Note: To watch live coverage of the trial via YouTube, access this link: https://www.aroundosceola.com/video/live-coverage-anthony-todt-trial-lawcrime-network
The murder trial of Anthony Todt, who investigators claim killed his wife, children and family dog in Celebration around the first of the year of 2020 began Monday morning, in front of a jury of six women and eight men.
In its opening remarks, the prosecution recalled the evidence in the case -- that Todt's family in Connecticut was worried they hadn't heard from the family in December, the Osceola County Sheriff's Office finally made contact on Jan. 13, 2020 at the rented family Reserve Place home in Celebration, reported an "odor of decomposition", and found the five decomposing bodies in the upstairs master bedroom.
"After hearing all the evidence, you're going to return a return a verdict of guilty," Pinelle told the jury.
Public Defender Robert Wesley reaffirmed the the defense would be deferring its opening statements to later in the trial, which the court said could last as long as two weeks.
Todt confessed on three occasions to committing the murders -- one confession was found to be inadmissible because all of his Miranda rights were not read -- to killing the family. Assistant State Attorney Danielle spoke of how Todt, 46, killed the children -- suffocating them and stabbing two of them. Todt slowly shook his head as Assistant State Attorney Danielle Pinelle spoke.
During the summer of 2020, Todt recanted the confessions and pled not guilty, blaming his wife for killing the children before killing herself.
Pinelle spoke of a family pact that "everybody needed to die" because "the apocalypse was coming and they needed to pass to the other side together."
The jury Monday heard from Sheriff's deputies who attempts to make contact with the family at the Reserve Place home and another on Longview Avenue, just minutes away, on Dec. 31, 2019 and Jan. 2 and 7 of 2020. Two Sheriff's detectives testified that, after making contact with Anthony Todt, entered the home to the power reportedly out, the air in the home "stale" and an odor consistent with decomposing bodies, per the detectives' experience. Per body camera video shown to jurors, Todt was on the staircase when they entered; he said Megan was in the bedroom sleeping and called to her. Responders then went upstairs into the master bedroom and found the bodies.
Under cross-examination, one of the detectives noted Todt was largely incoherent, stumbling, mumbling and shaking during this time when he reached the bottom of the stairs as deputies and detectives searched the upstairs.
A forensic specialist said empty bottles and boxes of Benadryl found in the home's trash cans had Anthony Todt's fingerprints on them; an autopsy on the bodies showed toxic levels of diphenhydramine, the main ingredient in Benadryl, in the four family members, as well as stab wounds. The forensic specialist also noted roseries were found with the children.
This is a continuing developing story as the trial continues. Check back at www.aroundosceola.com for further updates.
