Gavin Haight, Sienna Haight, Ammon Haight, Brilee Haight, Macie Haight
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CANDID ID: UT_23_1312
AGE
7   years
STATE
Utah
DATE OF DEATH
1/4/2023
DEATH RECORDS
Not Available
STATE REPORTS
Not Available
SUMMARY OF DEATH
On January 4, 2023, Michael Haight, age 42, shot and killed his five children — Gavin (4), twins Sienna and Ammon (7), Brilee (12), and Macie (17) — along with his wife Tausha Haight (40) and her mother Gail Earl (78) inside their home in Enoch, Utah, before turning the gun on himself. The killings occurred approximately two weeks after Tausha filed for divorce, and days after Michael conducted internet searches about whether neighbors would hear gunshots. Michael had a documented history of domestic violence including physical and emotional abuse of his family, with records from both Enoch Police and DCFS. The night before the murders, he recorded conversations with Tausha in which he pleaded for reconciliation while she maintained her desire to separate. A neighbor reported hearing sounds like fireworks around 3:30 a.m. The bodies were discovered after multiple people contacted police for welfare checks when family members missed appointments on January 4.
Contexts/Conditions

Is there any mention of child drug ingestion or overdose?

Is there any mention of a drowning incident (either intentional or accidental)?

Is there any mention of a firearm incident?

All three documents describe the children being shot and killed. Document 1 states: "On Jan. 4, Haight shot and killed his five children — 4-year-old Gavin, 7-year-old twins Sienna and Ammon, 12-year-old Brilee, and 17-year-old Macie." Document 2 references internet searches about "how loud 9mm and .40 caliber gunshots were." Officers found "several deceased individuals with gunshot wounds" per Document 2.

Is there any mention of inappropriate supervision (e.g., child wandered off and drowned)?

Is there any mention of inflicted injury? (e.g. slapped, punched, kicked, choked)

Document 1 states: "there are allegations that he choked his daughter, threw his son on the ground, berated his wife and controlled her behavior and finances." Additionally, the children were shot and killed: "On Jan. 4, Haight shot and killed his five children."

Is there any mention of malnutrition, starvation, or dehydration?

Is there any mention of medical neglect?

Is there any mention of a motor vehicle crash or incident?

Is there any mention of a murder-suicide incident?

Document 1 explicitly describes this as a murder-suicide: "Haight then turned the gun on himself." Document 2 refers to the case as "the Haight family murder-suicide" and states "Michael Haight, killed himself after killing the other seven." Document 3's headline states: "Utah Man Killed Wife & 5 Children, Then Himself."

Is there any mention of outdoor elements (including hot car deaths)?

Is there any mention of prenatal substance exposure (including fetal alcohol syndrome or neonatal abstinence syndrome)?

Is there any mention of sexual abuse?

Is there any specific mention of shaken baby or abusive head trauma?

Is there any mention of prolonged abuse or torture (including restraints, captivity)?

Is there any mention of an unsafe sleeping environment?

Individuals Involved

Was an adoptive parent or guardian involved in the death?

Was a biological father involved in the death?

Michael Haight is consistently described as the father of the five children. Document 1 states he "shot and killed seven members of his own family" including "his five children." Document 3 calls him "a Utah father who killed his five children." He was married to the children's mother, Tausha Haight, and is their biological father.

Was a biological mother involved in the death?

Was a day care worker, babysitter, or nanny involved in the death?

Was a female paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., girlfriend, stepmother)?

Was a foster parent involved in the death?

Was a male paramour or friend involved in the death (e.g., boyfriend, stepfather)?

Was another adult relative involved in the death? (e.g., grandfather, aunt)

Was a sibling involved in the death?

Child Characteristics

Was the child adopted?

Was the child homeschooled (including "cyberschooling") or taken out of school?

Was the child in foster care at the time of the incident?

Was the child living with relatives at the time of the incident (but not parents)?

Is there any mention of a neurological developmental child disability? (e.g., autism, intellectual disability, nonverbal)

Is there any mention of a physical child disability? (e.g., feeding tube)

Is there any mention of prematurity or low birthweight?

Is there a history of child protection reports prior to death (for this child or siblings)?

Document 1 states: "Records from Enoch Police and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services suggest Haight had abused his family, both physically and emotionally, for years." Document 2 references: "New report shows DCFS received complaints just weeks before Haight murders." These indicate prior child protection reports existed before the children's deaths.

Does the child have a history of foster care (but not in care at time of incident)?

Is there a history of a sibling death (separate incident from this death)?

Parent/Caregiver Factors

Was an adult charged or arrested for the child's death?

Is domestic violence by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Domestic violence is the central focus of all three documents. Document 1 extensively discusses Michael Haight's domestic violence and abuse patterns, stating: "Records from Enoch Police and the Utah Division of Child and Family Services suggest Haight had abused his family, both physically and emotionally, for years — there are allegations that he choked his daughter, threw his son on the ground, berated his wife and controlled her behavior and finances." The article features analysis from the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition and the Amethyst Center For Healing. Document 3 quotes Tausha telling Michael: "Our kids have mentioned, especially our older two, that when you're here it is more tense. We're not able to relax. We're still walking around on eggshells."

Is there any mention that the death occurred in a temporary shelter or while homeless?

Is an intellectual disability of the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is the mental health of the parent/caregiver referenced?

While no formal mental health diagnosis is mentioned, Michael Haight's suicide note expresses extreme emotional distress: "I would rather rot in hell than to put up with one more day of this manipulation and control over me... I can't handle it for one more day" (Document 2). The act of murder-suicide itself implies severe mental health issues. Document 2 also provides suicide prevention resources, stating: "For those struggling with thoughts of suicide, the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can now be reached by simply dialing 988."

Is a history of arrests or criminal charges for the parent/caregiver referenced?

Is substance use by the parent/caregiver referenced?

Notable Details

Several notable systemic and investigative details are present across the documents. First, Document 2 references that "DCFS received complaints just weeks before Haight murders," indicating the child welfare system was aware of concerns but the deaths still occurred. Second, Document 1 states that the recordings were made "just four days after police say Haight Googled things like: 'Would a neighbor hear a gunshot in a garage?'" showing clear premeditation. Third, Document 1 notes that "Records show Tausha Haight did reach out to advocates, and worried over how Michael would respond," underscoring that the victim sought help but the safety net failed. Fourth, victim advocates emphasized that Michael Haight's calm, manipulative demeanor made him appear sympathetic and "unassuming" to neighbors, which contributed to a failure to recognize the danger: "Neighbors say he was a nice, unassuming father who they never suspected was capable of murdering his family." The case is used by advocates to highlight how domestic violence perpetrators can evade detection and how existing safety planning and domestic violence resources were insufficient.

These fields were populated by an AI model and may contain inaccuracies. Review the links and PDFs provided for verification before citing. Contact [email protected] to report any inaccuracies where corrections are needed.
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