In a recent development in Pasco County, Florida, human remains have been found on a property where a missing family of four was last seen.
The sheriff's office has arrested 25-year-old Rory Atwood, charging him with first-degree homicide, though the identities of the remains are still pending confirmation from the medical examiner.
Sheriff Chris Nocco addressed the case in a news conference on Saturday.
He emphasized that while investigators believe the remains could belong to the missing family, they await official identification.
"We’re working closely with the state attorney’s office," Nocco stated.
"Thanks to this partnership, we can charge Rory Atwood with first-degree homicide on a 'John Doe' because we do not yet know whose remains we found.
However, based on his statements and the evidence we've gathered, we are pressing charges."
The missing family was identified on social media by the sheriff’s office as Rain Mancini, 26, Phillip Zilliot II, 25, and their two children, 6-year-old Karma Zilliot and 5-year-old Phillip Zilliot III.
They were last seen on Wednesday in the Nottingham Trail area of Hudson and were considered endangered.
According to the sheriff, Rain Mancini was last seen around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday when a friend picked her up from her mother’s house and took her to Atwood's home.
This was the last time Mancini's mother saw her.
The friend informed investigators that an argument broke out while the family was at Atwood’s house.
"Rain’s friend reported that Rain, Phillip, and Rory were drinking together at the house, along with the two children and Rory’s juvenile daughter," Nocco explained.
"During the gathering, an argument erupted. Before leaving, the friend overheard someone mention, 'The last time this happened, you pulled a gun on us,' directed at Rory.
At around 2 a.m. the next day, Atwood reportedly called a friend, saying he had shot someone.
Despite his frantic and upset demeanor, the information did not reach the sheriff’s office until 12 hours later.
"The initial friend called another friend, who then called another, potentially reaching a fourth person before we were notified," Nocco detailed.
"By 3 a.m., Atwood contacted his child’s mother to arrange dropping off their daughter, which he eventually did around 5:45 a.m."
It wasn't until 2 p.m. on Thursday that the sheriff’s office received a tip from one of the friends, prompting them to investigate Atwood’s property.
Initially, Atwood allowed deputies to walk around the property, but it wasn’t until a second search with cadaver dogs on Friday that the remains were discovered.
"At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Friday, we observed Rory Atwood again, and he permitted us to conduct a more thorough search," Nocco recounted.
"Using human remain detection dogs, bloodhounds, and aviation units, we located human remains, leading to Atwood's arrest for first-degree homicide."
Despite these developments, the investigation remains active. "We are still working with the medical examiner to identify the remains,"
Nocco said during Saturday’s news conference.
"The missing persons case remains open until we can confirm the identities of all four individuals. Our hearts go out to the two young children, and we are doing everything in our power to find them, hoping they are still alive."
The sheriff’s office urges anyone with information about the family's whereabouts to contact their non-emergency line at 727-847-8102 (option seven) or submit tips online at PascoSheriff.com/tips.
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