HUDSON, FL – The unsettling disappearance of a family of four, including two young children, has taken a grim turn as authorities discovered human remains on a property in Hudson, Florida. The property owner, 25-year-old Rory Atwood, now faces first-degree murder charges.
Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco revealed at a Saturday press conference that while the remains have yet to be identified, they are believed to be those of the missing family. For the time being, the remains are being referred to as John Doe.
The missing family members include Rain Mancini, 26, Phillip Zilliot II, 25, and their children, Karma Zilliot, 6, and Phillip Zilliot III, 5. Their last known whereabouts were near Nottingham Trail in Hudson at around 12:30 a.m. on June 12.
Authorities detailed that Mancini was last seen when a friend picked her up from her mother’s house at 11:30 p.m. on June 11 and drove her to Atwood’s residence on Nottingham Trail. This was the last time Mancini’s mother saw her daughter.
Atwood’s home was the setting for a gathering that included Mancini, her friend, Zilliot II, and their children, as well as Atwood’s daughter. The group was reportedly drinking, and tensions escalated into an argument. At approximately 2 a.m., Atwood allegedly made a frantic call to a friend, claiming he had shot someone.
Despite the urgency, it took 12 hours for the information to reach the sheriff’s office, by which time it was fragmented. Deputies initially searched Atwood’s expansive 10-acre property on Thursday evening without finding anything amiss. However, a follow-up search on Friday night led to the discovery of human remains.
Sheriff Nocco explained, “This, combined with several admissions, resulted in Rory Atwood being charged with first-degree homicide.” The missing-persons case will remain active until the remains are conclusively identified.
The investigation continues, and anyone with information about the missing family is encouraged to contact the Pasco Sheriff’s nonemergency line at 727-847-8102, option 7, or report tips online at pascosheriff.com/tips.