In the Doral Isles neighborhood, Doral police officers were called at 7:30 p.m. to the area of Northwest 111th Court and Northwest 72nd Terrace on Tuesday night to check on the residents. Tragically, they found the bodies of Ryan Charles Whiten, 42, Melanie Lauren Hyer, 46, Savannah Whiten, 11, and Sienna Whiten, 8, with knife wounds, according to the MDSO, which is in charge of the investigation.
A neighbor who worked with her went to the house to check on her and received no answer, so he called the police.
Whiten and Hyer were the parents of the deceased girls, but court records indicate that Hyer, the mother, was a successful real estate agent and had been married to another man until March of this year. Whiten’s last known address was an apartment also in the Doral Isles neighborhood. Court records also show that Hyer and Whiten had been married to other people, but were divorced at the time of their deaths.
Jeannette Acevedo-Isenberg, director of Downtown Doral Charter Schools, sent a message to parents Wednesday morning notifying them of the passing of two students from Downtown Doral Elementary School.
In the email, she announced “the passing of two of our beloved DDCES students.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, and the faculty and staff at both the elementary and middle schools they attended. Both students were well-loved by their school, teachers, and classmates,” the message read in part. “This morning, grief counselors will be available on campus to provide support to our students and staff. We know this news is difficult to process. We encourage parents to talk openly with their children and stay informed about their well-being. If you are concerned about how your child is coping or believe they need additional support, please do not hesitate to contact our counseling department.”
Christi Fraga, the Mayor of Doral, also issued a statement regarding the tragic loss of life.
Mayor Fraga says she knew Hyer and her daughters.
“She was a light of sunshine and was always eager to help at school and to be involved as a mom, so when I got the news, it definitely hit close to home,” said Fraga.
