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Todt family murders
LocationCelebration, Florida
Charges4 counts of homicide, 1 count of animal cruelty

The Todt family murders was a multiple homicide case that occurred in December 2019 in Disney's planned community of Celebration, Florida. Anthony "Tony" Todt, age 44, confessed to the murders of his wife, 42-year-old Megan Todt, and their three children: Alek, age 13; Tyler, age 11; and Zoe, age 4. Anthony was a physical therapist who had recently been served a federal warrant for health care fraud charges stemming from his physical therapy business. Authorities coming to issue the warrant found the man living in his house with the badly decomposed bodies of his entire family, including the family dog. In 2022, Anthony Todt was convicted of the murders and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.[1] An additional year was added for the killing of the pet dog, deemed an act of animal cruelty.[2]

Background

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Anthony Todt's father, Robert Todt, was arrested in July 1980 and charged with hiring one of his former students to shoot and kill his wife, Loretta, in order to marry his mistress. Anthony Todt was just four years old at the time, and witnessed the attack on his mother. The would-be assassin, strictly ordered to harm no one else but Loretta, did not harm Anthony. Loretta survived the bullet to her head, and went on to remarry.[3]

Anthony Todt dated Megan, a physical therapist and a yoga instructor, in college, and the two later married. The couple worked together at a shared physical therapy clinic they owned. After their children were born, Megan then became a stay-at-home mother, while Anthony managed their clinic.

The family was well known by neighbors, and the Todt children were encouraged to get involved in the arts and music. Anthony often volunteered as a youth soccer coach, and he also worked with disabled children. In 2017, according to Anthony, Megan contracted Lyme Disease after a tick bite during a trip to Disney World. She then suffered from bouts of depression, and became more reserved and isolated.

The Todt family moved to Celebration, Florida after living in Connecticut for several years. Anthony Todt continued working in Connecticut at the clinic, and visited the family weekly. Formerly active in their Connecticut community, the Todts were withdrawn and uninvolved with their neighbors in Celebration. By 2019, Anthony had gained a significant amount of weight and received a diagnosis of diabetes.

In April 2019, it was discovered that Anthony was charging patients for care that they had never received. An investigation ensued, which revealed Anthony was using the excess money to pay for the family home in Celebration, as well as trips to Disney World. Anthony had taken additional loans from firms in New York City who sued him for failure to pay; Todt was over $100,000 in debt.[4]

Todt initially maintained his innocence with investigators, but eventually relented and admitted to the fraud. It is believed by investigators that Megan Todt and the children had no idea about the fraud, as they were uninvolved with the business.

Murders

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Anthony Todt's motive for the murders is unclear, as his testimony about them changed multiple times. At one point, he had claimed Megan attempted suicide by stabbing herself in her liver after killing the children;[5] in other testimony, he said he was trying to save the family from "the Apocalypse" and join them in the afterlife.[6]

While the Todts usually returned to Connecticut from Florida during the winter to enjoy the snowy weather, in 2019, they remained in Celebration. The police performed an initial welfare check on December 29, but left when they received no response from anyone inside the house.[7] Investigators from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and Osceola County deputies returned on January 13, 2020, after disturbing cell phone texts began appearing on family members' phones from Anthony Todt.

Despite the Todts’ presence in Florida, mail piled up on the porch of the home, and an eviction notice was placed on the door. A warrant was issued for Anthony's arrest, and authorities arrived at the home. Anthony wandered out of his house shaking strangely.[8] Obtaining a key from the property's landlord, authorities entered the home and discovered a pungent odor. In beds throughout the house, family members were discovered stabbed in their stomachs and smothered to death with crucifixes gripped in their hands.[9] Zoe Todt had decomposed to the point that authorities initially couldn't find her until they examined Megan's corpse and saw Zoe's body beneath her feet. The family dog, Breezy, was lying dead on the floor in her dog bed in the master bedroom.

Anthony himself had consumed a large amount of Benadryl in what he claimed was a suicide attempt. The children had also been drugged with Benadryl.

Perpetrator

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  • Anthony John Todt (born September 29, 1975), age 48

Victims

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  • Megan Todt, age 42, wife of Anthony Todt
  • Aleksander "Alek" Todt, age 13, son
  • Tyler Todt, age 11, son
  • Zoe Todt, age 4, daughter
  • Breezy (family dog)

Sentence

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Anthony claimed that he was unable to recall the murders, and also testified that his initial confession had been made under duress. He did eventually confess to the murders after telling a story about returning to the family home to look for a missing silver Mickey Mouse necklace belonging to his daughter, Zoe.

In 2022, Anthony Todt was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.[10] In a landmark move, the judge added one year to his sentence for animal cruelty charges stemming from him having killed the family dog.[11][12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Anthony Todt Convicted of Killing Wife, 3 Children and Family Dog in Celebration, Fla., Home". People. April 15, 2022.
  2. ^ "Celebration man found guilty of first-degree murder in family slayings; sentenced to life in prison". www.wesh.com. WESH 2. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Anthony Todt's father, found guilty of hiring man to kill his own wife, says son's conviction is 'difficult to take'". 25 April 2022.
  4. ^ "Dad accused of killing family in Celebration, Florida, was under federal investigation for fraud". NBC News. January 17, 2020. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  5. ^ "Celebration man found guilty of first-degree murder in family slayings; sentenced to life in prison". www.wesh.com. WESH 2. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  6. ^ Marks, Andrea (11 April 2022). "Prosecutor: In Idyllic Celebration, Florida, a Father Killed His Family to Prepare for the 'Apocalypse'". www.rollingstone.com. Rolling Stone. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  7. ^ "Florida Dad Arrested After Wife, 3 Kids, Dog Are Found Dead in Disney-Developed Home". People. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  8. ^ Burkett, Becky (14 April 2022). "The State, defense rest in murder trial for Celebration, Florida man who said he, his wife agreed to kill their family before the Apocalypse". www.disneydining.com. Disney Dining. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  9. ^ Argueta, Brenda (14 April 2022). "'Destroyer of worlds:' Jury finds Anthony Todt guilty of murdering wife, 3 children in Celebration". www.clickorlando.com. Click Orlando. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  10. ^ "Florida man guilty of killing wife, 3 kids and dog because he thought 'apocalypse was coming'". NBC News. April 15, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  11. ^ Melendez, Pilar (14 April 2022). "Jury Rejects Florida Dad's Insane Story of Family's Apocalypse-Fueled Murders". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  12. ^ News Staff, Fox 35 (14 April 2022). "Anthony Todt found guilty of murdering wife, 3 kids in Celebration". www.fox35orlando.com. Fox 35 Orlando. Retrieved 30 May 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
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