ANTHONY TODT

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — An Osceola County man accused of killing his wife, three children, and the family dog had a status hearing in his case Wednesday. READ: Man accused of killing wife, 3 children in Celebration home appears to blame wife for their deaths in newly released jail callsTodt’s defense team expressed concern Wednesday that coverage of the case could make finding jurors difficult. “This case was in ‘People’ Magazine, had national coverage, and we’ve had a lot of local media coverage,” Todt’s attorney argued Wednesday. Investigators say Todt also admitted to killing the family dog, Breezy. READ: Anthony Todt’s lawyers file a motion to suppress initial confession to deputiesTodt’s next court appearance is scheduled for December 20.

The man accused of killing his family inside an Osceola County home is expected back in court Wednesday morning for a hearing.

A judge has ruled that the federal healthcare fraud investigation will not be mentioned in the trial for Anthony Todt.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Serious issues raised in the high-profile case of a murder of a family in Celebration have pushed the trial date back. Anthony Todt is accused of murdering his wife, 3 children and killing the family dog around Christmas 2019. Todt’s trial was set to begin next week, but due to issues raised during a court hearing on Monday, as well as recent cout filings, that trial will be delayed. On Monday, the judge agreed to push back the hearing on those issues, and to push back the trial. Right now, it appears Todt’s trial could start at the beginning of November at the earliest.

The defense attorneys for a Connecticut physical therapist accused of killing his wife and their three children at their home in central Florida want his initial confession excluded from his trial.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, FLA. — The defense attorneys for Anthony Todt have filed a motion to suppress initial statements made by Todt to authorities implicating him in the murder of his wife and kids. The attorneys argue that Todt was not in the right state of mind after his hospitalization and arrest when he was interviewed by authorities, due to an overdose of Benadryl. Read: Todt family: State to seek death penalty against Celebration man accused of killing wife, 3 childrenThe motion filed states, “Mr. Todt’s fragile emotional state precluded a knowing, intelligent and voluntary waiver of Miranda rights in both his January 13, 2020 and January 15, 2020 statements.”The defense argues that Osceola detectives provided Todt with an “incomplete recitation” of the Miranda warning during their first interview at the hospital on Jan. 13, 2020. Read: Man who confessed to killing family at Celebration home on investigators’ radar for months, records showAnd on Jan. 15, 2020, after Todt was released from the hospital and transported to the Osceola County Sheriffs Office for more questioning, his defense said discharge documents indicated Todt “should continue with the Baker Act and process and will need to be transported to an inpatient psych unit or under the custody of a law enforcement agency where continued psych support can be provided.”The motion will be heard in Osceola County on Sept. 20 at 1:30 p.m.Read: Man accused of killing wife, 3 children in Celebration home appears to blame wife for their deaths in newly released jail callsClick here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

CELEBRATION, Fla. – A man accused of killing his wife and three young children inside their Celebration home last year will stand trial in September. At a status hearing held Wednesday, a judge set Sept. 27 as the date for Anthony Todt’s murder trial. The hearing was the first since Todt found out he will no longer be facing the death penalty. Former State Attorney Aramis Ayala decided not to seek the death penalty because of concerns about Todt’s mental health. Todt is charged with four counts of first-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty for the deaths of his wife, three children and dog.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala will not seek the death penalty against Anthony Todt, who stands accused of killing his wife and three children at a home in Celebration last year. Ayala, who has made headlines in the past due to her stance on the death penalty, filed a notice of intent to not seek the death penalty in the case of Todt and several other high-profile cases. News 6 has reached out to Ayala, who did not seek re-election, for comment but has not heard back. He made similar claims in the two phone calls to his sister in March and April, suggesting that Megan Todt had tried to kill the children before. Todt told his sister in a phone call from jail that he couldn’t have stopped his family from being slain — because he wasn’t around.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – A Connecticut physical therapist charged with killing his wife and three children at their Florida home told his sister in a phone call from jail that he couldn’t have stopped his family from being slain — because he wasn’t around. Todt wrote that his wife then drank a bottle of Benadryl and stabbed herself in the abdomen. He made similar claims in the two phone calls to his sister in March and April, suggesting that Megan Todt had tried to kill the children before. Investigators with the Osceola County Sheriff's Office said Todt confessed at the time of his arrest to killing Megan, 42; their children, Alek, 13, Tyler, 11, and Zoe, 4; and the dog, Breezy. Prosecutors have said they intend to seek the death penalty for Todt, who has been indicted on four counts of first-degree murder.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A man charged with killing his family at their Florida home has claimed that his wife is the one who killed their three children and then herself. Prosecutors had copied the letter as evidence and released it to the newspaper in response to a public records request. He said he learned of the deaths after returning home from doing maintenance at a nearby condo they owned. Full Screen 1 / 18 Pictures of the Todt family are pinned to a board inside their condo. Defense attorneys have not spoken publicly about the claim that Todt’s wife was the real killer.

He mentions 42-year-old Megan Todt, 11-year-old Tyler Todt, 13-year-old Alek Todt and 4-year-old Zoe Todt but never explicitly talks about their deaths or the crime. I don’t remember anything pretty much over Christmas and the first week I got here,” Anthony Todt said. In the call, Anthony Todt speaks in vague terms when referencing the crime. Just know that I will protect Megan’s dignity until the very end,” Anthony Todt said. Anthony Todt is charged with four counts of first-degree murder.

