Authorities said four people, including two children, were found with stab wounds during a welfare check.
DORAL, Fla. — A South Florida realtor, her two daughters and the girls’ father were found dead Tuesday night inside a Doral Isles home in what authorities are investigating as an apparent murder-suicide.
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office officials identified the victims as Melanie Lauren Hyer, 46; Ryan Charles Whiten, 42; Savannah Whiten, 11; and Sienna Whiten, 8. The deaths have shaken neighbors, school families and South Florida real estate professionals who knew Hyer through her work and community ties.
Doral police officers were called shortly after 7:30 p.m. Tuesday to a home near Northwest 111th Court and Northwest 72nd Terrace for a welfare check. Officers entered the home and found four people unresponsive. Authorities said all four had suffered stab wounds and were pronounced dead at the scene. The sheriff’s office said homicide detectives believe the case is a murder-suicide, but investigators have not publicly said who carried out the killings.
Hyer was known in South Florida as a probate real estate professional and had appeared in local news interviews to discuss the housing market and estate-related property issues. Sources close to the case said Hyer and Whiten had separated years ago and were co-parenting their daughters. Court records showed Hyer had been married to another man until March. Whiten also had remarried, and that marriage had ended. His last known address was an apartment in the Doral Isles neighborhood.
The deaths brought grief to Downtown Doral Elementary, where Savannah and Sienna attended school. Head of Schools Jeannette Acevedo-Isenberg wrote to parents that both girls were deeply loved by their school, teachers and peers. Grief counselors were made available Wednesday for students and staff. The girls also were remembered by the Doral Field Hockey team, which posted a tribute after learning of their deaths.
Doral Mayor Christi Fraga, who said she knew Hyer and her daughters personally, called the deaths an unimaginable tragedy. Fraga said the loss felt close to home as a mother and as someone who admired Hyer as a loving and involved parent. Former NBC6 journalist Willard Shepard, a friend of Hyer, said she was generous, careful in her work and well regarded by people who knew her professionally.
Detectives are working with the Miami-Dade County Medical Examiner’s Office as the investigation continues. Autopsy findings are expected to help confirm the order and manner of the deaths. As of Thursday, officials had not announced any prior warning signs, a motive or a final investigative finding.
Police remained focused on the Doral Isles home and the family’s recent history as the community mourned the deaths. The next formal update is expected after the medical examiner completes key findings.
Author note: Last updated Thursday, June 4, 2026.