Dressed in jail orange and with his hair pulled back in a pony tail, Jack Amato, Jr. returned to court Friday, where he was sentenced to eight years in jail for killing his wife, Tonia, in 2007.
In January, he pleaded guilty to the charge as well as an unrelated weapons charge. Sitting nearby in the courtroom were the victim's parents, holding hands and willing to forgive.
"The Lord doesn't rank sins," said Rich Brundage, Tonia's father.
Initially, Amato claimed he shot his wife in self defense and told authorities she had fired at him during an argument at their home in Wellsville. That was an explanation other relatives never accepted.
Since the defendant's father is Columbiana County's Health Board chairman, local prosecutors recused themselves from the case to avoid any potential conflict of interest. They called in a former prosecutor from Wheelersburg who negotiated the plea deal for a voluntary manslaughter charge and a recommended eight-year sentence.
Attorney Lynn Grimshaw called the agreement "probably the best outcome all the way around for everybody concerned."
"I'm never satisfied when someone's life is lost because you can't bring that person back," said Grimshaw.
While the victim's parents were satisfied with the agreement, it's not sitting well with other relatives. One aunt called it "horrible" and "a pittance."
In court, Amato apologized for what he did. As a sign of their own faith, the Brundages gave their son-in-law a Bible to take with him to prison.
"My prayer is that he reads it," said Tonia's mother, Kathy Brundage.
Although the special prosecutor told the judge he was fairly confident his witnesses and evidence could disprove Amato's claims of self defense, he also admitted the case had taken twists and turns.
As for the victim's parents, they still consider Amato part of their family, too. They said they will pray for him while he's in prison, confident God will be the final judge.
