PASCO COUNTY, Fla. (Scripps News Tampa) — Court documents revealed a Florida homicide suspect told deputies he threw four family members into a fire pit on his property in Hudson.
The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office has been searching for Rain Mancini, 26; Phillip Zilliot II, 25; and their children, Karma Zilliot, 6, and Phillip Zilliot III, 5, who haven’t been seen since last Wednesday.
New court documents were released on Monday after deputies arrested 25-year-old Rory Atwood for first-degree homicide.
Missing Persons – (L) Rain Mancini, 26, Karma Zilliot, 6, and Phillip Zilliot, III, 5. (R) Phillip Zilliot, 25. (Pasco County Sheriff’s Office)
The affidavit stated deputies received a call for a welfare check on June 13. Deputies arrived on the scene and spoke to Atwood. A quick search did not reveal anything suspicious.
“A friend of Rory, this is around 2 in the morning, got a call from Rory who was really upset and said he shot somebody and was frantic,” said Sheriff Chris Nocco.
The affidavit stated Atwood called a friend and requested help burning trash. The friend noticed a puddle of blood and could see adult and child bodies over the video phone call, according to court records. Detectives returned to the home on Nottingham Trial in Hudson on June 14.
A Pasco County Sheriff’s Office Cadaver dog removed items from a burn pit that appeared to be small skeletal remains, according to court documents.
“He gives us permission to go back on the property, we start doing a more extensive search, we have the human remain dogs, bloodhounds, aviation, deputies…because of this search we were able to find human remains,” said Sheriff Nocco.
Records stated Atwood evicted the family on June 1 for failure to pay rent. Records said days later, there was an altercation involving a firearm and a knife.
Court records indicate Rain and Phillip suffered gunshot wounds, but do not indicate how the children died.
“Until the ME comes back, it’s still a missing persons case. We were able to find human remains at the crime scene, and we believe it may be the family,” said Sheriff Nocco.
Atwood first denied killing the family or burning their bodies. He eventually admitted the bodies of all four family members were located in the fire pit on his property.
Court records also stated the firearm was tossed into the fire, and the suspect also discarded the couch from his living room into the fire pit.
Atwood remains in the Pasco County Jail.
This story was originally published by Scripps News Tampa, an E.W. Scripps Company.
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