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Toys and other items are found in front of the Celebration home where the Todt family victims were found. PHOTO/FACEBOOK -
Anthony Todt
The Medical Examiner’s Office released final autopsy reports on the Todt family victims in Celebration, and all died by “homicidal violence of unspecified means in association with diphenhydramine toxicity.”
Benadryl is a brand name for diphenhydramine, an antihistamine.
Anthony Todt, 45, was charged in January with killing his wife Megan Todt, 42, two sons, Aleksander Todt, 13, Tyler Todt, 11 and 4-year-old daughter daughter, Zoe Todt.
On Jan. 13, the bodies of the woman and the couple’s three children were discovered decomposing inside the Reserve Place home in the Celebration’s North Village when Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputies were conducting a wellbeing check.
The Orange-Osceola State Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty.
According to the Office of the Medical Office District Nine autopsy report, all four victims died by “homicidal violence of unspecified means in association with diphenhydramine toxicity.”
Megan had two stab wounds to the abdomen, each at least 8 inches deep. Two knives had been brought the Medical Examiner’s Office by law enforcement. Both had double-edged blades and were labled “BUCK USA” and had dried blood on them.
The “stab wounds most likely occurred antemortem or perimortem,” the report stated.
Antemortem injuries are those injuries a body has received before death. Perimortem is at or near the time of death.
She and her children also overdosed on Benadryl, according to the report.
Aleksander had a stab wound to the left abdomen that was 4.5 inches deep, which injured one of his ribs.
Tyler had a stab wound to his upper abdomen that was 3.5 inches deep that injured his large intestine, according to the report.
Zoe had no trauma on her body.
“Diphenhydramine has a sedating effect on the body, especially on a young child,” wrote Jennifer Nara, associate medical examiner.
An overdose of Benadryl may cause loss of consciousness, according to www.everydayhealth.com
Anthony Todt has confessed to killing his family near the end of December. He also killed the family dog, Breezy. He was arrested on four charges of homicide and one charge of felony animal cruelty.
On Dec. 29, the Sheriff’s Office received a request to check on the family’s well being from an out-of-state relative of Anthony Todt.
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 Jan. 9, the Sheriff’s Office officials were 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.
Anthony Todt was taken into custody as a suspect the same day.
Deputies were 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 was 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.
Anthony Todt is currently in the Osceola County Jail on no bond.
