Florida Man Charged with Murder After Allegedly Burning Missing Family's Bodies
A shocking case has unfolded in Pasco County, Florida, where a man named Rory Atwood, 25, has been charged with murder in connection with the disappearance of a family of four. Rain Mancini, 26; Phillip Zilliot II, 25; and their two young children, 6-year-old Karma Zilliot and 5-year-old Phillip Zilliot III, went missing last week.
Details from court records released on Monday reveal a chilling sequence of events. Atwood lived with the missing family on a property off Nottingham Trail in Hudson, Pasco County. According to the arrest affidavit, Atwood confirmed to deputies that he killed the parents and burned their bodies following a heated altercation.
The investigation began when a sister of Atwood’s friend alerted authorities about the killings after Atwood called her for help burning trash. She witnessed a horrifying scene on video call, where blood and bodies were visible. Deputies conducted a wellness check but found nothing suspicious, except for a smoldering fire.
Further calls from Atwood’s acquaintances corroborated his admission to killing his roommates and their children. A cadaver dog discovered small skeletal remains in a fire pit on Atwood’s property. Forensics teams found human vertebrae with thermal damage, indicating they were burned.
Atwood provided conflicting accounts but eventually admitted to shooting Zilliot and Mancini after they allegedly attacked him with knives. He disposed of the gun and bodies in the fire pit, burning evidence of the crime.
Despite his not guilty plea, Atwood faces a first-degree murder charge and remains in custody without bond. Investigators are awaiting confirmation of the remains found in the fire pit from the medical examiner.
