A Florida homeowner has been charged with murder after he allegedly massacred a family of four, including two children ages 5 and 6, and burned their bodies in his backyard bonfire.
According to the affidavit obtained from the Clark County Clerk's Office, Pasco County deputies began searching for Rain Mancini, 26, Phillip Zilliot II, 25, Karma Zilliot, 6, and Phillip, 5 years. Zilliot III after a request for social control on June 13.
The concerned resident called police after his brother said Rory Atwood, 25, had called him and asked him to help him burn trash.
The brother told the caller that he saw a pool of blood and could see “adult and child bodies” during the video call, according to the affidavit.
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Rain Mancini was last seen on June 12. (Pasco County Sheriff's Office)
When law enforcement arrived at Atwood's home in Hudson, Florida, she allegedly assured police she had “no knowledge” of the family's disappearance.
He told police the family left the property on June 12, according to the affidavit.
The next day, authorities received a call from a man who claimed Atwood had “admitted to killing his roommates and his children,” according to the affidavit.
Karma and Phillip Zilliot, along with their parents, were last seen on June 12 in Hudson, Florida. (Pasco County Sheriff's Office)
Investigators spoke again with Atwood, who said she had kicked the family out for nonpayment of rent, even though the family's belongings were still inside the rented home.
During a search of the property, officers discovered a fire pit in the backyard with various burnt debris at the base.
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A cadaver dog pulled “small skeletal remains,” soft tissue and two human vertebrae from the fire pit, authorities said.
There was also a “strong odor” of bleach around the front porch, according to the affidavit.
Atwood later told detectives that she had evicted the family from their home on June 1 because they were not paying rent, but the family arrived “unexpectedly” on the night of June 12, according to the affidavit.
Atwood claimed the couple entered his bedroom, where he and his 4-year-old daughter were, with knives. He said he got into a fight with Phillip Zilliot II when Mancini stabbed his daughter's neck with a knife, according to the affidavit.
Phillip Zilliot II and his family were last seen on June 12 in Hudson, Florida. (Pasco County Sheriff's Office)
During the fight, Atwood claimed that Phillip Zilliot II pulled out a gun and that Mancini was shot several times during a struggle over the gun.
Atwood claimed she redirected the gun at Phillip Zilliot II and pulled the trigger, killing him, investigators said.
The affidavit said Atwood “did not disclose” how the two children died, but claimed that Phillip Zilliot II and Mancini had killed her two children.
Atwood then allegedly dragged the family of four, along with a blood-covered couch and the gun used in the incident, to her fire pit where the contents were burned.
“The defendant informed his affiant that he did not remember cleaning the interior of the residence, but if he did, he would have thrown the towels and/or cleaning supplies into the fire,” the affidavit states.
Rory Atwood was charged with murder after officers searching for a missing family found human remains on their property. (Pasco County Sheriff's Office)
Despite Atwood's story of self-defense, detectives said their investigation led them to believe Atwood caused the premeditated murder of Phillip Zilliot and Mancini and then tried to cover it up by discarding evidence.
“During a post-Miranda interview, the defendant admitted to being involved in the deaths of both adult victims and admitted knowing that both minors [Phillip Zilliot III and Karma Zilliot] were also burned in the same fire pit,” the affidavit says.
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The Pasco County Sheriff's Office said Atwood was charged with first-degree murder and other charges are pending as the investigation continues.
The remains have not yet been formally identified.
Atwood pleaded not guilty. He is being held without bail, according to court records.
