Looking For The Todt Family

The Day

On January 13, 2020, four bodies were found inside a home in Celebration, Florida – a small community near Disney World. The bodies were those of Megan Todt, 42, a stay-at-home mom, yoga instructor, and former physical therapist, and her children, Alek Todt, 13, Tyler Todt, 11, and Zoe Todt, 4. They had all been drugged with Benadryl and Megan, Alek, Tyler, and Breezy, the family’s dog, had been stabbed. According to the medical examiner, they had been dead for weeks. Tony Todt, Megan’s husband and the children’s father, was found inside the home with their bodies. He was arrested and charged with murder. This podcast explores every facet of this case, from Tony’s violent family history to the FBI investigation surrounding Tony’s healthcare fraud, the murders themselves, and Tony’s revelations, and accusations, from jail. It also will follow the case through Tony Todt’s trial. Produced by The Day. read less

Our Editor's Take

The Looking for the Todt Family podcast tells the tragic story of a baffling true crime. A wellness check in early 2020 unveiled the horrific murders of four family members. Authorities found the father and husband, Tony Todt, inside the house with the bodies.

What caused this horror to unfold? Why did a well-respected family man, Tony Todt, sit inside with the bodies of his family for days? And, of course, will there be justice for the Todt family? Hosts Sten Spinella and Taylor Harts look into the inner workings of the investigation. Across 14 episodes, this podcast follows the story of this crime from beginning to end.

Each guest who helps tell the story offers both context and thorough research. The podcast contains analysis of Tony Todt's trial. The series includes police recordings as well as interviews with family and local community members. One guest even reads a shocking letter sent by Tony to his father. It contains his account of how his family died.

What this podcast does best is to penetrate one man's facade. The Todt family's life had appeared so ideal. But Tony was already in trouble for healthcare fraud. The FBI was getting involved. The marriage was failing. And nothing was as it seemed.

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Bonus: Interview with a Juror

Bonus: Interview with a Juror

Manny Lozada was a member of the jury that convicted Tony Todt. He speaks about the trauma of seeing the images entered into evidence and explains the temporary deadlock.

Episodes

Bonus: Interview with a Juror

Bonus: Interview with a Juror

Manny Lozada was a member of the jury that convicted Tony Todt. He speaks about the trauma of seeing the images entered into evidence and explains the temporary deadlock.

Episode 14 - A Destroyer of Worlds

Episode 14 - A Destroyer of Worlds

In the series finale, the trial comes to a sudden, and somewhat strange, conclusion. The content of the family's alleged suicide note is revealed, and we hear one last time from some of the people whose lives have been touched by this tragedy. To see the printed note that was entered into evidence at the trial, visit https://www.theday.com/local-news/20220726/looking-for-the-todt-family-podcast-finale-to-focus-on-suicide-note/

Episode 13 - Tony Takes the Stand

Episode 13 - Tony Takes the Stand

On day three of the trial, Tony is the only witness called to testify in his defense. He gets emotional when speaking about his family, and he gets angry when pressed by the prosecution during cross-examination.

Episode 12 - The Confession

Episode 12 - The Confession

Police in Florida announced more than two years ago that Anthony Todt had confessed to killing his family. On day two of the trial, we finally get to hear what Tony told police in January of 2020.

Episode 11 - Florida v. Anthony J. Todt

Episode 11 - Florida v. Anthony J. Todt

After a two-year wait, the murder trial of Tony Todt gets underway at the Osceola County Courthouse in Kissimmee, Florida. Todt was accused of killing his wife Megan, their children Alek, Tyler and Zoe, and the family dog Breezy.

Sten and Taylor answer your questions

Sten and Taylor answer your questions

We asked you to send us your questions about the case, and you sent us quite a few. Sten and Taylor talk about what we know, what we don't know, and how reporting on this story affected them. If you have a question, send us a voice memo or an email at todtpodcast@theday.com.

Send us your questions

Send us your questions

Next week, Taylor and Sten will be answering questions from the audience. If you have a question, send us a voice memo or an email at todtpodcast@theday.com.

Episode 10 - Incoming Call

Episode 10 - Incoming Call

After reporting on this story for more than a year, there is still a lot we don't know. We have been unable to speak with the only person who knows for sure what happened inside 202 Reserve Place, until now. If you have questions for a Q&A episode with Taylor and Sten, send us a voice memo or an email at todtpodcast@theday.com.

