Father indicted for fatal shooting of 15-year-old daughter in Dayton

DAYTON — A Dayton man has been indicted on counts in connection to the fatal shooting of his 15‐year‐old daughter, Montgomery County Prosecuting Attorney Mat Heck, Jr. announced Monday.

Kenneth Paul Farler III, 38, has been indicted on one count of involuntary manslaughter, one count of reckless homicide, one count of endangering children, eight counts of having weapons while under disability—two prior drug convictions, and four counts of having weapons while under disability— prior offense of violence.

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The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office identified the teen as Kendra Farler.

Police say Farler had a room at a boarding house in an east Dayton neighborhood. Sunday, his wife and three children, including 15-year-old Kendra, came to visit him.

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Police learned Farler also had several weapons in the room and the visit ended in a family tragedy.

“To say it was a tragedy is an understatement,” said Dayton Police Major Brian Johns.

Johns spoke about what happened at the boarding house just moments after prosecutors approved charges against Farler.

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On a 911 call moments after the shooting, Farler tried to blame his daughter’s death on an accidental shooting, saying his 15-year-old, autistic stepson was responsible.

“We have great investigators at the Dayton Police Department and they knew right away those stories were not consistent,” Johns said.

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Police say they discovered a shotgun and several other weapons in his boarding room, despite previous convictions that didn’t allow him to legally have a gun.

“This defendant was on probation at the time of the shooting, having been convicted of trafficking in cocaine less than a month ago,” Heck said. “He has been arrested approximately 40 times over the past 20 years and has previously been sentenced to the penitentiary. This defendant should never be allowed anywhere near a firearm and deserves to be in prison. A completely innocent 15‐year‐old girl has lost her life at the hands of her father.”

Farler is currently in custody in the Montgomery County Jail.

He will be arraigned on Thursday, April 25.

We will continue updating this story.

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