SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — A Seminole County man accused of killing both of his parents and one of his brothers tried to get the case tossed out of court Wednesday..
- Grant Amato denied bond during court hearing
- He's charged in January slayings of parents, brother
- RELATED:
Prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty against Grant Amato, whose three family members were found shot in their Chuluota home January 25.
During Wednesday's hearing at the Seminole County Courthouse in Sanford, the state showed a taped conversation between Grant Amato and another brother, Jason, the day after his mother, father, and brother Cody were found dead.
"I need to know what happened to my mother, father and my brother Cody," Jason Amato says in an interview room at the Seminole County Sheriff's Office.
During the 16-minute conversation, Jason also says, "I want to believe you, Grant," following questions as to whether Grant knew or did anything to his family.
At the end of the video, the brothers hug through sobs.
Grant Amato claimed he had nothing to do with the triple homicide. He sat motionless in court Wednesday, never glancing at his family in court.
The state, not holding back, painted Grant Amato as the killer.
"Everything points to the defendant in this case, and nobody else," Assistant State Attorney Stewart Stone said. "He was with the victims the last night of their lives; he acknowledges the opportunity and motive to kill the victims."
The victims — father Chad Amato, mother Margaret, and brother, Cody — were found murdered inside the family's home on Sultan Circle.
"Judge, there has been absolutely no, nothing, not a scintilla of physical evidence that links him to these murders," public defender Jeff Dowdy said of Grant Amato, who entered a plea of not guilty.
The judge denied bond and said the case will move forward.
"We just don’t think the state met that burden," Dowdy said. "We respect the judge's decision, and we will proceed to trial."
Dowdy said he has video surveillance of Grant Amato going to a job interview on the morning of the murders. And according to Dowdy, the state has not given his defense team a time of death for the murders.
Grant is next due in court May 15.