Announcement: An Unexpected Development

Announcement: An Unexpected Development

Episode 10 will be delayed until next week due to an unexpected development.

Episode 9 - The Letter, Part 2

Episode 9 - The Letter, Part 2

In the second half of the 27-page letter Tody Todt sent from jail to his estranged father, Tony describes what he found when he returned home the morning after his children were killed. To read Tony's letter in its entirety, visit the episode page at https://www.theday.com/podcasts-by-the-day/20210311/episode-9---letter-part-2

Episode 8 - The Letter, Part 1

Episode 8 - The Letter, Part 1

On June 19, 2020, Tony wrote a letter from jail to his father, Robert Todt. In 27 hand-written pages, he catches Robert up on his family's lives leading up to the murder, and describes the night they died in great detail. Tony also says he is innocent of both the murders and the health care fraud, and lays the blame on someone else. To see the full letter in PDF format, visit the episode page at https://www.theday.com/podcasts-by-the-day/20210303/episode-8---letter-part-1

Episode 7 - What's up, Cheesepuff?

Episode 7 - What's up, Cheesepuff?

We hear Tony's voice for the first time, in a series of phone calls from jail to his sister. Tony says he was not there the night of the murders, and places the blame on someone else.

Episode 6 - Celebration

Episode 6 - Celebration

The murders of the Todt family in the Disney-developed town of Celebration, Florida, impacted a community once founded on neighborly engagement. Some Celebration residents saw the tragedy as a wake-up call, a reminder that darkness may be present behind the happy facades we see on the outside. Scenes from the public memorial service in Celebration Video of the special prayer service at Community Presbyterian Church

Episode 5 - Like Father, Like Son?

Episode 5 - Like Father, Like Son?

Almost 40 years before Tony Todt was charged with killing his wife and children, his father Robert Todt was convicted of hiring someone to kill his wife Loretta, Tony’s mother. Tony was just four years old and was home the night his mother was shot in their home in Pennsylvania. Loretta was shot in the face but survived. Robert, who still maintains his innocence, reflects on how this traumatic event led to his son’s fate and recalls the details of his own arrest and trial. For more stories, photos and videos, visit www.lookingforthetodtfamily.com

Episode 4 - A Double Life

Episode 4 - A Double Life

Before he was arrested on murder charges, Tony Todt was a man deep in debt and in trouble with the law. A federal health care fraud investigation into his physical therapy practices found a brazen false claims scheme. Patients and employees of Tony recall a visit from the FBI to Tony's offices and the unceremonious end of Family Physical Therapy, with Tony fleeing to Florida. For more stories, photos and videos, visit www.lookingforthetodtfamily.com

Episode 3 - It Doesn't Make Any Sense

Episode 3 - It Doesn't Make Any Sense

Tony and Megan Todt were high school sweethearts. Tony was voted most likely to succeed by his classmates. Friends described Megan as a ray of sunshine. Yearbook photos, text messages and social media posts portrayed a perfect, happy loving couple. No one who knew Tony and Megan can make any sense of the tragedy. More photos, episodes and stories at www.lookingforthetodtfamily.com

Episode 2 - The Bedroom Upstairs

Episode 2 - The Bedroom Upstairs

Friends and family were not the only ones looking for Tony Todt. On January 13, 2020, federal agents went to the Todt family's home in Celebration, Fla., to arrest Tony on charges of healthcare fraud. When they entered the house, they made a disturbing discovery. To see crime scene photos and autopsy reports, visit https://www.theday.com/podcasts-by-the-day/20210120/episode-2---bedroom-upstairslookingforthetodtfamily.com.

Episode 1 - Off the Grid

Episode 1 - Off the Grid

A seemingly happy family from small town Connecticut goes missing. At first, relatives thought that the Todt family was sick with the flu. Then, when no one could reach them, people speculated that the Todts had "gone off the grid" on vacation or on the run. They soon learned that the truth was much worse than that. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts Subscribe on Podbean For all of our coverage of the Todt family murders, visit https://www.lookingforthetodtfamily.com

Trailer - A well-respected family man was found living with the bodies of his dead family

Trailer - A well-respected family man was found living with the bodies of his dead family

The story of how a well-respected family man was found living with the bodies of his dead family for weeks and wound up in jail, accused of their murders.