Pendleton, S.C. Couple Charged with Killing Four Family Members on Halloween
A South Carolina couple has been charged with killing four older family members in a gory 2015 Halloween attack in the victims' home.
Amy and Rosmore "Ross" Vilardi remained jailed Tuesday in Anderson County on four counts of murder each. They have a preliminary court hearing scheduled for Feb. 20.
The case hadn't been added to the state's online court records system as of Tuesday, and a spokesperson for the county sheriff's office said the agency has not identified an attorney who might speak on their behalf. In interviews with news outlets since the killings, the couple has said they are innocent.
During a news conference Friday to announce the charges, Sheriff Chad McBride declined to say why they were brought so long after the killings, adding that such details would be reserved for court.
"God bless this family. They've been through so much," McBride said. "They've waited for a long time."
The killings shocked Pendleton, a rural town of about 3,500 people in western South Carolina about 110 miles northeast of Atlanta.
Authorities described the crime scene where the victims were shot and stabbed as "horrifying" and one of the most gruesome cases that some investigators had ever encountered. Despite the widespread attention the killings received, no arrests were made until last week.
Shortly after the murders, Amy Vilardi, speaking to CBS Spartanburg, S.C. affiliate WSPA-TV, expressed that the victims were "kind-hearted individuals" who "would go to great lengths to help others. They did not deserve this."
The defendants and some of their other family members engaged in legal disputes over possessions and thousands of dollars in cash that were seized as evidence from the property. Eventually, these assets were divided among them in a settlement reached in 2021.
During the press conference, McBride commended his investigators and the other family members of the victims for their unwavering determination.
"I wish the families didn't have to endure this," McBride stated. "But I hope that today brings them some solace, as it marks the first step towards achieving justice."
