Utah dad who murdered kids, wife and mother-in-law left warped note

Abusive Utah dad who murdered his five kids, wife and mother-in-law then killed himself left suicide note saying he’d rather ‘rot in hell’ than put up with ‘manipulative’ wife, as cops release eerie bodycam footage of bloodbath

• Michael Haight, 42, fatally shot his wife, her mother and the couple’s five kids 
• In his suicide note, he painted his wife and not himself as the abuser 
• Haight was being investigated for child abuse leading up to the killings 

The Utah father who killed himself after murdering his five kids, wife and mother-in-law left his family a warped suicide note where he confessed he’d rather ‘rot in hell’ than deal with his wife another day.

Michael Haight, 42, fatally shot his wife, her mother and the couple’s five kids on January 4 after he was investigated for child abuse. Local police and the city of Enoch have also released the disturbing bodycam footage of the shooting, showing cops padding through the family’s eerily silent home while their bodies lay inside. 

But now Haight’s twisted suicide note have emerged, where he claimed his wife Tausha had driven him to violence. Haight did so despite investigations showing he was the abuser in the family – and his wife was the victim. 

‘This is nonsense and I can’t handle it for one more day. We will not be a burden on society. I kept asking for help and you wouldn’t listen,’ Haight wrote. ‘I would rather rot in hell than to put up with another day of this manipulation and control over me.’

Also murdered by Haight were his daughters Macie, Briley, Sienna, and sons Ammon and Gavin, as well as Tausha’s mother Gail Early, 78. 

Tausha had planned to file for divorce from her controlling husband when he exterminated her and the rest of their family. 

Michael Haight (pictured center), 42, fatally shot his wife, her mother and the couple’s five kids after he was investigated for child abuse

Enoch Police Department Bodycam footage of the scene where Michael Haight killed his five children, wife, and mother in law, before taking his own life

Local authorities released disturbing footage from the scene of the slaughter

Haight’s attorney, Matt Munson, did not immediately respond to request for comment Friday.

The report builds off documents released after the murder-suicide that detailed how Haight removed firearms from the home, was investigated on suspicion of child abuse, and searched online for ‘gunshot in a house’ in the lead-up to the shootings.

Caseworkers were at the Haight house in the small town of Enoch on Dec. 19, two weeks before Michael Haight fatally shot his wife, their five children and his wife’s mother before killing himself, show the Utah Division of Child and Family Services case documents obtained by the Deseret News through a public records request.

The agency had opened the investigation 11 days earlier based on abuse of the couple’s oldest daughter that had occurred in previous years.

The latest alleged abuse happened just days before the visit when Haight was accused of throwing his 7-year-old son to the ground after he got upset with him. 

His wife, Tausha Haight, told a caseworker that she was concerned about the tone her husband had used and ‘how he looks when he is angry,’ the report revealed.

She asked caseworkers not to interview her husband until after she filed for divorce, which happened Dec. 21. She told caseworkers that her husband had threatened to take his own life or ‘make her life hell’ if she left him.

Police look in on two of the childrens’ bedrooms after their father had committed the killings

Gail Earl (pictured left) and her daughter Tausha Haight (pictured right) were killed by Michael Haight

Caseworkers never interviewed Michael Haight.

They were not waiting for the wife´s approval to do the interview, but rather gauging next steps in the investigation, said Department of Child and Family Services spokesperson Miranda Fisher in a statement to the Deseret News.

‘Unfortunately this tragic incident occurred prior to further intervention,’ the agency’s summary report said.

Previously released records showed that authorities had investigated Haight for child abuse in 2020 but that police and prosecutors decided not to charge him.

The newly released report documents detail several reports of abuse, including an incident in 2021 when Haight suddenly slammed on the brakes on the highway. 

