Judge: Amato’s ‘death god’ password hint can’t be mentioned during trial

Grant Amato’s use of a Japanese death deity as his email password hint can not be mentioned during his upcoming murder trial, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Shortly after he was booked into the Seminole County jail on charges he killed his parents and brother, Amato made his jail email password hint the word “Shinigami,” a fatedeciding Japanese god that is culturally equivalent to the Grim Reaper. Prosecutors had sought to use that against him, claiming Amato’s choice of a password hint was a manifestation of his state of mind shortly after his parents Chad and Margaret Amato and brother Cody Amato were found shot to death in their Chuluota home in January.

Amato testified about the password hint last month, claiming he’s used the word for years and was not aware of the Grim Reaper equivalency. Two of his friends later accused him of lying during his testimony.

In her ruling, Circuit Judge Jessica Recksiedler described prosecutors’ arguments against Amato as “merely speculative and prejudicial to the defendant.”

“The State is prohibited from mentioning the password or the password hint at trial, as there is no nexus between the password hint and the circumstances in this case, thereby making it irrelevant,” Recksiedler wrote.

The ruling was one of four handed down Tuesday.

Recksiedler also denied a second request from Amato’s lawyers to sequester jurors during the trial, and tossed two defense motions to suppress evidence gathered from Amato’s home and an interview with detectives the day after the bodies of his family members were found.

Amato’s lawyers claimed evidence found in the family’s Sultan Circle home was obtained illegally after a Seminole County sheriff’s deputy responded to the home because Cody Amato’s coworkers had reported him missing from work Jan. 25.

The deputy, Todd Moderson, testified about using a knife to open a back door after calling all members of the family on their phones, knocking on the door and using an air horn to get an answer from inside. Moderson said he walked into the home, not to collect evidence, but because he was concerned for Cody Amato’s well-being.

Amato has pleaded not guilty and faces the death penalty if convicted. His trial starts July 15.