How did police arrest Adam Matos? Details explored ahead of A&E's Taking the Stand

In September 2014, Adam Matos was found the prime suspect in four Hudson, Florida, killings. He was arrested days after he allegedly committed the murders when authorities issued an amber alert for his and Megan Brown's four-year-old autistic son, Tristan.

Adam Matos was arrested in a downtown Tampa hotel on September 5, one day after authorities reportedly discovered the decomposing bodies of the four victims from a field about a mile from the Brown family's rented Hudson home. He allegedly killed the four victims at their home on August 28.

An upcoming episode of Taking the Stand on A&E titled Adam Matos will discuss the horrific killings in detail this Thursday, January 19, 2023, at 10.01 pm ET. The synopsis reads:

"When an entire family is found in a decaying pile of bodies by the side of a Florida road, the hunt is on to find what police fear might be two more victims; a man and his son are found alive, launching a bizarre investigation."

This article will further dive into the specifics of the events that transpired in the days that followed.

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Alongside murdering his ex-girlfriend and her boyfriend, Adam Matos also killed the former's parents

Florida man Adam Matos was suspected of killing his ex-girlfriend Megan Brown, her parents, and her new boyfriend before fleeing with his autistic son, Tristan. He allegedly shot and bludgeoned his victims to death on August 28. Then, in the days that followed, Matos buried them with a shovel he bought with one of their debit cards.

Not long after, he was arrested at a motel and charged with four counts of first-degree murder. Authorities found the bodies decomposing in a roadside area close to the Hudson house where Matos resided with his son's mother and her parents—three of his four victims.

Megan Brown, Matos' 27-year-old ex-girlfriend and mother of his son, died from a gunshot wound to the head, similar to her 52-year-old father, Gregory Brown, who was also shot. However, her mother, Margaret Brown, was discovered with significant head injuries and a plastic bag covering her face, which likely caused asphyxiation. Meanwhile, the 37-year-old boyfriend, Nicholas Leonard, was bludgeoned to death.

According to reports, Matos took care of his autistic son in the days after he committed the murders. Before his arrest, he told neighbors that the family was away while using Margaret's credit card to purchase pizza for the four-year-old and a shovel he allegedly used to bury the bodies. Until then, he was living in the Brown family home with the bodies still present.

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Adam Matos was cornered by the police at the Floridan Palace Hotel

Authorities arrived at the Browns' residence on September 4 when a concerned friend called 911 after failing to get in touch with any family members. That same day, authorities found the maggot-covered, decaying bodies about a mile away from the house, after which the manhunt for Adam Matos started.

When police looked up the suspect's call records from August 28, they discovered 200 calls to Megan Brown and her mother between 7.49 am and 4.13 pm. Megan was last seen leaving her workplace that day at around 11 pm. At the same time, authorities also issued an amber alert for the former couple's son, which lasted for about 12 hours.

On September 5, Matos and Tristan arrived at the Floridan Palace Hotel early with the intention of traveling to the Florida Keys by bus later that day. However, Adam Matos was arrested soon after.

The authorities claimed that they tricked him into leaving his room on the 18th floor of the old hotel after learning that he had checked in using his real name. The police then arrested and charged him with four counts of first-degree murder.