Charlotte County, FL — A 15-year old boy is dead after fighting off a home invader in Port Charlotte, FL.
Police found the young man’s body after they were called to the neighborhood by another resident.
That resident reported seeing an injured man walking down the street and between houses in their neighborhood.
Police said that the call came just before 4:00 on Thursday, September 26th.
While on the way to the home near Starlight Land and Ocean Blvd, police saw the injured man in question slipping between houses.
While they were pursuing him, a call came from another resident: this time reporting a burglary. The homeowner reported that an unknown man had entered his home but had been chased off.
Police realized that they might not be looking for an injured man who was the victim of a crime.
Instead, it was possible they were looking for a man who had been injured while committing a burglary.
They quickly canvased the neighborhood and found the suspect. He was later identified as 27-year-old Ryan Clayton Cole. When they found him hiding between two houses in the neighborhood, he had several stab wounds on his torso and hands. He was transported via ambulance to the hospital.
Meanwhile, a rapid door-to-door search began. It was then that they found that another house on Starlight land had been burgled. Inside the home was the body of a 15-year-old Khyler Edman. Near his body, they found his unharmed 5-year-old sister.
Burglary Gone Wrong
Police believe that Cole was wounded by the young man when he broke into the home, but the young man was unable to overpower the older man.
“A violent encounter ensued where we believe that the teenager was trying to protect the home and protect their younger sibling,” Sheriff Bill Prummell said at a press conference.
The family confirmed the story in a recent GoFundMe post asking for help covering funeral expenses and alternate lodgings while their home is an active crime scene.
Crystal Stone, a friend of the family who is assisting with the GoFundMe said that Kyhler Edman “loved his family. He was his sister’s keeper.”
Cole, meanwhile, had multiple drug convictions and was out on parole.
Sheriff Prumell said of the ongoing investigation, “We are working very closely with the State Attorney’s Office to make sure that we provide the best case we can so this individual does not see the light of day again.”
A Hero’s Sacrifice Is Never Forgotten
What a heroic young man.
Prepare yourself and your family, and train them in using a firearm to defend themselves.
Show them where they are in your house, and drill what they should do in a scenario like the one Khyler faced.
That is how we can honor this brave young man.
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