SANFORD, Fla. — A judge in Seminole County granted bond Thursday for a Chuluota man accused of killing his family over a dispute about a an online call girl.
- Grant Amato was arrested in January for killing parents, brother
- Amato's attorneys ask for $150,000 bond; prosecutors wanted $25M
- PREVIOUS STORY: Chuluota Man Accused of Killing Parents, Brother Pleads Not Guilty
The judge set bond for Grant Amato, 29, at $750,000, $250,000 for each count of murder. He was also told he cannot have access to computers or online data, and no contact with witnesses. He must wear a monitoring device and he must remain in Central Florida.
Another stipulation bars Amato from using any money from the Amato family estate. He's also required to forfeit his passport.
“The judge had ruled in the previous hearing that the state did not meet their burden, and that is that the proof is not evident,” public defender Jeff Dowdy said. “It wasn’t presumptuous that he would be convicted, that’s a reasonable doubt standard. So that is up in the air and he has still maintained his innocence.”
Amato was arrested in January after his parents and his brother were all found shot to death inside their Chuluota home.
Investigators say Amato had been feuding with his family since they learned he stole $200,000 to interact with an online call girl from Bulgaria. Investigators say Amato's parents told him he could stay in the home if he stopped contacting her, and he was kicked out when he was caught trying to talk to her.
Amato's attorneys had asked for $150,000 bond, while prosecutors had requested $25 million.
Dowdy also said Thursday afternoon that he is unsure if Amato will have the ability to come up with the money to bail out.
Dowdy claims that from everything they have been given to review this case there is still no forensic evidence linking Grant Amato to this crime.
Spectrum News spoke to Amato's brother Jason after the hearing. When asked if he would be bailing his brother out, he said no.