Obsessed to Death: The Chilling Story of Grant Amato’s Fatal Infatuation
Night after night, Grant Amato sat glued to his family’s computer, entranced by a woman he had never met. “Silvie,” a Bulgarian webcam model, had become the center of his universe. With every dollar he spent—money stolen from his own family—he created a fantasy where he was rich, powerful, and loved. But when the lies crumbled and reality struck, it ended in a bloodbath that shocked the nation.
The Descent into Obsession
Amato’s spiral began after losing his job as a nurse. Aimless and adrift, he discovered the world of paid webcam models, where money could buy affection—or at least, the illusion of it. He fixated on Silvie, spending hours watching her dance and pose, sending lavish gifts to maintain her attention. The price tag? Nearly $200,000—money he didn’t have.
To fuel his obsession, Amato began stealing from his family. His father, Chad, and his brother, Cody, grew increasingly suspicious. At first, they tried to help. They enrolled him in rehab for internet and sex addiction. But the addiction ran too deep.
When Amato returned home in early 2019, his father gave him an ultimatum: Stop speaking to Silvie or leave the house. He chose neither. Instead, he chose murder.
A House of Horrors
On January 25, 2019, deputies in Chuluota, Florida, received a frantic call. Cody Amato had failed to show up for work—something unheard of for the dedicated nurse. His coworkers feared the worst.
When police arrived at the Amato home, they found a scene straight out of a nightmare. Cody lay dead on the floor, still in his nursing scrubs. His lunchbox sat nearby, untouched. Their mother, Margaret, was slumped in her desk chair, lifeless. Their father, Chad, was sprawled in the kitchen, executed with two gunshots to the head.
The crime scene had been staged. A gun was placed near Cody, as if to suggest a murder-suicide. But the details didn’t add up—shell casings at the scene didn’t match any weapons in the house. And Amato? He was nowhere to be found.
The Trial of a Killer
Police tracked Amato down days later. Calm and collected, he denied everything.
“No, I didn’t do any of this,” he insisted.
But the evidence told another story. Investigators discovered Amato had meticulously planned the murders. His father’s gun holster was positioned in a way that made it impossible for him to have drawn his own weapon. The murder weapon was never found, but the forensic inconsistencies made one thing clear: this was no murder-suicide. This was a cold-blooded execution.
In July 2019, a jury found Amato guilty of three counts of first-degree murder. Though prosecutors pushed for the death penalty, the jury sentenced him to life in prison without parole.
The Aftermath
Today, Grant Amato sits behind bars at the Tomoka Correctional Institution, still fighting to overturn his conviction. Meanwhile, his surviving brother, Jason Amato, struggles to comprehend the unimaginable loss of his entire family.
“Chad, Margaret, and Cody were amazing people,” he said in court. “One of the biggest things I miss is being able to talk to my mom.”
As for Silvie, her role in this twisted tragedy remains murky. She never testified. She may never have even known the lengths to which her most devoted admirer would go to keep her attention.
In the end, Grant Amato sacrificed everything—his family, his freedom, and his future—for a fantasy that never truly existed.
