Grant Amato trial: Crime scene investigator says marijuana, guns found in family home

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Guns, ammunition and marijuana were found along with the dead bodies of three family members in a Chuluota home in January, a crime scene investigator said during the second day of the trial of Grant Amato.

Prosecutors said Amato fatally shot his parents and his brother after a fight over $200,000 he sent a Bulgarian call girl.

On Wednesday, crime scene analyst Arthur Rubart testified that marijuana, guns and ammunition were found within the Amato home.

READ: Prosecutors: Man stayed at home for hours with bodies of parents, brother inside

Rubart said the marijuana found in the home appeared to be for personal use.

He also testified that it is possible to take a dead person’s fingerprint and access an iPhone.

Amato broke down in tears several times Wednesday as pictures of his brother's body were flashed onto a screen.

Christine Snyder, the Seminole County Sheriff's Office's crime scene manager, said Wednesday that the crime scene was bloody.

She said blood evidence was why they believe the bodies of Cody Amato and Chad Amato were moved after they were killed.

"There was a significant amount of blood under his head and to the right of his head," Snyder said. "When we cleaned up the blood, we could see the impact of the bullet was not under his head. It was over a couple tiles to the right of his body."

Snyder said Chad Amato's gun holster might have been placed on him after his death.

"It was in this position on his body, which was strange, because we learned from his son, Jason, that he was right-handed," she said. "So if you are carrying a firearm and you want to draw it quickly, you're going to grab it here. And the grip isn't in the right location."

Snyder said Chad Amato's cellphone was found plugged in, unlocked and sitting on a chair in the master bedroom.

Amato's surviving brother, Jason Amato, is expected to take the stand Thursday.

An FBI agent and a friend of Grant Amato and Cody Amato who traveled to Japan with them are also slated to testify Thursday.

#RightNow:Crime scene analyst Arthur Rubart testified that despite both Chad and Cody Amato’s bodies appeared to have been moved, and all the amount of blood, there was no bloody footprints of evidentiary value collected. #GrantAmatoTrial #WFTV pic.twitter.com/3vKiV2L7sa
— Jeff Levkulich (@jlevkulichWFTV) July 24, 2019

#RightNow: Deputy Chief Public Defwnder Jeff Dowdy is questioning crime scene analyst Arthur Rubart. Asking him why they didn’t check for fingerprints on door knobs and phones as well as why they didn’t check to see if there were additional tire tracks in the dirt driveway. pic.twitter.com/kOXtAuVGTk
— Jeff Levkulich (@jlevkulichWFTV) July 24, 2019

#RightNow: Crime scene tech testified that inside Cody Amato’s backpack was a cell phone charger and earbuds. No cellphone was located on Cody. Coworker testified yesterday that Cody always had his cell phone on him. #GrantAmatoTrial #WFTV pic.twitter.com/rmZ5arEViA
— Jeff Levkulich (@jlevkulichWFTV) July 24, 2019

#RightNow Day 2 of testimony is underway in the #GrantAmato death penalty trial. Amato accused of killing his parents and brother Cody. A crime scene tech is back on the stand. Amato broke down in tears as they put photos of Cody’s dead body on the screen.#WFTV pic.twitter.com/iqAw6Iv9NL
— Jeff Levkulich (@jlevkulichWFTV) July 24, 2019