DORAL, Fla. — The Doral community is mourning the loss of a family found dead inside their home earlier this week as investigators continue to look into what authorities have classified a murder-suicide.
Those killed have since been identified by the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office as Ryan Charles Whiten, 42; Melanie Lauren Hyer, 46; and their daughters, Savannah Whiten, 11, and Sienna Whiten, 8.
Ryan Whiten and Hyer had been divorced for years, records show.
According to investigators, Doral police officers responded to a home in the gated Doral Isles community Tuesday night after a concerned family friend requested a welfare check.
Authorities said officers entered the home and found all four dead. Police confirmed they all had stab wounds on their bodies.
MDSO homicide detectives have classified the case a murder-suicide, although authorities have not publicly identified which person they believe was responsible.
As the investigation continues, neighbors and parents in the community are struggling to come to terms with the killings.
“That is a tragedy,” said Anderina Zerpa, who lives nearby. “That is a worst nightmare for a parent,”
Zerpa said she was stunned to learn what happened so close to home.
“I live super close to their house and I didn’t even know,” she added.
Among those grieving is Doral Mayor Christi Fraga, who said she knew Hyer personally through their children’s school community.
“I had her almost every morning dropping off my child, my son,” Fraga said.
Fraga described Hyer as a parent who worked to bring families together.
“She’s the one that created the chat of all the moms to kind of go have lunches and stuff and get together and build a community around our kids,” she added.
Fraga said she hopes the family is remembered for the positive impact they had on those around them rather than the circumstances of their deaths.
“We want to remember them by their bubbly personalities, their beautiful smiles and pray for their souls, pray for their families and for everyone that surrounded them that this will impact,” she added.
A representative for Downtown Doral Charter Schools previously confirmed that Savannah and Sienna were students at the school, where grief counselors have been made available to students and staff.
Fraga has also encouraged anyone experiencing domestic violence or mental health challenges to seek help.
Resources are available through the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office’s domestic violence services program and the city of Doral’s mental health resources webpage.
MDSO Homicide Bureau detectives have taken over the investigation into the deaths.
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