Florida Murder-Suicide Dad Kills Minor Kids, Ex-Wife Before Stabbing Himself

Published June 5, 2026 7:57 AM PDT

Update in the suspected murder-suicide down in Florida ... officials say Ryan Whiten slaughtered his ex-wife and their daughters before killing himself.

As we reported ... Ryan, his ex-wife, Melanie Hyer, and their daughters Savannah and  Sienna, were found dead with stab wounds in their Doral home Tuesday after deputies from the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office responded to a welfare check.

MDSO suspected a murder-suicide but didn't know who did the stabbing ... and now they've determined it was Ryan.

Police have not released a motive for the heinous act or detailed how long they were dead before being found.

The investigation is ongoing.

Melanie and Ryan were previously married and were co-parenting their daughters at the time of their deaths. They had each remarried after their split, though Melanie had finalized a divorce in March, per court records obtained by TMZ.

Ryan’s ex-wife, who divorced him in 2024, told 7 News Miami Melanie and Ryan had a toxic relationship and often fought over their kids, but was shocked to hear about their murders.

She recalled ... "He was always so sweet with his girls and loved them deeply. I don’t know what happened."

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