Bail granted to Seminole County man accused of killing parents, brother

SANFORD, Fla. — A 29-year-old man accused in the death of three family members could be allowed to leave jail.

Grant Amato is accused of killing his parents and his brother at their home in January after a dispute about him sending $200,000 of the family's money to a Bulgarian call girl.

Amato was granted a $750,000 bail Thursday afternoon.

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Jared Shapiro, Amato's defense attorney, said Thursday that although it is unusual for a suspect in three killings to receive bail, his client is entitled to it because he has cooperated with investigators.

"He was unemployed at the time of his arrest, and we're not aware of any significant assets that he has to post bond," Shapiro said.

Prosecutors said they had sought a $25 million bail because Amato is computer savvy and could create fake travel documents. They also cited the fact that he faces the death penalty if he is convicted.

"(The call girl) certainly is one incentive for him to leave this country and go to Bulgaria," Assistant State Attorney Stewart Stone said.

Defense attorney Jeff Dowdy said he sought a $150,000 bail because Amato did not flee after the slayings and he has cooperated with investigators.

"There is still no physical forensic evidence linking him to this crime," he said.

The judge asked whether Amato can afford to pay his bail.

"We're going to explore that," Dowdy said. "We know he does have family resources."

If Amato is released after paying bail, he will be forbidden from leaving Central Florida and from accessing computers or the internet, and he must wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor.

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