A 38-year-old Ohio man, Kenneth Paul Farler III, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter among other charges in connection with the 2024 death of his 15-year-old daughter, Kendra Farler. At the time, Farler allegedly blamed his autistic stepson for accidentally killing Kendra during a 911 call.
Videos by Wide Open Country
According to Law & Crime, the incident took place on April 14, 2024. Upon arrival at a Bowen Street apartment, officers found Kendra having suffered a shotgun wound to the chest. Farler had reported the incident himself, calling 911 and allegedly stating that his autistic son had committed the act by accident.
"My stepson, he's autistic, he had no, it was an accident, ma'am," Farler allegedly told the dispatcher, according to WHIO.
However, after further investigations and interviews, police determined that Farler's claims were false. His autistic nonverbal son was innocent, and he had killed his daughter.
"The young lady was shot and killed by her father inside the Bowen Street address," Dayton police Maj. Brian Johns told the Dayton Daily News. "To say it was a tragedy is an understatement."
'Not An Accident'
As per the outlet, Farler eventually admitted to the shooting, saying it was an accident. However, Johns believe that was not the case.
"I would say it's not an accident," Johns added. "Our victim was asking him to not point the shotgun at her prior to her death. That's not an accident."
Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. revealed that Farler had an extensive criminal history.
"(Farler) has been arrested approximately 40 times over the past 20 years and has previously been sentenced to the penitentiary," Heck said. "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."
Kenneth Paul Farler III pleaded guilty on April 29, 2025, to involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, endangering children, and many more gun charges in connection with Kendra's death.
Speaking with PEOPLE, Farler's attorney, George Kordalis, said, "He wanted to accept responsibility for his actions. He didn't want to put his family through a trial and that's why we entered guilty pleas earlier this week."
Farler will be sentenced on May 14.
