AUtah man who killed his wife, his wife’s mother,and his five children before turning the gun on himselfhad been involved in two prior child-abuse investigations before the murders,theAssociated Pressand other outlets report.
Police records associated with Michael Haight showed multiple prior allegations of violent or abusive behavior directed at his family, the AP reports.
Haight’s eldest daughter Macie, then 14, told police in a 2020 interview that her father had “been assaultive with her” multiple times,per Fox 13. She reportedly said she was “very afraid that he was going to keep her from breathing and kill her.”
The child also allegedly told police her father’s abuse had started in 2017, according to the Associated Press, and those assaults involved various incidents of “choking and shaking.”
In a 2020 police interview following the alleged abuse, Haight reportedly claimed he had not attacked Macie. He did say she was “mouthy,” however, and admitted he’d grown upset with the teen, per reports.
Haight Family.Tausha Haight/FaceBook
Haight also allegedly admitted to police that he’d confiscated his wife Tausha’s cellphone and iPad so he could monitor her text messages. He was hoping to track whether she was complaining about anything occurring within the household, the AP claims.
In a statement released Tuesday night, Enoch city officials said the 2020 investigation did not meet needed requirements to move ahead with prosecution against Haight.
The Iron County Attorney’s office told the AP in a Tuesday statement that while their office had been contacted in 2020, they’d determined there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges.
“This conclusion was likely based on an inability to prove each element of the offense(s) beyond reasonable doubt and/or statute of limitations barriers,” the statement said, per the outlet.
On Jan. 4, police discovered the bodies offive children and three adultswho’d been shot to death inside their Enoch City home.
Investigators determined that Michael Haight, 42, killed his wife, Tausha, 40, her mother, Gail Earl, and the five children he shared with Tausha: three girls and two boys ranging from the ages of 4 to 17. Michael then turned the gun on himself, Enoch city Manager Rob Dotson said during a press conferencestreamedon Facebook.
Two weeks before the shooting, Tausha had filed for divorce from her husband, but Enoch Mayor Geoffrey Chesnut claimed it was too early for investigators to determine if that was a motive in the killings.
Just days ago, an obituary for Haight— posted online and also printed in a local newspaper — sparked outrage after it claimed the 42-year-old father who annihilated his family was actually a dedicated family man.
Thenow-private obitshares Haight’s accomplishments, with no mention of the murders. Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action, a gun violence prevention organization, shared the obit on Twitter before it was made private.
“Michael made it a point to spend quality time with each and every one of his children,” the obituary reads. “Michael enjoyed making memories with the family.”
It also said Michael “lived a life of service” with The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints, coaching his kids' sports teams, attending school concerts and “doing home-improvement projects, sledding” and more.
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The obit also touched on Michael’s career at an insurance company, noting, “He recently sold his business to allow more flexibility to spend time with his family. "
A separateobituary for Taushadescribed her as an attentive and caring mother. “She was an incredible mother who constantly sacrificed everything for her children,” it says, also describing her five children with no mention of the way they’d died.
PEOPLE was unable to immediately reach the Enoch Police Department or Iron County Attorney’s office for comment.
If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go tothehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