‘This is nonsense and I can’t handle it for one more day. We will not be a burden on society. I kept asking for help and you wouldn’t listen,’ Haight wrote in the note included in the report released by the city of Enoch

The caskets of Tausha Haight and her five children, Macie Lynn, 17, Briley Ann, 12, Ammon Michael, 7, Sienna Belle, 7, and Gavin Drew, 4, rest during a graveside service

It scared the family and left red marks from the seat belts on their bodies. In another incident, Haight grabbed his oldest daughter’s head and threw her into the hard part of the couch.

The daughter, Macie, told caseworkers that her dad would tower over her and her siblings and get close to make them feel intimidated.

‘Dad jumps to react to anything he doesn’t like,’ said Macie, the records show. ‘He yells a lot and wants to make sure they know he is right.’

A previously released police search warrant returned revealed that a search of Michael Haight’s phone showed he searched Google with the question, ‘can you hear a gunshot in a house.’ 

He also researched how loud 9mm and 40mm guns were. Relatives have also said Haight had previously taken guns from the home, leaving his wife and mother-in-law unable to defend themselves.

The eulogy for Haight saw the accused killer hailed for ‘making it a point to spend quality time with each and every one of his children,’ who were described as a ‘cherished miracle’ to him and his slain wife.

It’s unclear who wrote the glowing tribute, but Haight is survived by his mother, siblings and grandparents. 

Separately, in a GoFundMe set up for his wife, mother-in-law and children, his image is replaced with a photo of Jesus.

The bizarre piece further featured a photoshopped image of Haight replaced with Jesus, and elected to ignore the January 4 murders of his wife, Tausha, 40, and their five children, who ranged in age from 4 to 17

Haight’s five children – daughters Macie, Briley, Sienna, and sons Ammon and Gavin –  were all discovered by police the morning after the murders with fatal gunshot wounds, with their mother and grandmother both suffering the same fate. 

Not far from their bodies was Haight, who police believe carried out the killing spree before turning the gun on himself.

Haight’s obituary further fanned unrest surrounding the grisly slayings, which has left the small town of 8,000 in mourning, and relatives saying it could have been avoided.

Haight removed all guns from the home prior to the alleged killings, Tausha sister Jennie Earl told The Associated Press, leaving the family ‘vulnerable.’

Haight’s tribute, meanwhile, did not mention the killings, and offered a glowing description of the deceased’s life – as any other obituary, penned under more normal circumstances, might. 

 

The comments section for the obituary also did not mention his slain family members

The piece – which was also posted online but swiftly deleted as many took offense to it – described how Haight was born on January 7, 1980 in Seattle, and moved to Cedar City, Utah, with his family as a small child.

It described how in his youth, Haight ‘loved spending time participating in city league baseball, basketball, soccer, various outdoor and scouting activities,’ and touted how the septuple-murder suspect ‘achieved the rank of Eagle Scout.’

The eulogy went on to assert Haight ‘excelled at everything he did’ and revealed that, as a Mormon, he went on a mission to Brazil for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 

According to the penned piece, Haight ‘loved the people he met on his mission and had many fond memories of his time spent there.’

The obituary said he went on to marry Tausha in 2003 while the two had been attending Southern Utah University, before graduating with a Bachelor’s degree in 2004.

It was revealed that Tausha had filed for divorce from her husband, Michael, on December 21

Tausha’s Facebook page is littered with images showing how her family grew in recent years 

The pair then ‘welcomed 5 children into their family,’ the tribute continues, before offering songs of praise for the suspected killer – including that he ‘enjoyed making memories with the family’ and that he ‘lived a life of service’ to the Mormon church, also known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

‘Each of these children were truly a cherished miracle to them,’ the piece asserts, adding that ‘Michael made it a point to spend quality time with each and every one of them.

‘Michael enjoyed making memories with the family,’ it continues. ‘He spent many evenings and Saturdays coaching the children’s city league sporting teams, attending the children’s concerts at school, going on side-by-side rides, doing home-improvement projects, sledding and much more.

‘Michael lived a life of service. Whether it was serving in the church or in the community, he was willing to help with whatever was needed.’

