The trial of Amy Vilardi, a South Carolina woman accused of murdering four members of her family in 2015, began Monday with opening statements. Vilardi and her husband, Rosmore Vilardi, were arrested in 2023 and each charged with four counts of murder in connection with the killings. The couple is being tried separately.
Prosecutors allege that the pair murdered Amy’s mother, Cathy Scott, 60, and stepfather, Terry Michael Scott, 59, along with her 82-year-old grandmother, Violet Taylor, and 80-year-old step-grandmother, Barbara Scott.
Brutal Crime Scene
According to testimony referenced by Anderson County Sheriff’s Office Detective Scotty Hill, three of the victims had their throats slit and were shot after death, while Amy’s mother was stabbed in the chest and shot while still alive. Hill previously described the attack as extremely aggressive and personal, saying it appeared to be carried out by someone “full of rage and hate.” Anderson County Sheriff Chad McBride called it one of the most horrific crime scenes he had encountered in his career.
Initially, deputies considered whether the deaths could have been a murder-suicide, but investigators ruled that out after closely examining the victims’ injuries.
Public Appeals and Financial Motive
It was Amy who alerted authorities to the deaths. In the weeks following the killings, she appeared on local news broadcasts pleading for the perpetrator to come forward. Investigators noted there were no signs of forced entry and nothing appeared to have been stolen from the home.
However, detectives later learned that one of the victims frequently kept large amounts of cash on hand and exchanged cash for gold — information known only within the family. As the investigation progressed, authorities discovered that Amy and her husband were facing serious financial problems. Their vehicles were reportedly close to being repossessed, and they were at risk of losing the building they rented for their business.
A search warrant executed at the couple’s trailer, located on the same property as the home where the bodies were found, led deputies to discover more than $65,000 in cash inside a safe, along with multiple firearms. Although the money and weapons were seized, none of the firearms matched the weapon used in the killings, leaving investigators without sufficient evidence at the time to secure arrest warrants.
Arrest and Charges
The case remained unsolved for eight years. In 2023, just weeks after the slayings were featured on the Unsolved Mysteries podcast, authorities arrested Amy and Rosmore Vilardi and charged them with four counts of murder each.
Amy Vilardi has pleaded not guilty and faces a potential life sentence if convicted. A trial date has not yet been set for her husband.