Anthony Todt is facing first-degree murder charges in connection with the deaths of his wife 42-year-old Megan Todt and their children, 11-year-old Tyler Todt, 13-year-old Alek Todt and 4-year-old Zoe Todt. [RELATED: Family members found dead in Celebration were stabbed, report says | Celebration murder suspect claimed dead wife was sleeping, deputies say]Up until now, officials have not provided a cause of death for the slain family members. Based on documents released Wednesday, it was ultimately “homicidal violence of unspecified means” and diphenhydramine toxicity, the drug commonly known as Benadryl, that claimed the lives of the Todt family. At the time of his arrest, records show Anthony Todt told authorities that he’d consumed an unknown amount of Benadryl in an attempt to end his life. According to the Osceola County sheriff, Anthony Todt admitted to killing his family in late December.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A man accused of killing his wife and three children at their Celebration home last year has been indicted on first-degree murder charges and will face the death penalty, according to Orange-Osceola State Attorney Aramis Ayala. [RELATED: Celebration murder suspect claimed dead wife was sleeping, deputies say | Here’s why the man accused of killing his family in Celebration is facing federal charges | Sheriff: Man killed wife, 3 kids in Celebration home]He was also indicted on an animal cruelty charge because the family’s dog, Breezy, was also found dead, according to authorities. Ayala added that the decision to seek death is separate from her beliefs and instead is a result of a decision reached by her office’s death penalty review board. “Despite my position on the death penalty, my death penalty review board they move forward, they charge on,” Ayala said. Officials have not said how the family was killed but a report from the Medical Examiner’s Office noted that Megan Todt and her two boys were stabbed although Zoe Todt was not.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A man accused of killing his wife and three children has officially been evicted from the Celebration home where the slayings occurred, according to court documents. Records show the eviction notice was served to Anthony Todt at the Osceola County Jail, where he is being held on murder charges. [RELATED: Family members found dead in Celebration were stabbed, report says | Celebration murder suspect claimed dead wife was sleeping, deputies say]Osceola County deputies said Anthony Todt was under federal investigation and facing eviction late last year when he killed 42-year-old Megan Todt, 11-year-old Tyler Todt, 13-year-old Alek Todt, 4-year-old Zoe Todt and Breezy the dog at the home on Residence Place. The bodies were discovered Jan. 13 as authorities were serving a federal arrest warrant for Anthony Todt on insurance fraud charges. Officials have not released their causes of death but a recent report noted that Megan Todt and her sons were stabbed but Zoe Todt was not.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The man accused of killing his wife and children at their Celebration home has been formally charged with their deaths, records show. [RELATED: Family members found dead in Celebration were stabbed, report says | Celebration murder suspect claimed dead wife was sleeping, deputies say | Bodies in Celebration home were wrapped in blankets, records show]Documents filed Wednesday show he’s been charged four counts of second-degree murder. “Florida law requires all first-degree murder cases be charged by grand jury indictment. Suspects generally face first-degree murder charges when prosecutors believe they planned the crime, while second-degree murders involve crimes that are not premeditated. People who are convicted of second-degree murder are not eligible for the death penalty.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A man accused of killing his family in their Celebration home claimed his dead wife was sleeping when authorities arrived to take him into custody on federal charges, according to the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. As deputies were investigating, they said they found the Todt family and their dog dead in a bedroom on the second floor. Anthony Todt was taken from the crime scene to a hospital where he stayed until he was booked into the Osceola County Jail. Deputies said they interviewed Anthony Todt about the deaths while he was in a hospital, but his statements were redacted from the report. Anthony Todt is facing four counts of first-degree murder and an animal cruelty charge.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – A mother and two of her three children who were found dead in their Celebration home earlier this month had stab wounds on their bodies, according to the Medical Examiner’s report. The documents pertaining to the deaths of 42-year-old Megan Todt; 13-year-old Alek Todt; 11-year-old Tyler Todt; and 4-year-old Zoe Todt were released Thursday. Until now, Osceola County authorities refused to say what injuries the family suffered. Zoe Todt, however, had no obvious signs of injuries. Megan Todt was stabbed twice while her two boys were stabbed once, records show.

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The man accused of killing his wife, three children and dog at their Celebration home was caged during a court appearance Thursday afternoon in Osceola County. Anthony Todt was the last inmate to arrive in court and was immediately escorted to a metal cage in the back of the room, separate from the other defendants. The corrections staff requested that Anthony Todt be the first one to see the judge. Deputies said Anthony Todt is cooperating with the investigation but they have not said whether he’s provided an explanation for the crime or expressed remorse. Federal records show Anthony Todt, a Connecticut physical therapist, was under investigation for insurance fraud.

CELEBRATION, Fla. – A man killed his wife, their three children and the family dog at their Celebration home in late December, according to the Osceola County sheriff. Anthony Todt was being investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services for a matter unrelated to the deaths. Sheriff Russ Gibson said Anthony Todt confessed to killing his family but at this point, authorities have not provided information on how they died. Anthony Todt. Gibson didn’t know why Anthony Todt allegedly killed his family, although the suspect is cooperating with the investigation.