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The cold-blooded assault that brought Ben Amato to his death is the focus of the new episode of Killer Relationship With Faith Jenkins. Amato's ex-girlfriend, Cheryl Ann Kunkle, smashed his skull with a baseball bat over child custody issues brewing between the ex-couple.
The Killer Relationship With Faith Jenkins episode 3 of season 3 titled Unlucky In Love, chronicles the murder of Ben Amato. The episode aired on August 31, 2024, on Oxygen. The official synopsis reads:
"Firefighter Ben Amato is callously murdered, but the case goes cold; a jailhouse snitch, critical clue and seemingly unrelated homicide expose a sinister plot as investigators stay on the trail of a heartless killer."
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911 call, Ben Amato's autopsy report, mysterious stains, and more details about the murder
1) Ben Amato was found dead at the bottom of the stairs
On November 16, 2001, Ben Amato's neighbor dialed 911 to request a welfare check at his home after receiving no response from Amato. The Morning Call reported that Amato was not seen around for a couple of days and his car had been in the driveway all the while.
Besides, Ben Amato's dogs were left out on the porch. The Pennsylvania State Police arrived at the Chestnuthill Township home to find Amato lying in a puddle of his blood at the bottom of the stairs in his utility room.
2) The crime scene had no signs of forced entry
The authorities had initially assumed that Amato had an accidental fall down the stairs which led to his death. There had been no signs of forced entry or struggle which would imply a home invasion by a stranger. However, the nature of the crime changed almost immediately as the detectives discovered a bloody boot print at the head of the stairs.
As stated in the episode, the boot print did not match Amato's shoes. In addition, there was an orange stain on the wall, which looked like it was created by a mace. The most shocking evidence came when 42 impact marks were found on the walls and the ceiling.
3) The autopsy report suggested that Amato suffered multiple blunt-force trauma
As the investigators began their due process to determine if he had been thrown down the stairs, the autopsy report revealed multiple blunt force trauma to the head, according to The Morning Call. Amato's skull had been smashed in three different areas, which led the coroner's office to believe that he was beaten with a baton or a baseball bat.
By this time, the detectives knew that this case was not going to be as straightforward as they had expected it to be. Consequently, they struggled to arrive at a suspect in the case.
4) Amato's ex-girlfriend, Cheryl Ann Kunkle, had contracted a hit on him, unsuccessfully
As the detectives went about interrogating Benjamin Amato's known associates, they found that he had allegedly been living on his social security from his ex-girlfriend, Cheryl Ann Kunkle. As per the Pocono Record, an analysis of Amato's financial records stated the opposite as he possessed $500,000 in cash or liquid assets jointly with his mother.
The detectives also found that Kunkle had lodged a home invasion report against April Steinhauser, Kunkle's brother's ex-girlfriend, and Nathaniel Evans, April's ex-boyfriend. An inquiry into the report three months before the murder led to the discovery of a failed murder-for-hire plot for Amato, wherein Kunkle paid the duo $1,500 upfront and promised $1,500 more for killing Ben Amato.
5) Cheryl Ann Kunkle was sentenced to prison for life for the murder
The lack of evidence led the case to turn cold in the following months. However, the double murder of Kristin Fisher and her 7-month-old daughter, Kaylee, brought Gregory Rowe to the police. Rowe gave crucial information about Amato's murder case, revealing that he was the son of Kunkle. Gregory Rowe stated to the police that he had driven Kunkle to Amato's house on the night the crime took place.
Gregory took the stand at Kunkle's trial and shared that Kunkle had confessed to him about killing Ben Amato with a baseball bat. The Morning Call reported that Cheryl Ann Kunkle was sentenced to life in prison with no parole in June 2007.
