Aaron Goodwin, the host of Ghost Adventures, had his wife Victoria Goodwin allegedly seek assistance from Grant Amato. Amato, known for committing a triple-murder in Florida that gained infamy in the true crime community, was approached by Victoria in an attempt to have her own husband killed, as stated by the police.
Victoria, 32, has been accused of plotting to murder Aaron, 48, last autumn in a scheme with an inmate in a Florida prison last fall, police said.
Victoria was taken into custody on March 6 under the charges of Solicitation to Commit Murder and Murder Conspiracy, as per the booking records in Clark County, Nevada.
Speaking to TMZ on Tuesday, Aaron expressed feeling completely taken aback by the situation. He has since obtained a restraining order against Victoria, mandating her to maintain distance and not communicate with him for the next three months.
Victoria appeared in court Tuesday to hear the charges against her, in the first legal hearing in what already appears to be one of the most sensational true crime cases in recent years.
And eerily, it is not Amato’s first foray into the true crime limelight, as he is currently serving a life sentence in a Florida prison facility in the 2019 triple shooting of his mother, father and brother.
Ghost Adventures host Aaron Goodwin’s wife Victoria Goodwin, 32, enlisted the help of Grant Amato – a triple-murderer who found true crime infamy after slaying his family in Florida six years ago – in her attempt to have her spouse, 48, murdered, police said.
It is not Amato’s first foray into the true crime limelight, as he is currently serving a life sentence in a Florida prison facility in the 2019 shooting of his family. Pictured in January 2019
Amato, a native of Chuluota, Florida, was found guilty by a jury of three counts of first-degree murder in the January 24, 2019 deaths of his parents Margaret and Chad Amato and brother Cody Amato.
The fatal shootings were spurred by the family’s efforts to stop Amato from communicating with a Bulgarian webcam model named Silvie who he was obsessed with, officials said, adding that Amato had stolen more than $200,000 from his late relatives to send to Silvie.
The jury did not recommend the death sentence in the case, but Amato – who denied committing the murders – received a life sentence, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Victoria was being held on $100,000 bail and remained in custody Monday evening in connection with her alleged plot against the Oregon-born Discovery Plus personality, who has more than 660,000 Instagram followers.
Victoria was arrested after authorities uncovered messages she exchanged with Amato, who she became aware of via a Paramount+ true crime documentary called CTRL+ALT+DESIRE.
Victoria began corresponding with Amato via letters, officials said.
Officials said Victoria initiated the criminal discussion with the inmate as she reviewed ways in which she could escape the marital union.
Police cited text records Victoria exchanged with Amato, saying that at one point she asked him of her murderous intentions: ‘Am I a bad person? Because I chose to end his existence. Not divorce.’
Their marriage itself eerily began when they exchanged vows at Disneyland’s The Haunted Mansion in Anaheim, California in August of 2022.
Amato was found guilty by a jury of three counts of first-degree murder in the January 24, 2019 deaths of his parents Margaret and Chad Amato and brother Cody Amato.
Victoria tried to get Aaron killed when he was on location taping his program with paranormal investigator Zak Bagans, according to the outlet. Dailymail.com has reached out to Bagans for comment on the story.
Victoria shared information of Aaron’s whereabouts as he filmed his show in California, authorities said. She committed to a deal in which she pledged to pay the hitman a total of $11,515, according to officials.
Amato, according to police, said to an associate, ‘He’s asleep right now in the hotel room … I need to know what’s going on. Can I get an update. Was it done?’
Police said that evidence exists Victoria committed to put a payment of $2,500 down for the murder of her spouse.
Police said that the criminal conduct was uncovered when the Amato’s phone was found and examined by prison officials in Florida, TMZ reported, citing law enforcement.
Victoria has denied trying to have Aaron murdered, police said, as she attributed the exchanges to ‘daydreaming or fantasizing about being without her husband.’
Police said Victoria denied wanting to have her spouse murdered, according to the outlet, and that she claims sending the illegal messages calling for the death of her significant other.
Victoria told officers that she sent money to the alleged hitman intending to provide him with cell phones, TMZ reported.
