Ross and Amy Vilardi: South Carolina couple charged with killing four family members denied bond

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

SOUTH CAROLINA, US: Ross and Amy Vilardi face four murder charges involving family members, stemming from events in 2015. During the recent murder case hearing, the judge opted not to set bond on Saturday. 

In South Carolina, bonds for murder charges must be established by a circuit court judge, and this process may extend into the new year. 

The next hearing for the Vilardis is scheduled for February 20. The families of the victims have requested no bond, while Amy Vilardi has requested a release to be with her children.

Ross and Amy Vilardi arrested for killing family members

A married couple from South Carolina, Amy Vilardi and Rosmore “Ross” Vilardi, face charges in connection with the stabbing and shooting deaths of four family members.

The Halloween 2015 slayings of Cathy Scott, Michael Scott, Barbara Scott, and Violet Taylor resulted in four counts of murder for each of the accused. Police discovered the victims’ bodies on November 2, 2015, days after the tragic events.

The victims, who had been both stabbed and shot, included Amy Vilardi’s mother, father-in-law, grandmother-in-law, and maternal grandmother.

The Vilardis were arrested on Friday, December 15, after being identified as persons of interest in the case by the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in March.

Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride commented on the arrests at a press conference, stating, “I think we knew this day would come. You know it’s — I think we knew in the back of our mind, it was just, you know, there’s a lot of pieces to have to put together and just a lot of hard work and effort" as per Law&Crime.

What did Sheriff McBride say about the couple's murder?

Sheriff McBride expressed the gruesome nature of the murders during a press conference, describing the scene as senseless, brutal, and one of the worst encountered by law enforcement. 

At the time of the killings, the Vilardis resided on the same property as the victims, in a separate house on Refuge Road in Pendleton, a small town bordering Clemson, renowned for its NCAA football team.

McBride emphasized the case's significant impact on the county and its citizens, characterizing it as shocking and brutal saying, “It was brutal murders.”

The Vilardis provided media interviews following the incident. Amy Vilardi recounted the discovery, stating, "When I went to knock on the back door, the door just pushed open so I walked in and it was dark and I just flipped on the light and there they were." According to the Sheriff's coroner, there were no signs of breaking.

Sheriff McBride expressed relief that the day of legal action had arrived, noting that prayers had been answered. 

The defendants were denied bond during the initial hearing on Saturday morning and are currently held at the Anderson County Detention Center.

The South Carolina Attorney General’s Office is prosecuting the case, and as of now, no motive for the killings has been disclosed as per WTFF4.