Florida Landlord Arrested for Killing Family of 4, Burning Bodies

A Florida landlord burns the bodies of a family of four in a fire pit.

Florida landlord Rory Atwood arrested for killing family of four, including two young children, and burning their bodies in a fire pit. Shocking details emerge as investigation unfolds.

The Zilliot family, which consisted of Rain Mancini, 26, Phillip Zilliot II, 25, and their small children, Karma and Phillip III, ages 6 and 5, respectively, were reported to have been missing from Atwood's original denials.

According to Florida police on Tuesday, June 18, a Florida landlord shot and killed a family of four, including small children, and burned their corpses in the fire pit of their shared house.

The 25-year-old Rory Atwood is said to have admitted to killing the family, which included two 5- and 6-year-old children, after he got into a fight with the parents, who knew him since high school.

“If there wasn't evil in this world, we wouldn't have to pray as much. And when I talk about this story today, you're going to hear about evil.” Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco stated.

Mancini's mother filed a missing person's report on Thursday, June 13, after the mother of two failed to maintain daily contact with the family residing at Atwood's Hudson home.

Atwood's father gave the go-ahead for investigators to explore the land that day.

The backyard campfire, which was reported in the criminal complaint as being continually blazing and smoking, was the only oddity that the detectives saw.

The next day, Atwood's friend told the police that the landlord had contacted him the night before and admitted to killing his roommates and their kids, according to the file.

Two human vertebrae, soft tissue, and a tiny amount of bone remains were allegedly found in the fire pit by the cadaver dogs that the investigators brought back to the scene.

There was also a heavy chlorine smell coming from the back patio.

Atwood finally gave up and admitted to killing the family, despite his original claims that he had evicted them earlier for not paying the rent.

“Zilliot II and Mancini stormed into the home Wednesday night, June 12, with both parents wielding knives,” he said in his statement. “When his high school buddy Atwood disarmed him, Zilliot II tried to put a knife on him, but instead they got into a fistfight,” the alleged killer stated.

“The landlord snapped when he saw Mancini using her knife to poke his own 4 years old daughter in the throat.” he told detectives.

Atwood then used his adrenaline to pull the bodies of Mancini and Zilliot II to the fire pit and into what he claimed were their flames.

Nocco stated that although Atwood has been charged with the family's deaths based on his statement, investigators are still trying to connect the family to the bodies discovered at the scene.

According to court documents, Atwood entered a not guilty plea on Monday, June 17, and is being held without bond at this time.