On June 12, 2024, a tragic incident occurred at a residence on Nottingham Trail in Hudson, Florida, involving the death of Phillip Zilliot II, age 25, along with his family members.
Phillip Zilliot II, his partner Rain Mancini, 26, and their two children, Karma Zilliot, 6, and Phillip Zilliot III, 5, were last seen around 12:30 a.m. on June 12. The family had been living with Rory Atwood, 25, on his 10-acre property. On the evening of June 12, the adults were drinking alcohol together, which led to an argument. A friend of Rain Mancini reported that during this argument, someone mentioned that Rory Atwood had previously pulled a gun on them.
Around 2 a.m. on June 13, Rory Atwood called one of his friends, admitting that he had shot someone. This information, however, did not reach the authorities until much later. Atwood also called the mother of his daughter around 3 a.m., stating he was upset and needed to drop off their daughter, which he did around 5:45 a.m..
The investigation began on June 13 after a welfare check was requested for the missing family. Initially, deputies found nothing suspicious at Atwood's property, but they noticed a smoldering fire pit in the backyard. It was not until June 14, after receiving another call from a person who claimed Atwood had admitted to killing the family, that deputies returned to the property. During this second search, aided by cadaver dogs, human remains were discovered.
Rory Atwood eventually admitted to detectives that he had been involved in a physical altercation with Phillip Zilliot II and Rain Mancini. According to Atwood's statement, the altercation began on the porch and continued into the living room, where he and Phillip Zilliot II struggled over a firearm. During this struggle, Rain Mancini was shot multiple times in the torso and head, and Phillip Zilliot II was shot twice in the head. Atwood claimed that he believed the couple might have killed their own children, though he did not provide details on how this might have happened.
Atwood admitted to dragging the bodies of Rain Mancini and Phillip Zilliot II from the living room to the fire pit on his property, where he burned them along with the bodies of the two children, Karma and Phillip Zilliot III. He also burned a blood-covered couch and other items he used to clean up the scene.
Rory Atwood was arrested on June 15 and charged with premeditated first-degree murder. Despite his claims of being attacked, Atwood did not have any significant injuries from the alleged fight. The investigation is ongoing, with the missing persons case remaining active until the identities of the human remains are confirmed by the medical examiner.
