Horrific Family Tragedy Near Disney World: Florida Man Murders Wife, Three Children, and Pet Dog

A foul stench spreading from a home in Celebration, Florida — a residential area near Walt Disney World — led to a gruesome discovery. Neighbors, alarmed by the odor, alerted authorities. Federal agents from the Department of Health and Human Services arrived at the residence with a search warrant.

According to People magazine, when officers broke through the door, they found Anthony Todt inside, dressed only in his underwear, disoriented, mumbling incoherently, and descending the stairs in a confused state.

Upstairs, the scene was horrific. The lifeless bodies of his wife, Megan, and their two sons — 13-year-old Alexander and 11-year-old Tyler — were found on a bed. The body of their four-year-old daughter, Zoe, was discovered later under a blanket at the foot of the bed in an advanced state of decomposition. The family’s dog, Breezy, had also been killed. Based on the condition of the bodies and the overwhelming odor, investigators concluded the deaths had occurred several weeks earlier.

Anthony Todt had murdered his wife, children, and dog — and then lived in the house with their bodies for weeks.

Two months later, the Orange County Medical Examiner’s report revealed the cause and manner of death. Megan and the two boys had been given the antihistamine diphenhydramine (Benadryl) before being stabbed. However, evidence showed that Alexander and Tyler were stabbed after they were already dead. Although the bodies were too decomposed to determine exact causes of death, the report concluded that the children most likely died from suffocation or strangulation.

According to NBC News, during early questioning Todt confessed that he had “killed his family to save them from the apocalypse.” Later, however, he changed his story, claiming that his wife, Megan, had poisoned the children by giving them “Benadryl cake” and then killed herself by drinking from a Benadryl bottle and stabbing her abdomen. He said he confessed originally to protect her.

Prosecutors rejected this version of events. The medical examiner confirmed that Megan’s injuries made suicide impossible. Moreover, post-mortem stabbing and signs of suffocation on the victims indicated homicide.

Investigators also uncovered severe financial problems. Todt was drowning in debt — nearly $200,000 — and had only about $1,500 in assets. He was also under federal investigation for healthcare fraud since April 2019.

Following a lengthy trial, a jury found Anthony Todt guilty on four counts of first-degree murder and one count of animal cruelty. As reported by People, he is now serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murders of his wife, three children, and their dog.