DORAL, FLA. (WSVN) - A woman, a man and their two young daughters were found dead inside their home in a gated Doral community in what detectives described as an apparent murder-suicide, prompting a homicide investigation.
Doral Police units responded to a call of a welfare check in the area of Northwest 111th Court and 72nd Terrace, in the Catalina section within the Doral Isles community, just after 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Officers who responded to the call, made by a family friend, entered the residence to find four unresponsive people with stab wounds: a woman, a man and two girls ages 8 and 11.
Paramedics with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue responded to the home and pronounced the four of them dead at the scene.
One neighbor shared cellphone video showing the street full of first responders.
Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Homicide Bureau detectives responded to the scene and took over the ongoing investigation. They later identified the people found deceased as 46-year-old Melanie Hyer, 42-year-old Ryan Whiten, 11-year-old Savannah Whiten and 8-year-old Sienna Whiten.
As of late Wednesday afternoon, it remains unclear who did the stabbing as the medical examiner is still investigating.
7News obtained an old video of Hyer in happier times as she sang karaoke.
According to Ryan’s ex-wife, who divorced him in 2024, said Hyer and Ryan were together for a few years but ended up going their separate ways.
A court document shows Hyer and Ryan married other people.
But the ex-wife said the relationship between Hyer and him was toxic for years as they fought over their two daughters.
“I’m in shock,” said the ex-wife, who did not want to be identified, in Spanish during a phone interview with 7News.
She said that despite the divorce, she never saw signs of violence between Hyer and Ryan, but has always heard that Ryan feared Hyer would eventually take his daughters away from him.
“He was always so sweet with his girls and loved them deeply. I don’t know what happened,” said the ex-wife as she fought back tears during the conversation.
She told 7News that Ryan reached out to her three weeks ago, telling her how thankful he was to have her in his life. She said looking back at the message, it appears as if he was saying goodbye.
In a social media post in Spanish, the ex-wife expanded on her grief and added that she never imagined something like this could have occurred.
Area residents on Wednesday were shocked to learn about the disturbing discovery.
“Oh, my God. It really surprised me, because it’s a community [that’s] very safe, so we don’t understand what happened,” said neighbor Chelo Paredes. “I’m really, really sad, everybody’s sad in the community.”
By all accounts, from social media to those who knew her, Hyer was a successful realtor, loving mother and a good friend to everybody.
Doral Mayor Christi Fraga released a statement that reads:
Our Doral community is heartbroken by the unimaginable tragedy that has impacted a local family and taken the lives of a mother and her two young daughters. 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. My heart aches for their loved ones, classmates, teachers, friends, neighbors, and everyone grieving during this incredibly painful time. Please join me in praying for this family, for all those affected, and for the healing of our community. This tragedy is also a painful reminder that we must continue having honest conversations about mental health, domestic violence, emotional wellness, and the importance of speaking up when something feels wrong. We must check on one another, ask difficult questions, and encourage those struggling to seek help before situations escalate into irreversible heartbreak.”
The mayor also shared the following resources for victims of domestic or emotional abuse:
• Miami-Dade Domestic Violence Hotline: 305-285-5900
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-SAFE (7233)
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
Speaking to 7News on Wednesday, Fraga remembered Hyer as a ray of sunshine.
“When it hits so close to home, someone we knew and interacted with, it’s particularly difficult and just reminds us of – if we did more, what could we do and was there something we didn’t realize,” said Fraga. “We send, not just our prayers, for the family left behind, the students, teachers, community, but we pray for their souls and for peace for them at this point.”
The two young girls attended Downtown Doral Charter schools along with Fraga’s children.
“We became friends. [Melanie] played field hockey for our adult team. She invited me to games. We saw each other most mornings dropping off our kids, and she was always a ray of sunshine, always had a smile on her face,” said the mayor.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Downtown Doral Charter wrote:
“Our community is mourning the loss of two of our beloved students. Our heartfelt sympathies are with their families, friends, faculty and staff at our schools. These students will be deeply missed. To support our students and staff, the school has arranged to have grief counselors on campus and will continue to provide support as needed. We encourage parents to talk openly with their children and closely monitor their well-being. Parents with any concerns or in need of additional support should contact the school.”
Fraga also had a message to the Doral community.
“For us too, as we observe our friends, we also need to say something if we see something and support each other. So at this time, I call for everyone to gather together, have conversations, don’t be afraid to break the stereotype and face something that could save a life,” she said.
MDSO homicide detectives haven’t specified a motive or how long the bodies were in the home before they were discovered, as they attempt to determine what triggered this tragedy.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.