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sentencing hearing, he said "I'm so sorry this had to happen" and begged the jury for mercy. Amati's lawyers had argued that his age warranted leniency, and said it would be unfair for him to be executed when his codefendants were walking free. The jury ultimately spared his life and recommended life in prison with the possibility of parole. Although the sentence was the absolute best case scenario for Amati, Bruce Dyer said he was satisfied. "To me, it would be a living hell to be in jail for 40 years," he said.
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206:. He and his family moved to Las Vegas in 1992. He graduated from Clark High School with honors in 1994. Amati was still in high school when he got a job as a telemarketer. During his murder trial, a doctor said he was highly intelligent, able to discern right from wrong, and exhibited many of the traits of
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At the scene, Amati cut his hand, leaving blood that police eventually collected and used to implicate him. In
October 1996, Amati, Sampson and James sold stolen guns to a dealer. Unknown to them, the buyer was an undercover policeman, and both Sampson and James were apprehended, while Amati remained
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Sampson was released from prison in August 1999. On
November 14, 2000, he robbed and burned down a Las Vegas convenience store. He cut the telephone lines to the store in an attempt to disable the alarm system, cut a hole in the roof to get inside, and cut the power lines to the store security
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During the trial, Amati claimed he only participated in the string of killings out of fear of
Sampson, and only went on the run since he thought no one would believe him even if he turned himself in. Amati was acquitted of killing Matta and Garcia, but found guilty of killing Dyer. During his
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On
February 27, 1998, Amati was officially added as number 452 on the FBI's ten most wanted list, and they subsequently took control over the case. It was found that in the two years Amati was a fugitive, he went under multiple pseudonyms including Anthony Ray Jones, Phillip D. Gitlitz, Debon
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at large. Their trailer was subsequently seized and searched by investigators, who uncovered the stolen weapons, which were eventually matched to the guns used to kill all three victims. Since Amati couldn't be located, his two accomplices remained in police custody until he was found.
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Amati's father, Charlie Amati, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing a peace officer for giving an officer a fraudulent license with a photo of Tony. He was sentenced to 12 months of conditional discharge and fined $ 200.
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Sampson faced a federal arson charge since the store was involved in interstate commerce. In 2002, he pleaded guilty to arson and sentenced to 150 months in prison. Sampson was released from prison on
December 11, 2012.
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Amati, Sampson and James were all charged with the murders, but because of evidence being withheld by the judge, Sampson and James' charges were dropped by the district attorney, but Amati's remained.
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cameras. However, Sampson missed one camera, which filmed him breaking into video poker machines, trying to drill open an ATM, and pouring lighter fluid around the store and lighting it on fire.
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Jurors said that while they believed Amati shot Dyer, they decided to spare his life due to the lack of other violent incidents in his life before and after the murders.
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In 1996, Sampson pleaded guilty to possession of stolen property and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, and was sentenced to 20 to 50 months in prison.
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In 1999, he stood trial, denying his guilt, claiming the murders were primarily committed by
Sampson and James, and that he himself never pulled the trigger.
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Thevenot, Carri Geer (22 April 2002). "UPDATE: Sampson, associate of killer in 1996 slaying, sentenced for torching store".
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on
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While Amati was at large, he was featured in an episode of the popular television program
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Restivito and Shane
William Wade. The FBI found that he was arrested multiple times in
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Days after the episode was broadcast, detectives received a tip from
516:"Ex-Herrin man wanted by FBI for murder may be in Southern Illinois"
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O'Connell, Peter (9 December 1999). "Life term chosen for Amati".
728:"Thrill killer gets 40 years in prison - Las Vegas Sun Newspaper"
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was brought in to find Amati's whereabouts and added him to the
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625:"Defendant in triple murder denies on stand he's a killer"
364:"Las Vegas slaying suspect makes FBI's 'Most Wanted' list"
485:"Tips on Amati abound after 'America's most wanted' airs"
677:"U.S. Attorney's Office - U.S. Department of Justice"
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813:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Nevada
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310:List of serial killers in the United States
194:with a minimum of 40 years served in 1999.
456:"Evidence ruling kills two murder charges"
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544:"Illinois man makes FBI most wanted list"
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423:"Thrill killer gets 40 years in prison"
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726:Radke, Jace; Gang, Bill (1999-12-09).
109:Attempted murder with a deadly weapon
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808:People convicted of murder by Nevada
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315:FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives, 1990s
788:American people convicted of murder
254:and arrested him without incident.
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773:1996 murders in the United States
675:Office (USAO), U. S. Attorney's.
291:Amati is serving his sentence at
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778:20th-century American criminals
701:"Jury lenient on thrill killer"
338:"Suspect used fake driver's ID"
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758:FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitives
208:obsessive–compulsive disorder
572:"Fugitive caught in Georgia"
293:Lovelock Correctional Center
37:FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive
305:List of homicides in Nevada
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818:Serial killers from Nevada
654:Las Vegas Review - Journal
398:Las Vegas Review - Journal
188:FBI's ten most wanted list
118:40 years to life in prison
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549:Belleville News-Democrat
798:Criminals from Illinois
783:American male criminals
606:. 1998-02-24. p. 3
577:The Southern Illinoisan
490:The Southern Illinoisan
262:Trial and imprisonment
16:American serial killer
460:Elko Daily Free Press
236:America's Most Wanted
204:Carbondale, Illinois
89:Carbondale, Illinois
707:. December 10, 1999
604:Southern Illinoisan
552:. February 23, 1998
372:. February 22, 1998
633:. December 3, 1999
521:The Daily Egyptian
493:. 25 February 1998
431:. December 9, 1999
344:. January 19, 1998
202:Amati was born in
51:Phillip D. Gitlitz
241:Southern Illinois
192:life imprisonment
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126:February 27, 1998
73:Anthony Ray Amati
48:Anthony Ray Jones
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735:. Retrieved
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600:"Tony Amati"
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584:December 14,
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768:1976 births
681:justice.gov
101:Convictions
64:Description
752:Categories
737:2022-02-24
686:2022-02-24
610:2022-02-24
321:References
198:Early life
79:1976-06-28
57:Shane Wade
803:Fugitives
662:260114741
406:260160457
180:Ray Amati
658:ProQuest
402:ProQuest
299:See also
156:Captured
252:Atlanta
248:Georgia
172:Anthony
115:Penalty
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139:Number
131:Caught
96:Status
91:, U.S.
123:Added
43:Alias
713:2021
639:2021
586:2021
558:2021
530:2021
499:2021
468:2021
437:2021
378:2021
350:2021
228:Utah
182:The
176:Tony
69:Born
184:FBI
142:452
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
