A teenage boy died while trying to protect his home and 5-year-old sister from a burglar, Florida authorities said.
Khyler Edman, 15, was at home in Port Charlotte with his sibling last Thursday, Sept. 26, Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said.
The discovery of Khyler’s body came after authorities were called to the neighborhood about a suspicious person walking in the area.
That man fled; soon after, a 911 call came from a residence complaining of a burglar. The suspect, who had wounds on his hand, was taken into custody after a brief pursuit.
Deputies found Khyler’s body while searching to see whether other homes had been entered. That was the case with the house where they found the teen’s body.
“We believe the teenager was trying to protect the home and protect (his) younger sibling,” Prummell said at a news conference.
Investigators believe Khyler died after the suspect entered the home, resulting in “a violent encounter,” said Prummell.
Sheriff’s spokesman Skip Conroy told CNN there was a “physical struggle,” but said that details could not be released. The younger sister was unharmed.
Memorials Planned
Khyler’s family is asking for privacy during this difficult time. They posted on an update on their GoFundMe page to help with burial costs.
“On September 26, Khyler lost his life being a hero protecting his five-year-old sister, when a man broke in our home in Port Charlotte. Please help my family at this time give Khyler a proper burial he deserves, he was only 15 years old and lost his life due to a senseless act of a stranger. My son had a long life ahead of him, that was taken too soon. I have given Crystal Stone and Chad Ackermann permission to help my family at this time,” GoFundMe post.
According to the post, there will be a fundraiser event at Harbor heights park on Saturday, October 5, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Khyler was in 10th grade at Charlotte High School, where he was in the JROTC and took some honors classes, said Mike Riley, the school and community liaison for Charlotte County Public Schools.
“He was the kind of kid you would want to be your son,” Riley told CNN. “He was polite to everyone. He laid his life down to save his baby sister and showed his community how much of a hero he was.”
There are plans to memorialize Khyler this week through student-driven activities, Riley said, adding the teenager’s death is a “horrific thing” for the community on southwest Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Suspect Being Held for Other Charges
The suspect, 27-year-old Ryan Clayton Cole, is being held for other charges and is known to law enforcement, Prummell said. He has a history of drug use and was on probation when arrested.
He made his first court appearance Tuesday on burglary and theft charges, and was given bond, but is being held without bond for violating his parole, according to records from the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
He has not yet been charged in connection with Khyler’s death, Conroy, the sheriff’s spokesman, said.
Prummell said his office was working with the state attorney’s office to bring charges in the case. “We are working very closely with the state attorney’s office to make sure we provide the best case we can …” said Prummell.
A lawyer had not been assigned to the suspect, according to the state attorney’s office.
