Husband confessed to killing wife, 3 kids, family dog in Celebration, sheriff says
A man has confessed to killing his wife, three kids and the family dog inside a Celebration home, authorities said.
Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson said Wednesday that Anthony Todt has been arrested on multiple counts of homicide and one count of animal cruelty.
Investigators said Todt confessed that in late December, he killed his wife, 42-year-old Megan Todt, and their three children, Alek 13, Tyler, 11 and Zoe, 4, as well as the family dog.
Todt was taken into custody and the bodies were discovered on Monday, which is at least close to two weeks after they were killed inside their Celebration home.
After he was taken into custody, deputies said they took Anthony Todt to the hospital. They said he'd taken some pills and made comments about possibly harming himself, deputies said.
The sheriff said Todt has been cooperating with detectives.
Todt appeared in front of a judge on Thursday on four charges of premeditated murder. He was appointed a public defender and was given no bond.
"Three children and a mother have lost their lives at the hands of a supposed husband and a father, and their family dog. This is despicable," Gibson said.
Gibson would not yet reveal how the victims were killed, but did explain how the tragedy came to light.
Gibson said on Dec. 29th, a relative of Anthony Todt's asked deputies to check on the family after being told they had the flu and then not hearing from them for two days.
Gibson said no one answered the door, the blinds were shut and nothing looked suspicious so the deputy left.
Gibson said that on Jan. 9, federal agents contacted the Osceola County Sheriff's Office regarding an investigation involving Anthony Todt that had originated in Connecticut. Deputies said they made several attempts over the weekend to talk to him and the family, but were not successful.
The sheriff said that on Monday, federal agents asked for backup serving an arrest warrant at the house and that's when they found not only Todt, but discovered the bodies.
The federal investigation involved allegations that Anthony Todt filed false claims in connection with his Connecticut physical therapy practice.
Todt and his wife owned Family Physical Therapy in Colchester, Connecticut. Locals called it a popular place for sports medicine, especially for young athletes. A sign on the door Tuesday says it will reopen in the new year.
The couple has also owned a Kissimmee condo since 2005 and has lived on and off in Florida and Connecticut.
Anthony Todt also operated another business out of the couple’s physical therapy building called "Performance Edge Sports,” which has been under investigation by the attorney general's office.
"The Office of the (Connecticut) Attorney General can confirm we have an open False Claims Act investigation into Anthony Todt. Beyond that, we are unable to comment or provide further details," a spokeswoman for the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office said.