The pair were seen in Barbie-themed ensembles in a social media shot she posted in 2023
The couple initially exchanged vows in August of 2022 at Disneyland in Anaheim, California
More than two years later, police said Victoria initiated efforts to have her spouse murdered
Victoria admitted to police that she told the inmate her marriage was in distress.
Sources told TMZ that Aaron was ‘blindsided and devastated at this turn of events’ involving his wife, as he ‘thought he was in a happy marriage.’
Bagans told the outlet that it has been emotional for his colleague, and that he’s ‘trying to give him love and support.’
As news broke about Victoria’s arrest on Monday, fans of the TV personality flooded his Instagram pages with remarks expressing both support and shock over the alleged murder plot.
‘Sending you love and light Aaron you’re a great guy,’ said one user. ‘I met you many times in the early GAC days and you were always the nicest most genuine guy.
‘Keep your head up, you are amazing, and you are loved by your family, friends and fans. #OGGAC.’
Another said, ‘So glad you’re ok. What an awful thing for your wife to do. I’m so sorry.’
Said one user: ‘Love you G. I am sorry this is all happening,’ while another said, ‘Hoping the best for you.’
It appeared that the TV star was unaware of his wife’s alleged scheming even four months after when police said she communicated with the inmate about the murder plot, as he posted a picture on Instagram on Valentine’s Day from a miniature golf outing with his spouse
Multiple users marveled at the unusual nature of the story, as the pair appeared to have a decent relationship on the surface
It appeared that the TV star was unaware of his wife’s alleged scheming even four months after when police said she communicated with the inmate about the murder plot.
Aaron posted a picture on Instagram on Valentine’s Day from a miniature golf outing, captioning the image, ‘My valentine always beats me at mini golf.’
One user commented, ‘Well, this didn’t age well…’ while another said, ‘Is it true? Breaking news said she tried to hire someone to kill you..’
Said one user, ‘Aaron if you ever see this, I pray you are okay and well. My heart goes out to you. We must protect you at all costs!!’
Another added, ‘Damn so when did she get caught with murder to hire? wtf crazy.’
In addition to his Instagram account, Aaron also has more than 216.2K Followers on X/Twitter and 23.5K subscribers on his YouTube account.
He and Victoria were in a video titled ‘Kualoa Ranch tour with the Goodwin’s’ posted November 18, 2024 – after authorities said she was in talks to have him killed.
Victoria, who remains in custody, has more than 2,121 followers on her Instagram account, in which she describes herself in her bio as an ‘athlete’ and ‘Rare Illness + C-PTSD Warrior.’
As news broke about Victoria’s arrest on Monday, fans of the TV personality flooded his Instagram pages with remarks expressing both support and shock over the alleged murder plot
In a comment thread of her Valentine’s Day golf outing, one user commented, ‘See, THIS is a great example of why you shouldn’t believe what you see on social media!!! It can be a completely different story in real life…. Damn!!’
In a comment thread of her Valentine’s Day golf outing, one user commented, ‘See, THIS is a great example of why you shouldn’t believe what you see on social media!!! It can be a completely different story in real life…. Damn!!’
Said another user, ‘Aaron deserved so much better than you.’
Victoria in December appeared on the podcast Motivational Talks with Ash. Dailymail.com has reached out to podcast host Ashley Platt for further comment on the story.
According to iMDb, Aaron has also worked on shows such as Space Detective, Ghost Adventures: Aftershocks, Deadly Possessions and Crimps.
According to his bio page on Travelchannel.com, Goodwin has been ‘referred to by many as a teddy bear, or Zak’s bait of choice, Aaron actually hates to be left alone in attics (or just about anywhere). You can also expect to hear him say “dude!” about 20 times per episode.
‘Always armed with a camera, Aaron travels around the world with the team to record what they experience in each haunted location.’
A Travel Channel logline for Ghost Adventures Crew reads, ‘Learn about our investigators, Zak Bagans and Aaron Goodwin, as they interview eyewitnesses and historians at each haunted location, arming themselves with the stories of the ghosts they will later provoke and confront during their dusk-to-dawn lockdowns.’
