Man sentenced to death for slaughtering 15-year-old boy
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Inset: Khyler Edman (Life Celebration Center). background: Ryan Cole during his trial for killing Khyler (WFTX).

A Florida judge on Monday sentenced a man to death for the murder of a 15-year-old boy who was shielding his sister as the man broke into their home.

The judge upheld the jury’s recommendation, which was decided by a 10-2 vote, to sentence 33-year-old Ryan Cole to death for the 2019 murder of Khyler Edman at a residence in Port Charlotte. Earlier this year, the jury found Cole guilty of first-degree murder and burglary.

Prosecutors highlighted in a document supporting the death penalty for Cole that he was without financial resources and under the influence of heroin and methamphetamine on September 26, 2019. This led him to target Khyler’s home for a burglary, believing he might find drugs or money inside.

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Cole used a tool to gain entry into the carport of the house around 4 p.m. Upon entering the kitchen, he came across Khyler, who was at home with his 5-year-old sister, while their mother was away at work.

Khyler grabbed a chef’s knife to try to protect himself and his sister. A video clip from home security footage mostly captured audio of what happened next.

“During the six (6) second video clip, a voice can be heard stating ‘Come here friend’ and splatters of blood are seen dropping to the floor,” prosecutors wrote.

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Cole stabbed Khyler four times in the chest and abdomen. The boy died on the floor. His sister was hiding under a bed and was not physically injured. Cops later found Cole nearby, his hand bloodied from apparently grabbing the knife and overpowering Khyler. He claimed not to have remembered the attack.

Prosecutors argued that there were several aggravating factors that supported Cole receiving the death penalty. First, the murder occurred during a burglary. Second, Cole’s actions were “heinous, meaning extremely wicked or shockingly evil.”

“The Defendant’s voice on the video clip inside the kitchen stating, ‘Come here friend,’ is especially wicked and shockingly evil, as the Defendant was taunting a young boy,” prosecutors wrote. “The video documents that the Defendant was chasing [Khyler] inside his own home. Rather than leaving the home when the Defendant realized the home was occupied, the Defendant proceeded to grab the knife and repeatedly stab 15-year-old [Khyler].”

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