OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — A man confessed to killing his wife, his three children and the family dog in late December at their home in the Celebration neighborhood, Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson said Wednesday afternoon.
Anthony Todt told detectives he killed his wife, Megan Todt, 42, their sons, Alek Todt, 13, and Tyler Todt, 11, their daughter, Zoe Todt, 4, and their dog, Breezy, Gibson said during a news conference.
Deputies said they assisted Health and Human Services agents in serving an arrest warrant Monday morning when they encountered Todt at his Reserve Place home and discovered the bodies.
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Gibson said the remains have not been positively identified, but detectives believe them to be those of Todt’s wife and children.
He said autopsies conducted Monday determined the cause of death to be homicide.
Gibson said deputies were called to the home Dec. 29 when one of Todt’s relatives requested a well-being check. He said the relative said Todt told her the family had the flu and she had not heard from him in two days.
He said no one answered the door and nothing appeared to be suspicious.
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Gibson said deputies returned to the home Jan. 9 after being contacted by federal agents who were searching for Todt, but no one answered the door.
He said Todt, who is cooperating with investigators, took several Benadryl pills Monday and threatened to harm himself, so he was taken to a hospital as a precaution and was released Wednesday morning.
Todt was arrested on a warrant for multiple counts of homicide and one count of animal cruelty upon his release from the hospital. Watch him be taken to jail and see Wednesday’s news conference below.
Todt’s landlord told Channel 9 on Wednesday that Todt signed a lease in May and that eviction paperwork was filed in December through a property management company.
Investigators say Todt has been on their radar since April of last year.
Records show Todt had a physical therapy practice in Connecticut, but his license expired in September and was not renewed.
An affidavit accuses Todt of stealing money from health care companies through his physical therapy business, stating he billed Medicaid, Anthem, Cigna and others for therapy he never performed.
The affidavit also says parents of children who were patients of Todt were interviewed, and billing continued after a child through a month off physical therapy.
The Connecticut attorney general’s office said it has an open false claims act investigation into Todt and his business. Investigators said they sat outside his office back in August, but it was closed. However, Todt billed Medicaid for 16 different physical therapy services he said he performed that day.
The affidavit also states investigators asked Todt if his wife knew about the fraudulent billing, but he said no. He also said his employees did not know about it, either.
Watch Channel 9 Eyewitness News for live updates on this developing story.
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