According to reports, a family of four from Florida has gone missing after an altercation with a friend. Authorities are now on the lookout for the missing family. Shockingly, the friend in question was later taken into police custody as they allegedly discovered what they believe to be the remains of the family members on his property.
According to a recent statement by the Pasco Sheriff’s Office, Rain Mancini, Phillip Zilliot II, Karma Zilliot, and Phillip Zilliot III, who are part of the same family, have been reported missing. The family members were last seen in Hudson, Florida on June 12th.
According to a subsequent statement from the sheriff’s office, an investigation into multiple homicides led officials to discover human remains on a property in Hudson on June 14. Additionally, they apprehended a suspect who they believe may have been responsible for these multiple homicides.
Although the official statement did not disclose the identity of the captive, multiple news outlets including WFLA, ABC Action News, and the Tampa Bay Times reported that Sheriff Chris Nocco identified the individual as Rory Atwood.
Police are still unsure about the type and number of remains found on the land as reported by WFLA on Monday. However, Pasco County officials have charged 25-year-old Atwood with first-degree murder of an unidentified person, after the discovery of a body, as reported by ABC Action News, Tampa Bay Times, and WFLA. Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco mentioned that the remains are likely to belong to the missing family.
According to Nocco, the family members might be found dead on the property, but their fate is not confirmed yet. He also added that every possible effort will be made to locate them.
WFLA reported that a mutual friend informed Pasco County authorities that Mancini, aged 26, and Phillip, aged 25, were consuming alcohol with Atwood on Wednesday evening when a quarrel broke out.
According to Nocco, Rain’s friend overheard someone mentioning, “Because the last time this happened, you pulled a gun on us,” before departing. The individual was referring to Rory. However, Nocco mentioned that the police have not informed them about this particular detail.
As per reports by WFLA and ABC Action News, Atwood had made a call to his friend on Thursday morning. During the call, Atwood seemed to be scared and revealed that he had shot someone. The Sheriff’s office, however, obtained this information about Atwood from sources that were either third or fourth-party.
Reports from the Tampa Bay Times and ABC Action News indicate that Atwood’s property underwent its initial police search, yet no discoveries were made.
On Friday, the Mancini and Zilliot families reported to the police that they had not been in contact with their relatives for a considerable period, which appeared unusual to them.
According to ABC Action News, Nocco mentioned that the family was in the process of relocating.
“He said that their living situation was never great and they had to stay at Rory’s place for some time. Unfortunately, something happened which led to a fight.”
According to court records available online, Atwood was convicted of battery in 2022. Although he has been charged with murder, he has entered a plea of not guilty and has been provided with a public defender. At the time of writing, PEOPLE was unable to reach his attorney for comment.
Source: PEOPLE
- 71-year-old ‘Seinfeld’ actor and comedian from Upstate New York has died: ‘He was the real deal’
- Exploring Causes, Statistics, and Solutions for Alabama’s High Gun Violence