A Miami real estate agent, her two young daughters, and their estranged father have been discovered dead in what authorities believe is a murder-suicide at a family residence in Florida.
Melanie Hyer, 46, her daughters Savannah, 11, and Sienna, 8, along with the children's father, 42-year-old Ryan Charles Whiten, were found during a welfare check at Hyer's home in Doral on Tuesday evening, according to the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office.
Deputies reported that all four individuals had sustained stab wounds and are treating the case as a murder-suicide.
Hyer, originally from Manhasset, New York, worked as a probate real estate agent in South Florida, specializing in luxury waterfront and commercial properties. According to her LinkedIn profile, she was also featured as an industry expert in various media outlets throughout her career.
Police stated that Hyer and Whiten had separated years earlier but continued co-parenting their daughters. Both had previously been married to other partners and were later divorced, NBC6 reported.
The relationship between Hyer and Whiten had been strained. Whiten's ex-wife told 7 News Miami that their relationship had been "toxic" for years and involved a long-running dispute over custody of their children.
However, she also expressed shock at the news of the deaths and remembered Whiten as a devoted father. She said she had never witnessed any signs of violence between him and Hyer.
"I don't know what happened," she said.
She added that Whiten had feared losing custody of his daughters and had contacted her three weeks before the incident to express gratitude, a message she now believes may have been a quiet goodbye.
Community leaders in Doral described the incident as devastating. Mayor Christi Fraga said she personally knew Hyer and her children and called the deaths an "unimaginable tragedy."
"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," Fraga wrote in an Instagram post.
She also described Hyer as "a light of sunshine" who was deeply involved in her children's school life and always willing to help.
This tragic event has left the community in mourning as authorities continue their investigation.
