Warning: This article contains distressing details of a murder case involving children and suicide
A father who was at the centre of a family murder investigation issued a chilling confession after the bodies of his wife and three children were found in his home.
Anthony John Todt was working as a physical therapist in Connecticut, US, while residing in Florida with his wife, Megan Todt, 42, 13-year-old son, Alek, 11-year-old son, Tyler, youngest child, Zoe and their dog, Breezy.
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In January 2020, FBI agents knocked on their front door as Todt's physical therapy business was hit with fraud charges.
When inside, they discovered the corpses of all four family members along with their deceased pet.
Watch below as Todt harrowingly confesses to the murders:
The crimes took place between 14 December and 18 December, 2019.
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During his videotaped confession, Todt detailed how he killed his wife and children, holding a pillow over Zoe's head for 10 to 15 minutes.
“How long did she kick and scream?” a detective asked.
“Only for a couple of minutes,” Todt replied.
While his testimony changed multiple times throughout the case, he said that he and Megan consulted each other over the murders.
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The father said he stabbed and smothered his eldest son, as Megan, he claims, left 'midway'.
He said his wife was 'doing meditations' while the murders took place.
The reason he gave for killing them is that 'we had salvation in mind', he said.
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After murdering every person and animal in the house, Todt said he spent weeks with the corpses of his family and left home several times to go to McDonald's and buy alcohol.
He claims he also tried to take his own life, but failed.
However, in a letter dated 19 June 2020, the murderer went against his wife in the confession, writing: "Long story short, she gave them the Benadryl/Tylenol PM pie, separated them, woke up at 11:30 [p.m.], stabbed and then suffocated each one.
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"At the news of this I ran to the bathroom and puked — I was weak."
Amid the contradictions, Todt was convicted of four counts of first degree murder as well as one count of animal cruelty and sentenced to life in jail without the possibly of parole in 2022.
Anish Vij