Naman Shrestha
In January 2019, the upscale Amato residence became a crime scene as three members of the family — Cody, Chad, and Margaret Amato — passed away suddenly. The news of the gruesome homicides sent shockwaves across the entire community. When the detectives began looking for answers, they uncovered familial tensions and a love affair with a foreign webcam model that played a part in the murders. All the intricate details of the case and the investigation that ensued are covered in the episode titled ‘First To Die’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Homicide Hunter: American Detective With Lt. Joe Kenda.’
Cody, Chad, and Margaret Amato Were Found Dead in Different Rooms of Their Home
Born on July 27, 1959, Chad Robert Amato was raised in Florida, where he met the love of his life, Margaret Anne Wade, another Florida resident born on July 11, 1957. The two got together and eventually tied the knot, making their relationship official under the law. Through their union, they gave birth to two sons — Cody Winston Amato and Grant Amato. Margaret also had another son, Jason Amato, from a previous relationship. While Chad was a clinical pharmacist, Margaret was a senior operations manager. Born on September 22, 1987, Cody was raised in Chuluota and went to Timber Creek High School, where he joined the weightlifting team. After graduating from high school, Cody followed in his parents’ footsteps and decided to pursue a career in the medical field.
Thus, he pursued a degree in nursing at the University of Central Florida before enrolling in a nurse anesthetist program. By 2019, Cody had been working as a nurse anesthetist at a local hospital in Florida. When he failed to show up for work on the morning of January 25, 2019, his colleagues became concerned for his well-being and requested a wellness check. Upon arriving at the Amato home around 9:17 am, they went inside and found a gruesome crime scene. The officers found 59-year-old Chad deceased on the kitchen floor, with two gunshot wounds to his head and a gun holstered on his hip. His 61-year-old wife, Margaret, was located in the home office area, slumped over her chair with a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
As for their 31-year-old son, Cody, he was found dead in a fetal position in the entryway between the garage and the gym area with a gunshot wound to his face. They also spotted a 9mm pistol near his remains. The police found no signs of forced entry or a struggle, and concluded that the crime scene appeared to be staged. During the search of the property, they found many firearms, including shotguns, rifles, and pistols, but not the murder weapon. The medical examiner concluded that the cause of death for each individual was gunshot wounds and also noted how all of Chad’s fingers were covered in blood except for his right index finger, leaving more unanswered questions for the detectives.
Cody, Chad, and Margaret Amato Were Killed By Someone Close to Them
As part of the investigation, the detectives interviewed the Amato family’s loved ones, including Cody’s girlfriend. She told them that the night before their remains were found, Cody received a call regarding a problem at his home. According to her, he left work immediately and headed home. She also claimed that the Amato household was unstable, primarily because of Cody’s brother, Grant, who also lived there. Since he was nowhere to be found when the police arrived, they began searching for him. As they dug into his background, they learned that he was also a nurse but had lost his job for allegedly overdosing his patient in 2018. After losing the job, he reportedly spiraled and began interacting with a Bulgarian cam girl named Silvie. In order to attend her video sessions and buy her expensive gifts, Grant allegedly began using his brother’s and father’s money, totaling approximately $200,000.
When Chad learned about it, he admitted him to a rehabilitation center in Fort Lauderdale in order to provide him with therapy and treatment. Although he returned home after a week of treatment, his father allowed him to stay at the house if he focused on getting a job, paying back the money he stole, and staying off the computer. Disregarding Chad’s conditions, Grant reportedly continued interacting with Silvie. Following another heated altercation with his father, Grant, armed with an IWI Jericho 941 pistol that he stole from a friend, shot his mother on the night of January 24, 2019. After Chad arrived, Grant shot him twice before convincing Cody to come home from his nursing shift. As soon as his brother entered the house, he shot him to death. Before fleeing the crime scene, Grant tried to stage it as a murder-suicide by placing a gun near Cody’s remains.
The detectives began tracking the suspect, whom they found at a DoubleTree Hotel in Orange County, Florida, on January 26, 2019, after identifying his 1996 Honda Accord. He was taken into custody without incident and interrogated about his involvement in the triple homicide. Not only did he deny his involvement, but he also tried to frame his brother Cody for killing his family and himself. Since they lacked enough evidence to arrest him, the authorities let him go but continued surveilling him. After digging deep into his cell phone records, they learned that on the fateful night, he spent $599 to join Silvie’s private video session after stealing money from his late father’s phone. Thus, he was arrested and charged with three counts of first-degree murder.
Grant Amato is Currently Incarcerated at a Florida Prison
A few months later, Grant Amato’s trial got underway on July 15, 2019. The prosecution called crime scene analysts to highlight the things that were out of place at the scene. Meanwhile, the defense argued that the defendant was not responsible for the crimes. Grant’s brother, Jason, also testified against him. After nearly a month of testimonies, the jury deliberated and found Grant guilty of all the charges against him on August 12, 2019. Ultimately, he received a life imprisonment sentence for each charge. The convict took the stand and stated, “My family has been blaming me for months for ruining their lives, stealing, and not following the rules of the home, so I might as well be blamed for this too.”
In 2025, Grant was allegedly involved in a romantic and sexual relationship with a woman named Victoria Goodwin through text messages. She reportedly hired a hitman to have her husband, Aaron Goodwin, killed. Although no charges against Grant were reported, she received an imprisonment sentence for her crime. As of today, 57-year-old Grant Amato is serving his sentence at Hardee Correctional Institution in Bowling Green, Florida.
