Tonia Amato's mother Kathy has a blog titled Remembering Tonia. Here is her post for today:
"Today as I was with my friends for lunch the phone call came in from Lynn Grimshaw that we had been waiting for but dreading. Our son-in-law, JC Amato, has been arrested for the murder of our daughter, Tonia. All along I really didn't want to believe it. I almost wanted them to figure out that someone else had done it and that JC was just there. I know that is crazy but I didn't want to think that someone we tried so hard to get to know, to bring into our family and to care about, could commit this horrible act. According to the news he was already released on bond and he is under house arrest. I think I am still in a little bit of shock. We have been waiting and waiting and then all of a sudden, BOOM, the arrest happens, bail is decided and he is released. I guess a sense of relief that this part of the news is done with. We can at least go into the weekend without wondering what the new week will hold.I am so grateful that I was there with my friends, they immediately prayed with me and I was able to calm down enough to drive home. Rick and I made phone calls to all of our family and friends just to give them the news that we had. More will come up as time goes by.I don't think I know how I am truly feeling yet. Not sure how to even process this. I do know that we are not alone and that is unbelievably wonderful. Prayers are needed and felt by all of us!"
Posted by Tonia's Mom at 4:11 PM
Kathy I hope you don't mind that I copied & pasted your post. Thank you for your indulgence. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and the whole Brundage family as well as the Amato family. May the good Lord see all of you through all this.
Evidently J.C. was one of the 28 secret indictments out of the 39 the Grand Jury issued in their last session that we read about in today's papers. I'm sure the papers will be all over it in tomorrow's editions.
ole nib
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31 comments:
I am so disqusted. I am a huge Judge Pike fan, I think he is one of the finest people I know, but what was he thinking. Bail, $100,000. I pray Dr. Jack and his wife, that this nut doesn't shoot them in their sleep. It is great he was arrested, but not released. It makes me wonder, if he will ever see the indide of a jail cell, for something he did, and the rest of us still have to be worried that he is free. I don't care about his electronic device. When will we, and J.C. get what we deserve.
According to Mary Ann Greier's article in the morning paper there appears to be a conflict of opinion on the bonding compared to Billy Yost and East Liverpool's Andrew Irwin. For those two no bail was set until their arraignment and then it was much more than what J.C. got out on. J.C.'s arraignment is set for Feb. 28th. Grimshaw was quoted as saying he would have preferred to have waited until the arraignment to have bail set and also, he would have preferred a higher amount. My question is since Grimshaw lives in Scioto County was he present for Judge Pike's hearing on the motion for bail? Did the judge give the prosecution any say in the matter? We may never find out but the question of ethics for the timing and the amount of bail is certainly in mind. Maybe Mr. Grimshaw should consider requesting a change of venue before this case gets even more strange twists in it.
ole nib
The paper said Mr. Grimshaw was at the bail hearing by phone. He should have been there. For Gods Sake, it is a murder case. It was his job to be there, and to argue vigorously against bail. I dont have a lot of faith in him. Yes, he got the indictement, but he can't prosecute this case by phone. He lives in another county, but took this case, so show the hell up and work it.
That was a pretty low bail for a murder charge.
Tom Giambroni's article said that Mr. Grimshaw was on the phone with the court for the bail hearing. At least we know the prosecution was represented. From the sounds of it everything occurred pretty fast and the phone was about the only option for Grimshaw to get his word in. I have no problem with that. Also I imagine that he plans to be present for all scheduled events as this moves on.
ole nib
Having been screwed by a judge myself, this doesn't even surprise me. They do what they want, no rhyme, no reason, no justice.
This is a travesty of justice; $100,000 bail for a murder suspect when the last two murderers (one only a week or so prior to this one) had bail of $500,000 and $1 million?
How can they justify this ridiculously low bond?
This case has been strange since day-one and it continues to be. He has been given every kind of break possible and now this.
It's more than digusting. It's an embarassment to our county and I know one person who is sitting in jail on a HUGE bond for a lot less serious crime who should claim discrimination if that's possible.
He met the same criteria that Jc Amato's attorney said justified his low bond: county resident all his life, good job, good family. Yet he can't get out of jail cause his bond is too high.
Looks like Mr. Grimshaw kind of got pushed out of the loop on this one. Seems he really didn't have a big say in the bond from what I read.
Bail is not set to punish the accused, or to make sure the person doesn't get out of jail, but to make sure the accused person shows up for court. JC is obviously not a flight risk, or he would have left the area long before now. ANd given the attitude of the county, and people who are already convicting him before a shred of evidence is presented in court to a judge and jury, his attorney will be a fool not to move for a change of venue, and you know he or she will file for an appeal if a change of venue isn't given. They may well move the whole thing to Scioto County to be closer to Grimshaw. I can't see how they are ever going to seat a jury around here.
