Florida man confesses to killing wife, 3 kids and dog
Bodies found by deputies serving separate warrant
ORLANDO, Fla. — A central Florida man confessed to killing his wife and three children after their bodies were found inside the family’s Celebration home this week, Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson said Wednesday.
Anthony John Todt, 44, faces firstdegree murder charges for the killings of his wife, 42-year-old Megan Todt, and their three kids: Alek, 13; Tyler, 11; and Zoe, 4. Mr. Todt is also facing a charge of felony animal cruelty for killing the family’s dog, Breezy, the sheriff said at an afternoon news conference.
Deputies went to the home on Reserve Place about 9 a.m. Monday to assist federal agents in arresting Mr. Todt on a fraud warrant, which is when they found the four bodies inside. Ms. Todt and her children are believed to have been killed “sometime toward the end of December,” Sheriff Gibson said.
“It brings me great sadness to report such a tragedy and we grieve with the victims’ family and friends, along with the community, for this tragic loss of innocent life,” Sheriff Gibson said. “Myself, I cannot understand what would cause a person to commit such evil and horrendous acts.”
He added, “But I can say that if there’s any one person or any family out there that’s going through a crisis or a difficult situation, there’s help out there for you.”
Soon after the news conference, detectives led Mr. Todt, in handcuffs and a white jumpsuit, from the Sheriff’s Office Administration Building to a patrol car to be taken to the county jail. He remained silent and looked away as reporters shouted questions.
Even before the names were made public Wednesday, neighbors and family members in both Celebration and Colchester, Conn., where they had lived for years and worked as physical therapists, were already mourning the slain Todts. Relatives had launched a Facebook group days before the bodies were found to search for information about the family, who they said had not been heard from since Jan. 6.
Sheriff Gibson said he didn’t know Mr. Todt’s motive for killing his family. He wouldn’t say how the family was killed.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of the decedents,” Sheriff Gibson said. “This is despicable and cannot be tolerated anywhere. … We will work these cases to the end.”
Court records across three states made clear that he had been facing mounting financial pressure, and he is also currently the subject of both state and federal fraud investigations. The federal arrest warrant for Mr. Todt was issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General for charges of health care fraud, according spokeswoman Tesia Williams.
After detaining Mr. Todt on the federal warrant, Sheriff Gibson said investigators conducted a safety check at the home, finding Mr. Todt’s four dead family members, as well as the family dog. The sheriff said during Wednesday’s news conference he did not know in which part of the home the bodies were found.
Sheriff Gibson said the Sheriff’s Office had done a welfare check on the Todt family home Dec. 29, but did not get an answer at the door and did not see anything suspicious around or near the home.