ORLANDO, Fla. _ The Seminole-Brevard State Attorney's Office on Thursday signaled its intention to seek the death penalty against Grant Amato, the Chuluota man accused of killing his parents and brother last month.
Amato faces three counts of first-degree murder in the Jan. 25 shooting deaths of his father, Chad Amato, 59; mother, Margaret Amato, 61; and brother Cody Amato, 31.
In a court filing, State Attorney Phil Archer and Assistant State Attorney Stewart Stone say Amato killed his family "in a cold, calculated and premeditated murder without any pretense of moral or legal justification."
Authorities say Amato killed his parents and brother after he was kicked out of his home and accused of stealing $200,000 from his family to send to a woman he had met on a porn website.
Jeff Dowdy, Amato's lawyer, said that, while he anticipated the state seeking the death penalty, he still hasn't been presented with any forensic evidence tying Amato to the killings. For that reason, Dowdy is asking a judge to grant Amato pretrial release from the Seminole County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond.
A hearing on bond is slated for March 21.
