An Entire Family of 4 Went Missing. Police Just Allegedly Found Remains on Their Friend's Property

The family was last seen with Rory Atwood, who has since been arrested in connection with remains found on his property

Authorities in Florida are searching for a family of four they say went missing after the parents reportedly had an argument with a friend. Days after they disappeared, the friend was arrested when authorities allegedly found human remains on his property suspected to be those of the members of the missing family.

Police have identified the missing family members as Rain Mancini, Phillip Zilliot II, Karma Zilliot & Phillip Zilliot III who were last seen on Wednesday, June 12 in the city of Hudson, Fla., the Pasco Sheriff’s Office said in a statement last week.

On June 14, authorities found human remains on a Hudson property while “investigating multiple homicides” and arrested a man they believe may have “committed multiple homicides,” the sheriff’s office said in a follow-up statement.

The statement did not name the detained man but Sheriff Chris Nocco identified him as Rory Atwood, WFLA, ABC Action News and the Tampa Bay Times reported.

As of Monday morning, police have not confirmed the nature or quantity of the remains found on the property, WFLA reported. But Nocco said they likely belong to members of the missing family, per ABC Action News.

Atwood, 25, was charged with first-degree murder of a "John Doe" in connection with the remains being found, WFLA, ABC Action News and the Tampa Bay Times reported, citing Pasco County authorities.

“We believe [the family members] may be on the property deceased, but we do not know that definitively,” Nocco said, per WFLA and ABC Action News. “And we will do everything we can to track them down.”

Mancini, 26, and Phillip, 25, were reportedly drinking with Atwood on Wednesday night when an argument ensued, a friend told Pasco County sheriff officials, according to WFLA.

“Before leaving, Rain’s friend hears someone say, ‘because the last time this happened, you pulled a gun on us,’ referring to Rory,” Nocco said, per WFLA. “We do not have any police reports about that.”

Early Thursday morning, a friend of Atwood’s received a call where Atwood allegedly sounded panicked and said he had shot someone, Nocco said, per WFLA and ABC Action News. (Nocco said the sheriff’s office had received this tip about Atwood from third or fourth-hand sources.)

Police carried out an initial search of Atwood’s property and did not find anything, the Tampa Bay Times and ABC Action News reported, citing authorities.

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On Friday, relatives of the Mancini and Zilliot family told police they had not heard from the family, which was odd to them.

Nocco said the family was “transient, going from one place to another,” per ABC Action News.

"Their living situation was never the best,” he said, adding that “they were staying at Rory's for awhile and something happened. An argument came out of this one.”

Atwood, who was convicted of battery in 2022, has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge and has been assigned a public defender, online court records show. PEOPLE was not immediately able to reach his attorney.

A missing persons investigation remains open. Pasco County Sheriff is requesting anyone with information to contact the Pasco Sheriff’s Non-Emergency Line at 727-847-8102, option 7, or report tips online at PascoSheriff.com/tips.

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