Welfare checks usually take place when neighbors raise concerns or when individuals have not been seen for an extended period of time 

The victims were found on the night of the killings when police did a welfare check at the residence

It added that prior to the murders, Haight ‘had owned and operated a successful insurance agency,’ which ‘he recently sold his business to allow more flexibility to spend time with his family.’

It added that Haight is survived by his mother Brenda Haight, two brothers and one sister, and his maternal grandparents. It added that ‘he is also survived by many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and cousins,’ and that his funeral would be held privately – separate from a procession held for the other seven members of the family, attended Friday by friends, neighbors, family, and classmates.

‘The family would like to express a special thank you to those in the community who have reached out with their love and support and all who have helped in any way,’ Haight’s obituary added. Readers were assured: ‘You are very much appreciated.’

Shortly after being published in Enoch’s local newspaper The Spectrum, the glowing tribute was quickly met with criticism – including from Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action which seeks to address incidents of gun violence in the US.

One of the most prominent activists against gun violence in the country, Watts shared a link to the obituary on Twitter, citing several quotes – including one that insisted that Haight had ‘lived a life of service.’

 The anti-gun figure would also share a statement from the family of Haight’s slain wife, in which relatives warned the media for ‘using our family’s story for any advocacy of political agendas,’ while insisting that ‘God that can render a forgiving heart.’

Appalled by the appeal, Watts wrote: ‘And if that’s not gross enough, the wife’s family put out a statement supporting… guns.’

Shortly after being published in Enoch’s local newspaper The Spectrum, the glowing tribute was quickly met with criticism – including from Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action which seeks to address incidents of gun violence in the US

The day after the killings, a slew of Utah officials – and even President Joe Biden – commented on the tragedy. In a statement, the White House called the slayings ‘tragic’

Watts went on to cite how none of the comments on an online version of the obituary – which has since been made private – mentioned Tausha Haight or her kids.

‘None of the obituary comments mention the victims,’ the anti-gun activist wrote.

Others were quick to hone in on Watts’ posts, as the believed murder-suicide – which is still being investigated – continues to garner national attention.

The day after the killings, a slew of Utah officials – and even President Joe Biden – commented on the tragedy.

In a statement, the White House called the slayings ‘tragic’ and commented on how it had occurred ‘less than one month’ after the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting.

The home where all eight members of the family were found dead in Enoch, Utah, is pictured

A police line shields from further investigation into the Haight murders

Now, Biden’s official statement read, ‘another mass shooting has claimed the lives of five more children in Enoch City.’

Cops are now looking to glean a motive for the killings, apart from the prospect of Haight being disgruntled over his looming divorce.

An account from a friend of the family on social media offered some potential insight on the father-of-five’s allegedly unstable mindset in the buildup to the murders, as well as his abusive behavior.

‘He was a two- faced abusive monster,’ the post circulating on social media from a friend of the family reads.

‘My brother and sis-in-law were good friends with them for years. My brother said he was controlling, manipulative, and mentally abusive for years but no one knew how bad until recently. 

‘He would demand she have dinner on the table ready when he got home. No one ate until he took the first bite. 

‘If she was preparing dinner and he would call and say he wanted something else, she had to start over. 

‘Once he was late coming home so she let the kids start eating. When he got home and saw them eating without him- he threw all the food on the floor and made her start dinner all over again.’

The post, which was reshared by several people close to the family, insisted that Haight ‘controlled’ his wife’s friendships, and that days before her murder, Tausha missed an appointment with a women’s crisis center. 

‘She was in the process of finally working to get herself and the kids away from him when he did this,’ the account further asserted.

Speaking to The Associated Press, Jennie Earl, Tausha’s sister, remarked that Michael Haight had removed all guns from the home prior to the alleged killings leaving  Tausha, her mother, and her sister’s five children more ‘vulnerable.’

Cops in the small farm town are still probing the tragedy – the latest in an increasingly common spate of family mass killings across the United States, occurring on average every 3.5 weeks over the last two decades. 

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