A woman, a man and their two children were found dead at a home in Doral in what is being investigated as a murder-suicide, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
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Doral Police officers were called to the area of Northwest 111th Court and Northwest 72nd Terrace in the Doral Isles neighborhood for a welfare check shortly after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Once there, police entered the home and found four unresponsive people. They had all suffered stab wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene.
The sheriff’s office identified the deceased as:
- Ryan Charles Whiten, 42
- Melanie Lauren Hyer, 46
- Savannah Whiten, 11
- Sienna Whiten, 8
Whiten and Hyer were the parents of the girls killed, but court records show that Hyer was married to another man until March of this year. Whiten’s last known address was an apartment also in the Doral Isles neighborhood.
Hyer was a successful realtor who was well known in the community, neighbors said.
On Wednesday morning, the Head of Schools at Downtown Doral Charter Schools sent a message to parents notifying them of the deaths of two students from Downtown Doral Elementary.
In the email, Jeannette Acevedo-Isenberg announced “the passing of two of our beloved DDCES students.”
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“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, our faculty, and staff at our elementary school, where they currently attended, and our upper school. Both students were deeply loved by their school, their teachers, and their peers,” the message read in part. “This morning, grief counselors will be available on campus to support our students and staff. We recognize that this news is difficult to process. We encourage parents to talk openly with their children and monitor their well-being. If you have concerns about how your child is coping, or if you feel they need additional support, please do not hesitate to contact our counseling department.”
Doral Mayor Christi Fraga also released a statement about the “tragic loss of life being reported.”
“Our Doral community is heartbroken by the unimaginable tragedy that has impacted a local family and taken the lives of a mother and her two young daughters,” she wrote in part. “As a mother, and as someone who personally knew and admired the loving and dedicated mother at the center of this tragedy, this loss feels especially close to home.”
She asked for prayers for the affected and “for the healing of our community.”
“This tragedy is also a painful reminder that we must continue having honest conversation about mental health, domestic violence, emotional wellness, and the importance of speaking out when something feels wrong. We must check on one another, ask difficult questions, and encourage those struggling to seek help before situations escalate into irreversible heartbreak,” her statement continued.
Neighbors said they were shocked to learn the news.
“Really really sad, everybody’s sad in the community,” said Chelo Paredes, who lives near the home.
Paredes said she communicated with the mother on a neighborhood group chat.
“Everybody’s really really sad and surprised, because we don’t understand what happened,” Paredes said.
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If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.