Florida dad killed daughters and prominent realtor before killing himself, officials confirm

A Florida dad committed ‘heinous acts’ when he fatally stabbed his real estate agent ex-wife and their two young children before killing himself.Ryan Charles Whiten, 42, murdered his estranged ex Melanie Hyer and their daughters, Savannah, 11, and Sienna, 8, as all four were found dead inside Hyer’s home in a gated community in Doral, Fla., Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office detectives confirmed Thursday.“The investigation revealed that Mr.Whiten committed these heinous acts and then took his own life,” officials said.Authorities have not said how long the bodies were inside the home or revealed a possible motive for the killings, and the investigation is ongoing.Police discovered the gruesome scene when they reported to the residence for a welfare check on Tuesday night.

All four family members were pronounced dead from stab wounds.Hyer and Whiten had separated years earlier and were co-parenting their daughters at the time of their deaths.Both had been married to other people since they split.Hyer had only finalized her divorce in March, court records obtained by NBC6 show.Whiten’s ex-wife described the relationship between Whiten and Hyer as “toxic” for years due to a bitter, drawn-out battle over their daughters despite their co-parenting efforts.

Whiten’s ex-wife — who divorced him in 2024 and asked not to be identified — told 7 News Miami that her ex-husband feared Hyer would one day take his daughters away from him, but was “shocked” to hear about the murders.“He was always so sweet with his girls and loved them deeply.I don’t know what happened,” his ex-wife said.

Hyer, 46, originally from Manhasset, NY, worked as a probate real estate agent in South Florida, specializing in luxury waterfront and commercial properties, and appeared as an industry expert on multiple news outlets throughout her career, according to her LinkedIn profile.Doral Mayor Christi Fraga remembered Melanie Hyer as “a light of sunshine” who was “always...