Sheriff: Father confessed to killing family in Celebration

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  • Anthony Todt
    Anthony Todt
  • NEWS-GAZETTE PHOTO/BRIAN MCBRIDE Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson speaks to the media during a press conference on Wednesday about the Celebration homicides.
    NEWS-GAZETTE PHOTO/BRIAN MCBRIDE Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson speaks to the media during a press conference on Wednesday about the Celebration homicides.
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Osceola County Sheriff Russ Gibson on Wednesday confirmed the murder of a mother and her three young children was committed by the father.

Anthony Todt, 45, confessed to killing his wife Megan Todt, 42, and their three children – Alek, 13, Tyler, 11, and Zoe, 4, – at the family’s home in Celebration, said Gibson, who choked up while reading Zoe’s date of birth, during a press conference at the agency’s administration building.

The sheriff did not disclose how the family perished, but said they were likely killed near the end of December. He also said the medical examiner ruled the deaths as homicides and that Anthony Todt also killed the family dog, Breezy.

“This is despicable,” Gibson said.

Todt was arrested Wednesday on four charges of homicide and one charge of felony animal cruelty. He had been a suspect since Monday, when deputies arrived at the family’s home on Reserve Place in the town’s North Village.

On Dec. 29, 2019, the Sheriff’s Office received a request to check on the family’s well being from an out-of-state relative of Anthony Todt.

“She had been told they all had the flu and she had not heard from them for two days,” Gibson said.

He said deputies did not get a response after knocking on the door, but that they checked out the outside of the home and did not see anything suspicious.

On Thursday, Jan. 9, the Sheriff’s Office was contacted by federal agents regarding an investigation into Anthony Todt, and deputies made several more unsuccessful attempts to contact someone in the home, Gibson said.

On Monday, Jan. 13, the bodies of the woman and the couple’s three children were discovered inside the home, while deputies conducted yet another wellbeing check. Anthony Todt was taken into custody as a suspect the same day.

Deputies were at the house Monday helping federal agents from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which has been investigating Todt for alleged health-care fraud at his physical therapy business in Connecticut, the Hartford Courant reported.

Todt is accused of fraudulently billing tens of thousands of dollars worth of bogus therapy appointments, the Connecticut newspaper reported.

Court records associated with 202 Reserve Place indicate that Anthony and Megan Todt began renting the home in May.

The property owner filed paperwork to evict the family on Dec. 22, after the $4,921 rent went unpaid on Dec. 1, according to public records on the website for the Osceola County Clerk of the Court.

The eviction complaint shows that the property owners also were seeking $9,842 in “liquidated damages” from the Todts, which is a payment charged to a party that breaches a legal contract.

Gibson said Anthony Todt was cooperating with investigators, who also have been working family members of the Todt family, the medical examiner and the State Attorney’s office.

“This investigation is ongoing,” he said. We want to work very hard to put as good a case together as possible.”

“As sheriff of Osceola County, it brings me great sadness to report such a tragedy and we grieve along with the victims’ family and friends, along with the community, for this tragic loss of innocent lives,” Gibson said. “Myself, I cannot understand what would cause a person to commit such evil and horrendous acts, but I can say that if there’s any one person or any family out there that’s going through a crisis or a difficult situation, there’s help out there for you.”

Gibson recommended two organizations: the National Hopeline Network, at 800-442-4673, and the Crisis Text Line at 741741 on any cellular telephone.

Todt was booked into the Osceola County Jail on no bond.