Anthony Todt found guilty of murdering wife, 3 kids in Celebration
CELEBRATION, Fla. - Anthony Todt was found guilty Thursday night in the 2019 deaths of his wife, three kids, and a family dog, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A jury found him guilty on four counts of first-degree murder – one count each for the deaths of his wife and three kids – and one count of cruelty to animals in the death of a family dog.
The verdict came roughly seven hours after closing arguments ended Thursday morning and the jury began deliberating.
The judge sentenced Todt to life in prison without the possibility of parole on each murder charge and the maximum year sentence on the animal cruelty charge and stipulated that those sentences be served consecutively.
Todt pleaded not guilty to all counts.
He testified in his own defense during trial and claimed that his wife, Megan, was responsible for the deaths of their kids due to an apparent "apocalyptic death pact."
"He gave one complete statement to law enforcement and a completely different statement to you in court yesterday," prosecutor Danielle Pinnell said during closing arguments, referring to a recorded interview between Todt and police officers where Todt detailed how his wife and kids were killed.
RELATED: Anthony Todt murder trial: Todt claims his wife killed his children, not him
Todt told the court that he did not remember the interview and claimed that he had fallen down some steps and hit his head.
"Just because he’s taken responsibility for it, doesn’t mean he committed the acts and doesn’t mean he did it," said Todt's defense attorney Alesha Smith, claiming that Todt tried to protect his wife's alleged action.
WHAT DID ANTHONY TODT SAY IN COURT?
"I came home and my kids were dead," Todt said Wednesday in court, crying. "Most horrible day of my life."
"She had blood on her shirt and after I said a few uncolored words to her, I then discovered the kids, I went into their rooms and found them dead," he said.
In his own words: Anthony Todt testifies in his defense
Both the prosecution and defense rested their cases Wednesday in the murder trial of Anthony Todt, the man accused of killing in wife, three children, and their family dog in an apparent doomsday pact in 2019 inside their home in Celebration, Florida.
He insinuated there was something in the dessert she made for the kids, which he didn't eat.
"When I found out what happened I puked, I cried," he said.
The Medical Examiner said all family members died by homicidal violence and that all of them had toxic amounts of Benadryl in their bodies.
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