Two years after triple murder, family still has questions

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — One of the men accused of killing a Charlotte family in 2011 could get out of jail.

A judge set bond for Joseph Amous, even after prosecutors gave gruesome details about the murders of a couple and their 4-year-old daughter.

A judge gave Amous a $100,000 bond on each of the three murder charges and a $20,000 bond for robbery with a dangerous weapon.

Family of the victims said they are still grieving two years later. In court, prosecutors described violent details of how the murders happened. They say Amous was part of the planning, execution and getaway.

"Why? It's just crazy," said Kenneth Graves, brother of one of the victims.

He still has questions about what happened inside his brother's Oak Meadow apartment in August 2011. Police found the bodies of Lorenzo Graves, his wife Cheryl and their daughter Ozzie.

Graves and his wife had been shot. Their daughter was found stabbed to death in the master bedroom. Prosecutors said she was trying to hide.

Graves said he knew his brother had drugs and guns but he doesn't know why the whole family was killed.

"Why? Why? Take the drugs take the guns whatever he had there. Leave them alone," Graves said. "Or at least leave the baby alone. There's no reason for you to go after her and she was upstairs so why even be up there with her?"

Amous, Linny Barcliff and Lorenzo White had planned to rob Graves of money, drugs and guns, according to warrants. Court documents also indicate they had talked about possibly needing to kill Graves because he had a gun.

Prosecutors linked Amous to the scene because he'd been charged with breaking into the same apartment two months before.

The other two suspects have not had a bond hearing.

WSOC