A man from Florida has been apprehended and charged with the murder of a family of four, including two children, all of whom were tenants in his home. He is also accused of burning their bodies in a fire pit in his backyard.

Rory Atwood, 25, was taken into custody after law enforcement officials found the burnt remains of Rain Mancini, 26, Phillip Zilliot II, 25, and their children, six-year-old Karma Zilliot and five-year-old Phillip Zilliot III, at his Hudson, Florida residence.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco informed that Atwood, who was an acquaintance of the victims since their high school years, initially claimed ignorance regarding their whereabouts. However, he confessed to the murders after a friend informed law enforcement that Atwood had called him and confessed to the crime. “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 stated in a press conference.

The family was reported missing on Thursday by Mancini’s mother, who grew concerned after her daughter did not maintain their routine daily communication. According to the affidavit obtained from the Clark County Clerk’s office, Pasco County deputies started looking for the missing family after a welfare check request on June 13, 2024.

During the initial investigation of Atwood’s property, law enforcement noted a smoldering fire pit in the backyard but did not find any immediate signs of a crime.

A concerned resident alerted the police after his sibling said that Rory Atwood had called him, asking for help in burning trash. The sibling informed the caller that he saw a pool of blood and could identify “adult and child bodies” over the video call.

Based on this tip, law enforcement returned to Atwood’s residence the next day. Only after bringing in a cadaver dog were they able to locate skeletal remains, soft tissue, and two human vertebrae in the fire pit.

Atwood claimed that a confrontation occurred on June 12, following the eviction of the family for non-payment of rent. According to him, Mancini and Zilliot, armed with knives, allegedly invaded his home. Atwood told detectives that Zilliot attacked him with a knife and resorted to physical violence after being disarmed. Atwood stated he shot both parents in self-defense after Zilliot produced a gun. He initially did not disclose the location of the children during the altercation but later confessed that their bodies were also in the fire pit, although he denied killing them.

In Atwood’s recounting of the incident, he claimed the parents killed their own children before he allegedly defended himself. However, the sheriff’s office has charged Atwood with the murders based on his admission and the physical evidence discovered at the scene.

Investigators also noticed a strong chlorine smell on the back patio, suggesting an attempt to clean the crime scene.

Atwood, who pleaded not guilty on Monday, is currently being held without bond. His public defender has refrained from commenting on the case. The investigation is still ongoing, with forensic experts working to definitively identify the remains found in the fire pit.

Atwood’s past criminal record includes charges such as fleeing and eluding law enforcement, stalking, and battery. These previous offenses depict a troubled individual, but they pale in comparison to his current charges.