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Benadryl, ‘homicidal violence’ listed as cause of deaths for family found slain in Celebration home

Anthony Todt admitted to killing wife and children, sheriff says

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A woman and her three children who were found decomposing in their Celebration home earlier this year died as a result of Benadryl overdoses and “homicidal violence,” according to autopsy reports released Wednesday.

Anthony Todt is facing first-degree murder charges in connection with the deaths of his wife 42-year-old Megan Todt and their children, 11-year-old Tyler Todt, 13-year-old Alek Todt and 4-year-old Zoe Todt.

According to Osceola County deputies, they went to the home on Jan. 13 to serve a federal arrest warrant for Anthony Todt and as they were investigating, they found the four victims in a bedroom, wrapped in blankets with obvious signs of decomposition. The family’s dog, Breezy, was also killed, records show.

[RELATED: Family members found dead in Celebration were stabbed, report says | Celebration murder suspect claimed dead wife was sleeping, deputies say]

Up until now, officials have not provided a cause of death for the slain family members. However, a Medical Examiner’s report that was released in late January noted that they were all stabbed except for Zoe Todt.

Based on documents released Wednesday, it was ultimately “homicidal violence of unspecified means” and diphenhydramine toxicity, the drug commonly known as Benadryl, that claimed the lives of the Todt family.

At the time of his arrest, records show Anthony Todt told authorities that he’d consumed an unknown amount of Benadryl in an attempt to end his life. He was taken to a hospital before he was booked into the Osceola County Jail.

The autopsy report indicates that because there was blood in Megan Todt’s abdomen, she was likely stabbed before or during her death. The two boys did not have blood in their abdomens.

[RELATED: What is Celebration: The history of a community developed by Disney | 4 bodies found in Celebration home; suspect in custody | Osceola deputies remain tight-lipped about 4 bodies found in Celebration home]

Before their deaths, a relative living in Connecticut, where Anthony Todt worked as a physical therapist, repeatedly called authorities asking for someone to check on the family because no one had heard from anyone except Anthony Todt in some time and he claimed they all had the flu.

“There’s actually an active FBI investigation that’s happening up here in Connecticut and I, just in conversations with my sister, you know, my sister-in-law was making a comment, we just kind of put it all together about basically the world ending on the 28th and nobody has talked to them. Nobody physically talked to my sister-in-law since the 26th of December and my brother has stopped texting as of Monday, (Jan. 6),” she said.

According to the Osceola County sheriff, Anthony Todt admitted to killing his family in late December.


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