A man from Florida has been accused of the homicide of a family of four, two of whom were young children, who were living in his home. He is also alleged to have burned their bodies in a fire pit in his backyard.
Rory Atwood, 25, was taken into custody following the discovery of the scorched remains of Rain Mancini, 26, Phillip Zilliot II, 25, and their children, Karma Zilliot, 6, and Phillip Zilliot III, 5, at his residence in Hudson, Florida.
Atwood, who was an acquaintance of the victims since his high school days, initially claimed ignorance about their whereabouts, Sheriff Chris Nocco of Pasco County reported. However, he confessed his crime after a friend informed the police that Atwood had disclosed to him about the murders. “If there weren’t evil in this world, we wouldn’t have to pray as much. And when I talk about this story today, you’ll hear about evil,” Sheriff Nocco remarked at a press briefing.
The victims were declared missing by Mancini’s mother, who raised the alarm when her daughter ceased their routine communication. The Clark County Clerk’s office provided an affidavit stating that the search for the missing family started after a welfare check was requested on June 13, 2024.
During their initial search of Atwood’s property, investigators noticed an actively smoldering fire pit in the backyard; however, no clear signs of a crime were evident at that time.
Following a tip from a local resident who claimed that his brother had been asked by Atwood to assist in burning trash, the police were called back to the property. The brother had seen via video call what looked like a pool of blood and the bodies of adults and children.
Based on this information, the police revisited the house the next day. It was only after the use of a cadaver dog that they found skeletal remains, soft tissue, and two human vertebrae in the fire pit.
Atwood asserted that on June 12, a conflict ensued after he evicted the family for non-payment of rent. According to his account, Mancini and Zilliot, armed with knives, barged into his home. Atwood relayed that Zilliot attempted to assault him with a knife, and when disarmed, turned to physical aggression. He claimed to have shot both adults in self-defense when Zilliot brandished a gun. He initially did not disclose what happened to the children during the altercation but eventually admitted that their bodies were also in the fire pit, although he denied causing their deaths.
Atwood’s account of the incident included the claim that the parents had killed their own children before he purportedly acted in self-defense. Nonetheless, the sheriff’s office has charged Atwood with the murders based on his statement and the physical evidence discovered at the scene.
Investigators also reported a strong smell of chlorine on the back patio, suggesting an attempt to sanitize the crime scene.
Atwood, who entered a plea of not guilty on Monday, is currently being detained without bond. His public defense attorney has declined to comment on the case. The investigation continues, with forensic experts working to conclusively identify the remains found in the fire pit.
Prior charges against Atwood include evasion and eluding law enforcement, stalking, and battery. These past charges outline a history of problematic behavior, but nothing to the extent of his current charges.
