Burned human remains found in a backyard fire pit are believed to be a young family-of-four who were allegedly killed by their landlord.
Rain Mancini, 26, Phillip Zilliot II, 25, and their children Karma, 6, and Phillip III, 5, went missing on June 12 in Pasco County, Florida.
Rory Atwood, 25, has since been charged with one count of first-degree murder after they found the remains at his home which were charred beyond recognition.
The family were last seen in the Nottingham Trl area of Hudson on June 12 around 12.30am.
On June 14, police performed a welfare check on the family after a woman told officers her brother had seen bodies during a FaceTime call with Atwood, ABC Action News reported.
Atwood had reportedly called the brother asking for help to burn what he claimed was garbage.
But during the call the man reportedly saw ‘adult and child bodies’.
When police first went to Atwood’s home in Hudson he allowed them to search the property and they did not find anything suspicious.
The next day, police received a call from a man who claimed Atwood had ‘admitted to killing his roommates and their children,’ an affidavit stated.
It was only when officers returned to carry out a second search with cadaver dogs that they discovered the remains.
A dog found what ‘appeared to be a small skeletal remains’ with soft tissue in a fire pit, according to USA TODAY.
They also reportedly found human bone fragments and vertebrae.
‘We believe it may be this family, but at the same time, I can’t give a definitive until…the [medical examiner] gives us final confirmation that it is,’ Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said Saturday.
Atwood told police he had got into a fight with the parents over a gun in the lead up to their deaths, according to a criminal complaint seen by USA TODAY.
He reportedly said he had used ‘adrenaline’ to drag their bodies to the firepit.
Sheriff Chris Nocco said in a press conference: ‘Around 4:30 in the afternoon (Friday), our deputies observed Rory Atwood, we see him out there, he gives us permission to go back onto the property, which we start doing a more extensive search.
‘We have human remain dogs, bloodhounds, aviation, deputies; because of the search, we’re able to find human remains.
‘This, along with several admissions, is what led to Rory Atwood being charged with first-degree homicide.’
Atwood told officers that he had evicted the family on June 1 when they failed to pay rent, and then they had come back unexpectedly on June 12.
Atwood had been renting his place to the family and claimed the father had come into his bedroom with a knife and the two fought before all three of the adults struggled over a knife and a gun.
During the fight, he said the parents were shot multiple times.
The remains have not yet been formally identified, so Atwood has only been charged with one murder of a ‘John Doe’ at the time of publishing.
He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bond.