And as for Grimshaw, I don't know why they went so far away to get a prosecutor. Belmont County has a very good one and he wouldn't have the Amato connections, and it's only an hour away.
And as for the "confession," there are all kinds of legal reasons that could be thrown out. If it was made under coercion, or if JC was under the influence of drugs or alcohol and was not mentally capable of understanding his rights, yeah, that confession won't even be part of the trial.
What is the blog address for Tonia's mom's blog?
Also I can't find any reference to this case on the county court website (www.cclerk.org) just two for the doctor and one divorce for JC.
Wonder if its' going to be put out there for the public to read like everyone elses' case is?
I don't agree. I have a problem with that. Surely, he knew that Amato would want bail. He is going to have to do better than this. On another subject, the flood wall lights are broken and also not working again. I hope whoever is doing this is having a great time. People make me sick. That is the second light broken and the second time now things need repaired. I know its home,but people ought to treat it like it is their home.
Kathy Brundage's blog, Remembering Tonia, can be found at: http://www.rememberingtonia.blogspot.com/.
The arrest & bail setting only just happened this past Friday afternoon. Maybe it's too soon to see anything on the Clerk of Courts site. Imagine the person responsible for taking care of that is a Monday-Friday 8 to 5 employee. Give it time.
ole nib
legal eagle, how does his case, then, differ from Billy Yost or Andy Irwin? Neither one of them were necessarily a flight risk. Doubtful either one even had a car to escape in.
Same with a change of venue. They had the same amount of media coverage as Mr. Amato yet Irwin's trial was here and Yost's most likely would have been had he lived.
The person whose bond is so high I know would not have been a flight risk either.
It's who you know and how much money you have and no one will ever convince me differently.
Come on you people, Everyone is in shock about the low bail, but in my opinion, it's because everyone's in "the pocket" Who's pocket?? Think about it
I see JC still going to his house on commerce st everyday, like he has no house arrest!!!!!!!!!!
Billy Yost was obviously insane and they set his bail high because he could have gone off and done anything. Irwin did not have any serious local ties and could have walked away at any time, too.
Again, bail is not set as punishment, but to ensure that the defendant shows up in court. It's not a fine, it's not a sentence. It's a guarantee. And I still say, with all of JC's money, he could have taken off for another country at any time, but he didn't.
And you show me how the Yost or the Irwin trial had as much press coverage, and I'll give you a dollar. Because you can't. The Amato case brought in press from Pittsburgh...who didn't give a squat about the Yost or Irwin cases.
The Irwin and Yost cases don't compare, because nobody really knew who they were. However, everyone in the county knows Jack Amato. That's another reason they won't hold the trial here. The jury is already predisposed to come back with a guilty verdict, before a shred of evidence is presented. It is impossible to get a juror in Columbiana County who hasn't heard about this case, and even harder to find one who doesn't have an opinion.
If the case is tried here, it will be reversed upon appeal.
[Quote: Billy Yost was obviously insane and they set his bail high because he could have gone off and done anything. Irwin did not have any serious local ties]
I don't recall any evaluation showing that Billy Yost was insane...what you think a man who shoots his wife between the eyes and then calls his dad isn't just as questionable? I do believe Andy Irwin had a mom and dad living right here. His mom testified that she picked him up that day, I believe and his dad paid for his attorney, so THAT argument that he had no ties doesn't wash, either.
[Quote:It's a guarantee. And I still say, with all of JC's money, he could have taken off for another country at any time, but he didn't.]
That's because he wasn't charged and everyone was doing everything they could to KEEP him from being charged. Maybe now that he is actually charged with murder, he may look at little more closely at taking off. And he CAN, since he's out on such a low bail.
[Quote: The Irwin and Yost cases don't compare, because nobody really knew who they were. However, everyone in the county knows Jack Amato.]
Well, by God, I knew who they were and so did many other people in the county. Irwin's trial got as much publicity due to his outrageous attorney as any case I've ever read about, so don't tell me it wasn't well-publicized. Yost's probably would have received more publicity, too, as it went on, considering he killed his own father. I believe there was quite a bit of info put out there about his dad and what a saint he was, etc. which would have turned many people against his son, including potential jurors.
So, in other words, what you're saying, legal eagle is, since Mr. Amato is from a WELL-KNOWN family with money, he deserves to have his trial moved to another venue and given more of an opportunity for a fair trial than these pathetic UNKNOWNS whose dads are mill workers or veterans instead of doctors.
