Amato's brother recalls hearing his family members were murdered

SANFORD, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - Jason Amato was on the witness stand on Friday, testifying in his brother, Grant Amato’s, murder trial. 

More than once he broke down on the stand when talking about his family, particularly his mother, Margaret.

“My mom loved horses and she had a horse in a barn down a dirt road behind the house. She made a lot of good friends there, and spent a lot of time with her horse and friends,” Jason said.

Jason’s mother, father, Chad, and brother, Cody, were all allegedly murdered by Grant after an argument over $200,000 that prosecutors say Grant gave to a Bulgarian webcam girl he met online. 

Jason talked about the day the murders happened.

“It was pretty scary,” he said. “[Police] came into the building and the whole building got shut down - police officers everywhere. They took me into a room, questioned me and later gave me very general details that there was a woman and two males in their 30s found in the house.”

Jason also talked about confronting his brother after the killings. 

“I just remember him mostly being silent and saying he understood how I felt. If you're asking if he denied any of my accusations, I only remember him saying he didn't have anything to do with it when I first walked in.”

Jason talked about a kind of contract he discovered later in their house, a written agreement between Grant and his father, Chad, about arrangements for living at home, especially when it came to the internet. 

“No more all-nighters online, limited TV, install a new modem for logging hard traffic use,” Jason said.

Jurors also heard from expert witnesses who analyzed the clothes and items in the hotel room where Grant was staying when deputies tracked him down.