A Florida landlord was arrested for murder after allegedly killing a family of four, including two young children aged 5 and 6, and burning their bodies in his backyard fire pit. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office began searching for 26-year-old Rain Mancini, 25-year-old Phillip Zilliot II, 6-year-old Karma Zilliot, and 5-year-old Phillip Zilliot III after a welfare check was requested on June 13. Concerned residents called the police after a witness reported seeing a puddle of blood and what appeared to be adult and child bodies during a video call.
When law enforcement arrived at the suspect’s home, he claimed to have no knowledge of the family’s disappearance, stating that they had left the property on June 12. However, a man later came forward claiming that the suspect had admitted to killing his roommates and their children. Investigators discovered a fire pit in the backyard with burned debris, and a cadaver dog found small skeletal remains, soft tissue, and two human vertebrae in the pit.
The suspect initially stated that he had evicted the family for unpaid rent, but they returned unexpectedly on the evening of June 12. He alleged that a confrontation ensued, during which the father of the family pulled out a gun and shot Mancini. The suspect claimed self-defense, stating that he then turned the gun on the father and shot him. He did not disclose how the two children died but alleged that the parents had killed them.
Despite the suspect’s claims of self-defense, detectives believe that the murders were premeditated, and the suspect attempted to conceal the crime by burning the evidence. He admitted to his involvement in the deaths of the adult victims and acknowledged that the children were also burned in the fire pit. The Pasco County Sheriff’s Office charged the suspect with first-degree murder, with additional charges pending as the investigation continues.
The suspect pleaded not guilty and is currently being held without bond. The remains have not been formally identified. Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, provided this report. She is based in Orlando, Florida, and can be contacted at sarah.rumpf@fox.com.