Florida man killed family after fight over $200,000 he sent to online ‘girlfriend,’ cops say
Posted on 05/15/2019 12:30:34 PM PDT by Gamecock
A Florida man who police said killed his brother and parents has been trying to get assistance in his legal fight against the charges, seeking the help of a millionaire or a news station.
Amato was arrested in January after allegedly slaughtering his family members.
He has not taken well to jail and has tried offering interviews for money to help pay his $750,000 bond, according to emails obtained by the Orlando Sentinel.
In an email dated May 11 sent to Colin Archdeacon, a video journalist based in New York, Amato said that he needed help securing money to meet the bond.
Judge sets Grant Amato's bond at $750,000. He is not to have any access with computers or anything involving data. Ordered to wear GPS monitor and can travel only to the following counties: Brevard, Volusia, Orange, and Lake. Can't have contact with brother.
“It seems to be my half-brother’s mission to make my life that much harder by not believing me, communicating with me, or helping me; even after I was blessed with a very high bond,” Amato wrote, adding that his situation “still remains as depressing as the day I found out what happened at my home and my subsequent wrongful arrest and incarceration.”
In another message to Dave McDaniel, a reporter for WESH, Amato said he would grant an in-depth interview if he was able to leave jail.
“I just want to feel the sun again, feel the breeze on my skin … feel the simple pleasures every innocent man feels,” Amato wrote.
Amato asked McDaniel and another local reporter, Vanessa Araiza of WKMG, if their companies could give him anything in exchange for an interview. In the message to Archdeacon, he asked the video journalist if he happened to know any wealthy people who could help.
“If you happen to know any millionaires who would like to post my bond, I’d be eternally grateful and I’d give exclusive rights for you to my story,” he wrote, according to WKMG.
The Murders
According to an arrest affidavit, Amato plotted to kill mother Margaret Ann Amato, 61, father Chad Amato, 59, and Cody Amato, his 31-year-old brother.
Investigator Daniel Anderson wrote in the affidavit that the bodies were found after Cody Amato missed work, which his employer said he’d never done before.
Sloan Young, Cody Amato’s girlfriend, told police that over the past few months there had been problems with Grant Amato and that he’d stolen $60,000 from his brother in addition to guns that he later sold. Cody Amato had told Young he was afraid that his brother was going to kill everyone.
The family later discovered that Grant Amato, after getting kicked out of nurse anesthetist school, got into a relationship with a female from Bulgaria and used the stolen money to contact the girl through a pornographic website. He also lost his job after stealing drugs from his boss.
The night before the death, Young told an investigator that she was at work with her boyfriend when Cody Amato told her that his father had called and asked him to go to the family home because something was wrong. He left. About 30 minutes later, she texted him and he replied that everything was fine, and she didn’t need to worry about him. She never heard from him again.
Jason Amato, the half-brother of Cody and Grant, also told police about the Bulgarian call girl. He said that Grant Amato had stolen $150,000 from Chad Amato in addition to some $50,000 from Cody Amato.
Grant Amato eventually surrendered to police and has pleaded not guilty.
Looks like a gallows bird . . .
May he never see the light of day again.
“He has not taken well to jail ...”
Huh. Imagine that.
‘“I just want to feel the sun again, feel the breeze on my skin … feel the simple pleasures every innocent man feels,” Amato wrote.’
Gee, I wonder if the relatives you killed might also want that?
Since I believe in the presumption of innocence, I am only going to say that Florida Man would be much much wiser to work on raising money for his defense. He needs to worry about paying for a good lawyer to keep him out of prison, and not waste the money on bail.
Florida Man! Always thinking outside the box.
Huh. Imagine that.
If people took well to jail, they wouldn't need to have locks, iron bars, walls, razor wire, guard towers, etc.
Give him some sympathy. The poor guy is an orphan.
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