‘Ctrl+Alt+Desire’: Grant Amato Murder Case Examined in Paramount+ True Crime Docuseries

The new true crime docuseries, Ctrl+Alt+Desire, on Paramount+ focuses on Grant Amato and the murder of his mom, dad and brother. Grant was ultimately convicted for the killings, but the series takes a closer look at what happened behind the scenes in the murder case, including how Grant’s addiction to the internet spiraled out of control.

Who Is Grant Amato?

Grant had a seemingly normal upbringing in Chuluota, Florida, where he lived with his mother Margaret, father Chad and older brother Cody. He also had an older half brother, Jason, who didn’t live in the home. Grant and Cody were incredibly close and attended both high school and college together, where they decided to study nursing.

While Cody successfully graduated from the nurse anesthetist program, Grant dropped out. He eventually began working as a nurse at a local hospital, but was soon fired after being suspected of stealing prescription medications and improperly administering ​medicine to patients.

According to The Orlando Sentinel, prosecutors believed that Grant’s firing caused him to fall into a deep depression. The Florida native began to spend all his time online gaming and viewing pornography. Grant eventually became obsessed with a live cam model by the name of Silvie.

Inside Grant Amato’s Relationship With ​Silvie

Even though ​Silvie charged Grant hundreds of thousands of dollars to interact with her through her live feed, he was convinced that their relationship was one of true love. However, Grant didn’t have enough money of his own to keep paying ​Silvie and he began stealing from his parents.

“My relationship with Silvie was like a buoy in the ocean,” Grant said in a phone confessional included in the docuseries. “I was not successful at the time. I had lost a lot of traction with my family, my career goals, my life path. She didn’t know all the negatives that were going on in my life, so I could just get lost in that relationship.”

Grant ultimately put more than $200,000 on his family members’ stolen credit cards.

When Margaret and Chad discovered the theft, they sent Grant to live with his aunt Donna Amato. Eventually, Grant began stealing from Donna as well. Margaret and Chad convinced Donna to not press charges and they took Grant to a rehabilitation center focused on helping those with pornography and internet addictions in December 2018.

When Grant was released in January 2019, his parents allowed him to move back home under the condition that he no longer contacted Silvie, as well as get a job, hand over his guns and attend therapy. It wasn’t long before Chad discovered that Grant had used Margaret’s cell phone to contact the Bulgarian model and they decided to kick him out of the home.

What Did Grant Amato Do?

On January 29, 2019, a day after Grant was kicked out of his parents’ home, police discovered the bodies of Margaret, Chad and Cody. All three had been shot “execution style” and the scene was set up to look as though Cody was behind the killings in a murder-suicide pact.

Grant denied having any part in the murders, but ​half-brother Jason felt as though Grant’s story didn’t add up. Detectives eventually arrested him and charged him with three counts of first-degree murder. Jason testified for the prosecution at the trial and on July 31, 2019, Grant was found guilty of all charges. He was sentenced with life in prison for each count and was given no possibility of parole.

Grant Amato Was Involved in the Making of ‘Ctrl+Alt+Desire’

Grant tells his side of the story in Ctrl+Alt+Desire, with ” a gripping profile of obsession, loneliness, and family turmoil” further detailed by director Colin Archdeacon, who shares a close relationship with Grant. Ctrl+Alt+Desire can be streamed on Paramount+.