rise up smarter and stronger than before."
The prosecutor described the 12-person jury's decision not to recommend the death penalty as "a matter of pure mercy," Fox35 reported.
"If you noticed, every single one of their findings was a yes. And the very last one was a no," Stone said. "It's very difficult to get 12 people to agree to impose the death penalty. It's a very difficult decision to do.
Florida man who killed parents and brother for cutting off his relationship with webcam model avoids death penalty
FLORIDA MAN WHO KILLED PARENTS AND BROTHER FOR CUTTING OFF HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH WEBCAM MODEL AVOIDS DEATH PENALTY
By Shane Croucher On 8/13/19 at 6:08 AM EDT
Florida man Grant Amato will not face the death penalty despite killing his parents and brother after they tried to stop his relationship with a webcam model in Bulgaria.PHOTO: SEMINOLE COUNTY PROSECUTOR
U.S. FLORIDAFLORIDA MAN CRIME
A Florida man who killed his family after they attempted to end his relationship with the Bulgarian camgirl he funneled hundreds of thousands of dollars to has avoided the death penalty for three counts of first-degree murder.
Grant Amato, 30, of Chuluota, will instead spend life in prison without parole after Monday's verdict by the Seminole County courthouse jury, which decided after three hours of deliberations not to recommend a death sentence, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Amato shot dead his parents Chad Amato, 59, and Margaret Ann Amato, 61, as well as his brother Cody Amato, 31, at their home on January 24 following an argument about stealing the money he had sent to the webcam model.
He first shot his mother as she sat at her computer desk. He then waited for his father to return home from work to shoot him too. Finally, several hours later, he shot dead his brother, who had come by the house to visit.
"For over four hours, with the bodies of his dead mother and father in the house, the defendant waits for Cody to come home," prosecutor Stewart Stone told the court, the Sentinel reported. "By any definition of the word 'cold,' these murders were cold."
Amato had told police that his family gave him an ultimatum when they found out about his payments to the camera model, which was to seek treatment for internet and sex addiction or leave the family home.
Amato began a 60-day treatment program in Fort Lauderdale on December 22, but left before it was completed. Upon returning home, Amato's father gave him a list of rules to follow if he wanted to continue living there.
Among them was that he break off contact with the Bulgarian webcam performer. When Amato continued to stay in touch with her, he was asked to leave the home. Cody Amato's girlfriend told investigators that her boyfriend feared his brother would "kill everyone."
The killer had stolen $60,000 and guns from his brother and a further $150,000 from his father, including a loan taken out on his parents' house, Fox35 reported.
"It's so hard to go through the grieving process when there are multiple losses and uncertainty in the future," Jason Amato, the surviving brother, told the court, WESH reported. "Through all this, though, I'm a proud Amato, and I will rise up smarter and stronger than before."
The prosecutor described the 12-person jury's decision not to recommend the death penalty as "a matter of pure mercy," Fox35 reported.
"If you noticed, every single one of their findings was a yes. And the very last one was a no," Stone said. "It's very difficult to get 12 people to agree to impose the death penalty. It's a very difficult decision to do.
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Well, off to the next simp
