Murderer’s appeal rejected

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2004 | 9:37 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- The Nevada Supreme Court Tuesday rejected a second appeal by convicted murderer Tony Amati.

The court denied claims by Amati that his attorneys were ineffective.

Amati claimed his trial attorney failed to seek the removal of a juror, failed to object to instructions to the jury and did not interview possible defense witnesses. He claimed his lawyer on his first appeal to the Supreme Court failed to challenge the sufficiency of the evidence on his murder conviction.

Amati was convicted in March 2000 of first-degree murder with use of a deadly weapon and attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon. He was found guilty of the shooting death of Pizza Hut worker Keith Dyer and the wounding of Dyer's girlfriend Stacie Dooley in Las Vegas.

He was sentenced to two consecutive life terms with the possibility of parole in 20 years and two consecutive 96- to 210-month prison terms.

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