4 CT FAMILY MEMBERS FEARED DEAD IN FLORIDA
Suspect in custody as Colchester copes with ‘shocking and heartbreaking’ news
It’s been more than 24 hours since four people were found dead in a Florida home near Walt Disney World on Monday, and by Tuesday there were more questions than answers.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Office announced Monday morning a “death investigation” at 202 Reserve Place in Celebration, Fla. Police were alerted by a neighbor that the children and family dog hadn’t been seen for days.
Law enforcement confirmed that four bodies were found inside the central Florida home and one person was in custody.
The identities of the dead won’t be released until the medical examiner conducts autopsies, said a spokesman for the sheriff’s office, Jacob Ruiz.
Police did not indicate how the people found dead were killed or what charges the person in custody could face.
“All parties involved with this investigation are accounted for,” Sheriff Russ Gibson said during a brief news conference Tuesday. He did not answer reporters’ questions about the investigation.
Neighbors told WESH 2 in Orlando that the man taken into custody was the father of the family that lived in the house.
The station reported that, through Osceola County court records, it determined the home where the bodies were found was leased by Tony and Megan Todt, originally from Colchester.
While the investigation continues in Florida, officials in Colchester urged residents to come together and offer support after a missing local family was tied to the discovery of the bodies.
In a statement, Colchester First Selectman Mary Bylone called the news out of Florida “regarding a Colchester family” shocking and heartbreaking.
“While there is much we do not know at this time, I know that the thoughts and prayers of our entire community are with the relatives and friends of the family involved,” Bylone added. “We can’t always make sense of moments like this, but we can support each other.”
“It is in times like these that our town pulls together and shows what we are made of: compassion and kindness,” Colchester officials said in a post on the town of Colchester website.
As a result of this news, officials said, crisis counselors will be provided at schools for any children who might be impacted by the news.
“Additionally, we are looking into other ways to support our community,” the statement said.
The family believed to be linked to the investigation in Florida are 44-year-old Anthony Todt, his 42-year-old wife Megan and their three children — Alex, Tyler and Zoe. The family also has a dog named Breezy.
The Todt have not been in touch with their family since Jan. 6, various news reports indicated.
Connecticut State police said the agency was not requested to aid local authorities in Florida to help with the investigation, but called the news “heartbreaking” in a Tuesday afternoon statement.
“We want to express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims,” state police said.
Josue Dorelus, a state police spokesman, said Tuesday that there had not been a missing person report filed in Connecticut in connection with the case.
“We are confident in their ability to conduct a thorough investigation. We ask that the public exercise patience while the Osceola County Sheriff’s Department
releases information as these types of investigation tend to be complex,” state police said.
Anthony Todt and his wife are listed as the owners of Family Physical Therapy with locations at 7 Park Ave. and 744 Middletown Road in Colchester, according to the business Facebook page. Connecticut Department of Public Health medical licensing records indicated that Anthony Todt allowed his license as a physical therapist to expire in September. His license was listed as being out of Celebration, Fla. Megan Todt’s license as a physical therapist will expire on Jan. 30, DPH records show. Her license is out of Kissimmee, Fla., records said.
Friends of the family created a Facebook page called Looking For The Todt Family to provide updates, but removed the page Monday.
When someone asked Kellie Ball — who identified herself in a public Facebook post as the sister of Anthony Todt — why the page was removed, Ball said she wasn’t going to explain anything.
“We took it down,” Ball said through a Facebook comment on her page Monday night. “This is a hard time for our family. Please respect that.”
Ball, who said she has a good relationship with her brother, said he was commuting “back and forth for work” between Connecticut and Florida.
“These last few days have been really hard for me and my family,” Ball said.
Neighbor Marcelo Rodriguez told the Orlando Sentinel he saw deputies at the two story home earlier Monday yelling for residents to open the front door. He said he then saw a man who lives there in handcuffs outside the home. Rodriguez said the man lived at the home with his family.
“We are in shock,” Rodriguez said. “It’s terrible.”