Kenneth Farler: Man prohibited from using firearm fatally shoots teen daughter and blames autistic stepson

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

MONTGOMERY, OHIO: A 38-year-old man from Ohio has been accused of fatally shooting his 15-year-old daughter and then calling 911, placing blame on his stepson who has autism.

Kenneth Paul Farler III, the defendant, is currently detained without bond in Montgomery County Jail.

He faces charges including involuntary manslaughter, a weapons violation, probation violation, and child endangerment, the Law & Crime reported.

Police determined Kenneth Farler's statements during the call to be false

The tragic shooting occurred on Sunday, April 14th, in the 400 block of Bowen Street, Dayton. 

During the 911 call, Farler purportedly informed the dispatcher that his stepson accidentally discharged the firearm, resulting in the death of his 15-year-old daughter. 

He expressed, "My stepson, he’s autistic, he had no, it was an accident ma’am, He’s autistic. He had no (expletive) idea what he was doing." 

Dayton Police Major Brian Johns stated that subsequent investigation and interviews revealed Farler's statements during the call to be false. 

Johns added, "The young lady was shot and killed by her father inside the Bowen Street address To say it was a tragedy is an understatement."

He continued, “I don’t know how I could paint the picture for you, but you have a father living in a boarding house which is very small, actually in a room, where this murder occurred, along with 3 other children and the mother.”

Furthermore, officers noted that Farler had previously been arrested on drug trafficking charges. As a convicted felon, Farler was prohibited from possessing a firearm. They allege he utilized a shotgun to fatally shoot his daughter.

Furthermore, Johns emphasized that investigators are convinced the shooting was deliberate, the WDTN reported.

He stated, "I would say it’s not an accident, Our victim was asking him to not point the shotgun at her prior to her death. That’s not an accident." 

How did a neighbor react amid shooting?

According to another 911 call, a witness purportedly informed the dispatcher that while in their car, they heard a gunshot followed by repeated exclamations of "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God." 

The caller added, "She's a kid, I just heard a gunshot and heard them scream." 

Nancy Ledbetter, a neighbor who was startled by the gunfire, recounted, "I kind of was, you know, wondering what was going on, so I started to walk over there, and right across the street at the corner, there was a lady, and I asked her, ‘Do you happen to know what’s going on?’ She says my granddaughter was shot."

Police state that they are continuing to investigate the incident and have reported finding no drugs or alcohol at the scene.

Additionally, they are probing into who supplied the gun to Farler. This individual could potentially face charges for furnishing a firearm to a felon.