Eight dead in Utah murder-suicide after wife asks for divorce

A Utah man killed his wife, his five children, and his mother-in-law before committing suicide two weeks after he was asked for a divorce, police revealed on Thursday during a news conference. 

Michael Haight, 42, is thought to have fatally shot his wife, Tausa Haight, 40, and her 78-year-old mother, Gail Ear, as well as their five children, ranging in age from four to 17 years old and included three girls and two boys. 

Police found the gruesome scene when they checked the family’s home after someone reported that Tausha had missed an appointment earlier in the week. 

Tausha had filed for divorce from Michael on December 21. Haight had been serviced with the papers on December 27. Investigators knew about the divorce petition, but have not been able to confirm whether that was the motive behind the killings. 

James Park, the lawyer who represented Tausha in the divorce case, said she did not fear that her husband would physically hurt her over her actions. 

According to Enoch Police Chief Jackson Ames, the 42-year-old man had been investigated a few years prior due to possible problems inside the household. 

Enoch, Utah is a small town of about 8,000 people about 245 miles (349 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City. 

“This is a tremendous blow to many families who have spent many nights with these individuals who are now gone,” said Enoch Mayor Geoffrey Chesnut.

“Many of us have served with them in church, in the community, and gone to school with these individuals,” said Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson. “This community at this time is hurting. They’re feeling loss, they’re feeling pain and they have a lot of questions.”