You're pathetic.
Is anyone else wondering if legaleagle's last name is Amato?
I think legaleagle has been watching Court TV and has no idea how it really works....lol
You folks would be very surprised at who I am. And no, I didn't get my degree from watching Court TV.
And as for not knowing how it works, sorry, it doesn't work from gossip, paranoia and innuendo, like these blog sites do.
Go ahead, guess. And no, my last name is definitely NOT Amato.
Legal Eagle is probably Dolly. She probably thinks she is an attorney because she is related to some, to their dislike.
I have to agree with many of the points made by legaleagle. You cant begin to compare the 3 cases. Herron never removed himself from any affiliation with the other 2 cases but did in the Amato case. A special prosecutor had to be brought in for this one...not the other 2. More people make a connection with the Amato name than they do with Yost or Irwin. I dont mean in passing like they were your former neighbor or classmate. Dr. Amato is well known throughout this county and has many ties in this county...so yes this trial should be moved elsewhere. I went to school with JC and always liked him. Thought he was a bit strange but I never thought that he was capable of this. I could never be a fair juror in this case. My heart breaks for what Tonia's family is going through and I also have compassion for JC's family. Dr. & Mrs. Amato have lost 2 sons and quite possibly a 3rd one. As a parent I feel awful for them. Yet I cant even begin to imagine what the Brundage family is going through.
Nope, opinion, I'm definitely not Dolly. Nor her son, if that's what you're thinking. But I do know the law, even if it doesn't agree with your pre-conceived notions of guilt or innocence.
[Quote:Herron never removed himself from any affiliation with the other 2 cases but did in the Amato case. A special prosecutor had to be brought in for this one...not the other 2. "
Has he removed himself from the case against Bob Morehead? Surely there is some sort of "relationship" between these two county employees?
Now the judge has removed himself due to a relationship with Dr. Amato.
But just because officials in the county know each other doesn't mean he would get any less fair a jury than the other two suspects (Irwin and Yost).
You might be surprised how many countians could care less about the Amato family, just because it's well known in Wellsville, meaning many potential jurors won't have any inside information into the case.
I've brought it up to friends of mine who live in other parts of the county and they have no real clue about the case, not having really paid that much attention to it in the headlines.
So, just because WELLSVILLE people know about about him and his case, that's not enough to get it moved to another area.
They can find 12 impartial people...IF they try.
Why should money keep anyone out of jail that murders someone. Why is money a deciding factor on who gets out of jail? It is really crazy if you think about it. In the words of Bob Dylan.."Money don't talk, it swears."
LEAVE J.C. AMATO ALONE! YOU'RE LUCKY THAT HE EVEN RESIDES IN THIS TOWN!
Hey Concerned Fan - Are you getting bored and trying to stir things up a bit? That's my guess.
Just out of curiosity how do you think J.C. will plead next week at his arraignment?
ole nib
This case is going to take years to settle, just watch.
Honestly "concerned fan" you really should keep your "mouth shut" or duck tape your fingers together so you can't type. You spouting that is absolutely ridiculous! Can we please look at the evidence and punish the guilty accordingly?
BTW, I'm in a totally different state and I THINK JC IS A NUTTER... stick that in your pipe and smoke it "concerned fan".
I think someone should subpoena the people that the Amato's talked with online. They would find that the reports would be she was not in a stable environment and that she knew a lot of hostility from her husband. I was shocked when the news broke on this event. Moving from someone that I talked with on the internet into a cruel reality unfolding before my eyes. There is no doubt this is a case where; "who you know works in your favor". When one is arrested and going on trial there should be a standard amount; and not one based on flight risk. That's pathetic and I'm sure just the surface of allowances for J.C.
This kind of indifference for the victim is what makes people take the law into their own hands. This is why there are movies that focus around mercy killing and causes kids labeled "Trench Coat Mafia" types(Columbine)to believe in a world where Justice is never served and Hope is nonexistent.
The truth is already known.
Despite the outcome the truth can never been denied; and maybe the guilt of living with doing something so awful, is a fate worse than death.
Blessings to the Family.
Does anyone know how I can get a hold of Tonia's parents? I can't seem to find anything online. My e-mail address is mrsoundman813@gmail.com I had talked with Tonia a few times before the "incident" and would like to share some things with them. This is important to me. I found out about all this today and it truly is tragic....
Thanks, please if you know let me know!
Soundman - Where have you been?
Tonia's mom has a blog. You can find it at http://www.rememberingtonia.blogspot.com/
The best I can do is an e-mail. It is toniainfo@gmail.com.
The live up in PA somewhere.
nib
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