Within the continuation of a Cold Justice two-part particular, Kelly Siegler and the Anderson County Sheriff’s Workplace examine the quadruple murder of a married couple and their aged moms discovered lifeless of their rural Anderson County, South Carolina, dwelling. On October 31, 2015, Cathy and Mike Scott, in addition to Violet Taylor, 82, and Barbara Scott, 80, had been all brutally stabbed after which shot after the victims had been lifeless.
New witness statements and serial numbers of money believed to have been taken from the house start to position suspicion on Cathy’s daughter, Amy Vilardi, 32, and her then-new husband, Ross Vilardi, 28. On the time, the Vilardis — who lived subsequent door to the Scotts — had a unstable relationship with the victims, one stuffed with loss of life threats and Amy reportedly utilizing her youngsters in opposition to their doting grandparents, as detailed in Chilly Justice Season 7, Episode 10.
“After the murders, I’m simply not the identical,” stated Mike Scott’s sister and Barbara Scott’s daughter, Pam Isbell, within the latest episode. “I’ve spent the final eight years ready for some form of justice.”
Do not miss the most recent in true crime:
Mom of 2 Vanishes After Harrowing Phone Call with Best Friend: “He’s Gonna Kill Me”
16-Year-Old Skylar Neese Killed By Friends in Tragic Betrayal: “We Just Didn’t Like Her”
Ace Poker Player Beaten to Death, Dumped in Las Vegas Hotel Stairwell By Gambler with Debts
A Monetary Motive
Following the stunning quadruple murder, investigators discovered about $67,000 in money inside Amy and Ross Vilardi’s dwelling, which sat lower than 50 yards from the Scott residence. The couple, who’d married only one week earlier than the murders, claimed it was their life financial savings and monies saved from their pet grooming enterprise, Types for Miles Pet Spa.
Hannah Schneider, Amy’s cousin and former worker on the Pendleton-based enterprise, stated the couple had been experiencing monetary troubles. It was so unhealthy, Schneider claimed, that her paychecks recurrently got here up quick.
“Each morning I obtained there, I’d test the voicemails, test the cellphone calls, and there have been invoice collectors calling and leaving voicemails such as you wouldn’t imagine,” Schneider stated.
Schneider advised Kelly Siegler and Employees Sergeant Scotty Hill of the Anderson County Sheriff’s Workplace (A.C.S.O.) that she was fired from Types for Miles only a month or two earlier than the murders after she confronted them about not being paid for her work. She additionally claimed she noticed a big, military-style knife in Amy’s car, which drew suspicion because it was believed that whoever killed the victims used a army knife.
Schneider confirmed Amy and Cathy had been “all the time” combating over cash. As mentioned within the first a part of the Chilly Justice particular, Amy and her mom and stepfather had a falling out on the Fourth of July 2015 after the dad and mom took subject with how Amy raised her two younger youngsters.
“They had been always arguing, combating, screaming at one another,” stated the cousin about Amy and her mom.
One other Types for Miles worker, Rocksy Vorhies, stated Amy was the “choice maker” in her relationship with Ross and Amy had a deep-seated hatred for her mom as a result of Cathy took her organic father off life assist following a tragic incident when he was crushed by a automotive.
“If true, then their tense relationship makes much more sense,” stated Kelly Siegler.
A Forensic Examination Into Funds and Damning Texts
With the assistance of digital forensic knowledgeable Eric Devlin, the Chilly Justice crew — together with A.C.S.O. Detective Tyler Duncan — dug deep into Amy and Ross Vilardi’s monetary information. In 2013, about two years earlier than the murders, Ross acquired a considerable amount of cash from a army incapacity settlement to the tune of about $25,000. The couple additionally collected about $17,000 from their pet grooming enterprise and acquired one other 5 grand from a tax refund.
By early 2014, they’d spent $14,000 on a truck, one other roughly $5,800 on a Ford Mustang, and about $15,000 on two Harley-Davidson bikes.
That very same 12 months, they solely raked in about $2,700 in earnings from Types for Miles.
“It seems like Amy and Ross spent cash as quick as they earned it, and a 12 months earlier than the homicide, they made lower than $3,000 from their enterprise,” stated Murder Investigator Steve Spingola. “That’s not quite a bit, particularly for a household of 4, together with Amy’s two children.”
In 2015, the identical 12 months the Scotts and their moms had been viciously killed, the Vilardis made about $27,000, which nonetheless couldn’t account for the $67,000 discovered inside their trailer following the murders. Serial numbers from the payments discovered within the Vilardis’ possession matched the payments that Mike Scott had in his dwelling earlier than he was murdered.
According to Siegler, even with out the matching serial numbers, the cash simply “didn’t add up.”
“They’re broke,” Siegler added.
RELATED: 16-Year-Old Dancer Found Stabbed to Death in Her Own Home: “Hug Your Children”
Whereas investigators believed they discovered a monetary motive, texts from 2015 between Amy and Ross additionally positioned them excessive on their suspect listing. Cellphone information reviewed by Devlin corroborated the Vilardis’ earlier statements that they had been dwelling on the time of the murders.
On September 4, 2015, Ross despatched his spouse a textual content stating, “Hunny please don’t spend any more cash, we solely have $40 left within the enterprise account.” In an Oct. 15, 2015, textual content from Amy to Ross, Amy said that individuals had been “on the store elevating hell concerning the hire.”
