25-year-old Rory Atwood is being charged with homicide after admitting to taking the lives of an entire family. The disturbing saga began when a woman told Pasco County, Florida deputies her brother had received a call from Atwood with what appeared to be deceased 25-year-old Phillip Zilliot ll, 26-year-old Rain Mancini, 6-year-old Karma Zilliot and 5-year-old Phillip Zilliot lll.
Deputies immediately went to Atwood's property for a welfare check and he said he had no knowledge of their whereabouts. However he did admit the family had been there the night before for a get together where his daughter, who was friends with Karma, the six-year-old, was present.
Deputies reported they found nothing suspicious and left the home. They contacted Ms. Mancini's mother who said she had not seen any of the family and a missing persons report was put in. Authorities spoke with the mother of Atwood's daughter who said she received a strange call from him around 2:30 a.m. on the morning of June 13th. After the call, Atwood brought his daughter back to her mother and was reportedly acting strangely.
The case was blown wide open when a friend of Atwood's called deputies and informed them Atwood had admitted to taking the lives of all four family members.
Deputies quickly converged on the property with cadaver dogs. The dogs led them to a large fire pit and eventually the remains of all the family members.
After a long interview with deputies, Atwood admitted to taking the lives in self defense. He claimed they were in an argument when Mancini and Zilliot pulled both a knife and a firearm on him. He said he was "forced to take the adults lives in self defense". He said the couple had taken their own children's lives before the incident. There were no injuries on Atwood that would suggest a struggle had taken place.
Atwood has been booked into Pasco County Jail on charges of homicide.
Photographed below, to the left, Atwood
On the right, all of the victims
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