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Family Killed Near Disney World Died From Mix Of 'Homicidal Violence' And Allergy Med Toxicity, Autopsy Shows
Anthony Todt, 44, has been charged in the January deaths of his wife Megan Todt and their three children.
A medical examiner has determined that both "homicidal violence" and an overdose of an allergy drug played a role in the deaths of a family found slain near Disney World, allegedly at the hands of the victims' husband and father.
The bodies of Megan Todt, 42, Aleksander Todt, 13, Tyler Todt, 11, and Zoe Todt, 4, were found in January inside their home in Celebration, Florida, a town originally developed by The Walt Disney Company. The family dog Breezy had also been killed. The victims are believed to have died weeks earlier, around the same time that the family became unreachable.
Anthony Todt, 44, was formally charged with their murders in February; prosecutors also announced they’ll be seeking out the death penalty for him.
Todt was already being investigated by the FBI and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for alleged health care fraud pertaining to his former physical therapy practice in Connecticut.
The autopsy reports, released Tuesday by the Orange-Osceola County Medical Examiners Office and obtained by Oxygen.com, state that the family died from “homicidal violence of unspecified means" and “diphenhydramine toxicity.” The allergy medication Benadryl is a common brand of diphenhydramine.
Stab wounds were found on the abdomens of both Megan and the couple’s sons, Aleksander and Tyler. Megan was stabbed twice and each boy was stabbed once. Megan's stab wounds resulted in blood being found in her abdomen, which indicate they came during or before her death, according to the Orlando Sentinel. There was no blood found in Aleksander and Tyler’s abdomens. Zoey suffered no visible trauma but, like the rest of her family, the autopsy noted that she died of a mix of Benadryl and homicidal violence. It’s unclear how the dog died.
Investigative documents previously obtained by Oxygen.com revealed that all four bodies — which were found in the home’s master bedroom — were partially decomposed. Because of this, the family's blood was not able to be used for toxicology testing, according to the new autopsy reports. Hair samples and fluid taken from the victims' liver, brain and chest led the medical examiner to conclude that the bodies had severe levels of Benadryl in their systems.
As Todt was being arrested in January, he had to be taken to a hospital after he told investigators that he had also ingested a large quantity Benadryl and afterward he made comments about harming himself.
Todt is being held without bond for four counts of first-degree murder and on $1,500 bond for an animal cruelty charge. He has previously entered a not guilty plea, according to The Associated Press.
Todt also has experienced family violence before: his father hired someone to kill his mother, an attack he supposedly witnessed firsthand when he was 4.