“What would you want me to say to them, babe?” Ross responded. “I imply, for the time being, we don’t have the cash.”
On Oct. 22, 2015, simply 9 days earlier than the murders, each mentioned needing to present somebody $7,000 by November 1. Investigators couldn’t perceive how they anticipated to return throughout such a big sum.
“That’s proof of premeditation and, come to consider it, so is arranging to have your children out of city,” stated Siegler.
On the night time of the murders, at 8:36 p.m., Amy texted Ross: “Everyone seems to be up now and speaking hahaha take my automotive and seize a six-pack.”
Detectives puzzled if Amy was referring to her next-door relations.
Days later, on Nov. 5, 2015, Amy texted, “Hey babe, we have to go forward and run.”
A.C.S.O. detectives and Siegler reviewed surveillance video from a comfort retailer, exhibiting Ross on a beer run at 9:38 p.m. on Halloween night time. However most damning, cameras caught him sporting crimson ASICS Speedstar sneakers, the identical fashion shoe that left prints within the blood on the crime scene, one thing Siegler referred to as an “superb” discovery.
As coated within the first half of the Chilly Justice particular, the bloody shoe prints on the crime scene may solely belong to somebody current for the murders.
“The perfect half is, there have been drops of blood seen on prime of these shoe prints, so that they weren’t from somebody strolling by means of the scene afterward,” Siegler maintained. “They belonged to Mike, Cathy, Barbara, and Violet’s killer.”
Ross’s Contradicting Statements to Chilly Justice
Spingola and Duncan visited the Vilardis at their dwelling, hoping to talk with every suspect individually. First, they introduced Ross into their car, the place Ross defined he had a “good relationship” with Cathy and Mike. He admitted, nonetheless, that issues grew to become “sideways” following the July 4, 2015, struggle between Amy and her dad and mom.
Within the interview, Ross claimed his dad and mom watched the children after the Vilardis married on Oct. 24 and that he and Amy picked them again up on Halloween night time.
“Ross’s story doesn’t match what he and Amy advised police: that they had been dwelling on the night time of the murders just some yards away from the crime scene,” stated Inv. Spingola. “And it doesn’t match the mobile phone location information both.”
Spingola believed Ross was making an attempt to “concoct a brand new alibi” and shift focus to different suspects by telling police that Mike had enterprise dealings with “fairly shady” up to now, and that Mike’s sister, Pam, stood to achieve cash within the occasion of her brother’s loss of life.
Ross steered detectives “observe the cash.”
He additionally denied ever going into the home on Halloween night time, and when requested concerning the cash present in his trailer, he stated it was “actually” his and Amy’s life financial savings.
“Nothing out of Ross’s mouth is in line with the proof,” stated Spingola.
However earlier than confronting Ross about his contradicting statements, Duncan and Spingola wished to talk with Amy, whom Duncan later stated was a bit of extra “standoffish” than her husband.
RELATED: Texas Man Pleads Guilty in Murder Case Investigated on Cold Justice
Amy’s Statements to Investigators
Amy refused to get into the automotive with the investigators however agreed to reply their questions whereas smoking a cigarette exterior her dwelling. In response to questions on her relationship with Cathy and Mike, Amy stated her stepfather “wasn’t a pleasant individual in any respect,” and although Cathy was “not a horrible individual,” she was “prickly,” if something.
“I drove myself fairly loopy for about a few years later there, and I’ve chosen to step away, and I’ve obtained to be wholesome, and I’ve obtained children, and I’ve obtained a life to reside, and it’s anyone else [who’s] dropped the ball,” Amy advised investigators. “It’s not on me anymore.”
Spingola and Duncan agreed to not press Amy too laborious earlier than they may communicate with Ross in personal one final time. This time, they confronted him with the surveillance video on the comfort retailer on the night time of the murders. Ross confirmed he wore the ASICS sneakers however had “no thought” what got here of them.
The detectives advised Ross they believed he was behind the quadruple murders.
Ross talked by means of the “finest case situations” if he had been to cooperate with authorities, however in the end determined he wished a lawyer.
As Spingola and Duncan drove away, Duncan remarked that Ross stated it finest when suggesting investigators “observe the cash” as a result of it led proper again to the Vilardis.
Investigators make their first arrests within the case
Poring over the proof, which included monetary and mobile phone information, the shoe prints on the crime scene, the conflicting statements, their unstable relationships with the victims, and a few of Mike’s money discovered within the Vilardi trailer, investigators believed they’d sufficient to current the case to the Lawyer Basic.
Days after detectives and Spingola interviewed the suspects, Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride introduced the arrests of Amy and Ross Vilardi for homicide.
Eight years after the ugly crimes, the victims’ family members, together with Pam Isbell, may really feel a way of aid.
“I’m undecided what I’m feeling proper now. Grateful, excited, I simply have so many feelings,” Isbell advised Chilly Justice. “It’s that day that we’ve all hoped for, that we’ve all prayed for, that we’ve all believed in the future was coming, but it surely’s unreal.”
Amy and Ross Vilardi had been charged with 4 counts of homicide and are at present awaiting trial. In February 2024, an Anderson County decide denied each suspects bond, in line with NBC Greenville affiliate WYFF.
Watch episodes of Cold Justice, airing Saturdays at 8/7c on Oxygen.
