Anastasia Nicolazzi

And of course, investigators cannot use a person's silence against them. But if a person is confronted with something that awful and shocking, sometimes a glaring silence, at least out of the courtroom, can start to feel like a tacit admission of guilt.

And of course, investigators cannot use a person's silence against them. But if a person is confronted with something that awful and shocking, sometimes a glaring silence, at least out of the courtroom, can start to feel like a tacit admission of guilt.

But while the circumstantial evidence against him was substantial, including his history of conflict with his parents, his financial motive, and his lack of a strong alibi, there still wasn't any direct evidence to either tie him to the crime scene or disprove his alibi.

But while the circumstantial evidence against him was substantial, including his history of conflict with his parents, his financial motive, and his lack of a strong alibi, there still wasn't any direct evidence to either tie him to the crime scene or disprove his alibi.

And this is another one of those examples where sometimes the pace of criminal justice can seem frustratingly slow. But as a prosecutor, I can tell you it is crucial to first gather enough evidence and also to manage the ticking clock between arrest and trial.

And this is another one of those examples where sometimes the pace of criminal justice can seem frustratingly slow. But as a prosecutor, I can tell you it is crucial to first gather enough evidence and also to manage the ticking clock between arrest and trial.

According to the arrest affidavit, Grant Amato's response was that his family had been blaming him for ruining their lives, stealing and not following the rules of their home. So he might as well, quote, be blamed for this too.

According to the arrest affidavit, Grant Amato's response was that his family had been blaming him for ruining their lives, stealing and not following the rules of their home. So he might as well, quote, be blamed for this too.

So essentially, the prosecution was still collecting evidence in the immediate lead up to the actual trial. Not uncommon at all. But here it was also trying to gather the pieces of evidence that might prove pivotal in that trial. So talk about a ticking clock.

So essentially, the prosecution was still collecting evidence in the immediate lead up to the actual trial. Not uncommon at all. But here it was also trying to gather the pieces of evidence that might prove pivotal in that trial. So talk about a ticking clock.

There was even disturbing evidence that hours after he had returned home, Chad Amato's fingerprint had been used to access his bank account. The implications? That his son Grant had pressed his dead father's finger to his phone to access his money. It's almost too horrible to imagine.

There was even disturbing evidence that hours after he had returned home, Chad Amato's fingerprint had been used to access his bank account. The implications? That his son Grant had pressed his dead father's finger to his phone to access his money. It's almost too horrible to imagine.

But it wasn't all digital forensics that was pointing to Grant Amato's guilt. Because just before the start of the trial, investigators finally made the most important discovery of all, the murder weapon.

But it wasn't all digital forensics that was pointing to Grant Amato's guilt. Because just before the start of the trial, investigators finally made the most important discovery of all, the murder weapon.

The gun that had disappeared belonged to a friend of Grant's, and its ammunition was a match to the projectiles found at the crime scene.

The gun that had disappeared belonged to a friend of Grant's, and its ammunition was a match to the projectiles found at the crime scene.

So given both the physical and circumstantial evidence collected, what did the prosecution believe happened on January 24th, 2019 at the Amato home?

So given both the physical and circumstantial evidence collected, what did the prosecution believe happened on January 24th, 2019 at the Amato home?

Just to stop for a moment here, the wonders of technology never cease to amaze me. Just think about this, Scott. Your watch or your phone can now accurately paint a picture of not only your day, but down to the path you walk and the number of steps you take.

Just to stop for a moment here, the wonders of technology never cease to amaze me. Just think about this, Scott. Your watch or your phone can now accurately paint a picture of not only your day, but down to the path you walk and the number of steps you take.