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Insets, from left: Dominic Ferrell (Keeper Memorials), Kyrill R. Kehl (GoFundMe). Background: High-rise apartment building where Kehl allegedly murdered Ferrell (KFOR/YouTube).
Authorities in Florida are still trying to figure out the motive behind a 26-year-old man breaking into an apartment of a luxury high-rise in Miami and murdering a sleeping 17-year-old boy.
Miami police say 26-year-old Kyrill R. Kehl stabbed 17-year-old Dominic Ferrell to death as he was sleeping in his father’s 34th floor apartment at Icon Residences early Sunday morning. Cops believe he slipped into the building.
“We know the suspect was in the lobby for a bit before some residents went on the elevator,” Miami police Officer Michael Vega told local CBS affiliate WFOR. “He tagged along with them and went up to the 47th floor and knocked on several doors and tried to open the doors. He eventually goes down to the 34th floor. He goes to the victim’s apartment and he opens the door because it was not locked. He then goes to the bedroom where the 17-year-old is sleeping and stabs him to death.”
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Kehl ran to an adjacent building which was under construction where he jumped or fell about 100 feet to his death, Vega said.
Vega said cops “know for a fact” the two did not know each other. Kehl may have been suffering from some mental health issues and cops are awaiting a toxicology report, Vega added.
Cops say Kehl arrived in South Florida from Arizona a couple of days before the murder. But according to one landlord interviewed by Fox affiliate WSVN Kehl spent at least a little bit of time in the Sunshine State back in 2024.
The landlord, identified only as Christian, said he rented an apartment to Kehl for a few months last year. He said he felt something was off with Kehl almost immediately.
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“The guy had this stare, like, if looks could kill,” Christian told the outlet.
Kehl’s apartment was dirty with large packs of meat in the refrigerator.
“And the smell. I said, ‘How could anybody live in here with this smell? It smells like something is rotting,”” the landlord said. “And so when I open the fridge, not only was there packs of meat, there was maggots everywhere and hundreds of flies that came out of the fridge. It was like something out of a horror movie.”
Kehl reminded Christian of a very famous serial killer.
“I had this weird inkling feeling of like, Dahmer. I literally had this thought like, ‘Oh my God, we’re dealing with Dahmer here.’ Jeffrey Dahmer vibes,” he told WSVN. “I just had these instincts that told me, ‘this guy is not a good guy.’”
Kehl started a GoFundMe in November asking people to help him raise money “with the purpose of researching ancient cultures for the common threads that helped them to be so successful in their time.”
“During my initial travels within India, I also encountered some of the most impoverished communities on the planet,” he wrote. “I have observed that there are still some common character values there that bring people together to survive in contentment under very difficult circumstances. Even in the most abject poverty, I have seen people pull together to compassionately support one another over generations, reflecting their commitment to their entire community.”
The fundraiser only brought in about $3,200 of its stated $12,000 goal.
Ferrell was a rising senior at Miami Beach Senior High School with dreams of attending the University of Florida and becoming a businessman in New York City, his obituary said.
“Dominic was magic — people were drawn to him. He was an old soul — respectful, thoughtful, and genuine,” the obituary said. “He would enter your home, shake your hand, look you in the eye, and ask how you were doing — and he truly meant it. His quick wit and intelligence made him a natural conversationalist with adults, and he always carried himself with confidence, charm, and a sharp sense of humor.”
