PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – Not long after a family of four was reported missing in Pasco County, the sheriff’s office says it’s found human remains at the property where they were last seen.
Rory Atwood, 25, was arrested on Friday and is accused of first-degree homicide, according to Sheriff Chris Nocco. The sheriff detailed the case at a news conference on Saturday, stressing that while investigators believe the human remains may be those of the missing family, the identity or identities of the deceased are pending word from the medical examiner’s office.
“We’re working with the state attorney’s office right now. Because of that partnership with state attorney’s office, we’re able to charge Rory Atwood with first-degree homicide on ‘John Doe,’ and it’s on ‘John Doe’ because we do not know exactly the human remains that we found. But, because of the statements he made, because of the information we’ve gathered, he’s being charged with first-degree homicide,” Nocco said.
The sheriff’s office around noon Friday said on social media that it was searching for the missing family, identifying them as Rain Mancini, 26, Phillip Zilliot II, 25, and their two children, 6-year-old Karma Zilliot and 5-year-old Phillip Zilliot III. The four were said to be endangered and were reportedly last seen Wednesday in the Nottingham Trail area of Hudson.
The sheriff said that around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, a friend picked up Mancini at her mother’s house and drove her to Atwood’s — in the aforementioned Nottingham Trail area — adding this was the last time Mancini’s mother saw her.
Nocco then relayed what the friend was able to tell investigators, that as the family of four was with Atwood in the home, and as they all drank, an argument took place.
“Rain’s friend, Rain, Phillip and Rory were all at the house together with Rain and Phillip’s two children, who I mentioned, and Rory’s daughter, who is a juvenile as well. (They) were all at the house while the adults were drinking,” Nocco said. “...Per Rain’s friend, Rain, Phillip and Rory were all drinking alcohol and they started arguing. Before leaving, Rain’s friend hears someone say, ‘The last time this happened, you pulled a gun on us,’ referring to Rory. We do not have any police reports about that.”
Around 2 a.m. the following day, Atwood called one of his friends to tell them he had shot somebody, according to the sheriff. Nocco described Atwood’s behavior on the call as “frantic” and “really upset,” yet despite Atwood’s alleged statements, the information wouldn’t reach the sheriff’s office for another 12 hours.
“That friend, you know, then calls another friend who calls another friend and we think possibly a fourth friend,” Nocco said. “...About 3 a.m. in the morning, Rory Atwood then calls his baby’s mother and says, ‘Hey, I want to drop off our daughter,’ and that doesn’t happen, so about 5:45 in the morning, he drops her off.”
The sheriff’s office received information from a third or possibly fourth party around 2 p.m. Thursday, launching its investigation and soon visiting Atwood’s property. Atwood gave permission for the sheriff’s office to walk around, what would result in no discoveries until a second search was performed Friday with help from cadaver K-9s.
“Around 4:30 in the afternoon (Friday), our deputies observe 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,” Nocco said.
At Saturday’s news conference, Nocco clarified the missing persons case is still active at this time.
“It’s an ongoing investigation. Our job is to work with the medical examiner right now to help identify the remains, the missing person case will remain open until everyone is identified, we are still tracking down leads and we will provide updates when they’re significant to time,” Nocco said. “...The missing person case is not over. That missing person case will not be over until we know where those four individuals are, and I go back to those two poor little children. It’s heartbreaking, we believe that they may be on the property deceased, but we do not know that definitively and we will do everything we can to track them down. We pray to God they’re alive somewhere.”
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the family is urged to contact the sheriff’s office’s non-emergency line at 727-847-8102 (option seven) or to report tips online at PascoSheriff.com/tips.
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