An obituary for a Utah man accused of killing his five children and his wife in an apparent murder-suicide last week has sparked outrage after relatives paid a glowing tribute to the deceased, praising him as a parent.
The eulogy for 42-year-old Michael Haight hailed the accused killer for “making it a point to spend time with each of his children”, which was described as a “cherished miracle” for him and his slain wife.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe set up by the victims’ relatives showed a photoshopped image of Haight replaced with Jesus, choosing to investigate the murders of his wife Tausha, 40, and their five children, ages 4 to 17 Years to ignore on January 4th.
Also killed in the grisly series of murders was Haight’s 78-year-old mother-in-law, who was staying at the family home at the time. Haight is said to have started the slaughter after Taisha filed for divorce.
The killings, meanwhile, have left the rural, farming community — made up mostly of Mormons — stumped as they try to make sense of the senseless tragedy.
The bizarre piece also included a Photoshopped image of Haight being replaced with Jesus, choosing to ignore the January 4 murders of his wife Tausha, 40, and their five children, ages 4 to 17
The original photo of the deceased pre-Haight family of seven has been replaced with Jesus
In an update last week, Enoch Mayor Geoffrey Chesnut said police were still investigating the murders – while revealing court records showed Tausha Haight filed for divorce from her 20th wife on December 21, exactly two weeks before the murders -year-old husband had requested.
Haight’s five children – daughters Macie, Briley, Sienna and sons Ammon and Gavin – were all discovered by police with fatal gunshot wounds the morning after the murders, 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 stoked unrest surrounding the gruesome killings that have left the small town of 8,000 in mourning, and relatives who said it could have been avoided.
Haight removed all guns from the home before the alleged murders, Tausha sister Jennie Earl told The Associated Press, leaving the family “vulnerable”.
Haight’s tribute, however, made no mention of the murders and offered a glowing description of the life of the deceased – as any other obituary written under more normal circumstances might.
Also killed in the grisly killing spree was Haight’s 78-year-old mother-in-law, Gail Earl (pictured left), who was staying at the family home at the time.
There was also no mention of his murdered family members in the obituary’s comments section
The article — which was also posted online but was quickly deleted because many were offended — described how Haight was born in Seattle on January 7, 1980 and moved to Cedar City, Utah with his family as a young child.
It described how in his youth, Haight “loved spending time participating in City League baseball, basketball, soccer, various outdoor and scouting activities” and noted how the seven-homicide suspect “reached the rank of… Eagle Scout reached”.
The eulogy further claimed that Haight “was outstanding in everything he did” and revealed that he went on a mission to Brazil as a Mormon for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
According to the authored article, Haight “loved the people he met on his mission and had many fond memories of his time there.”
According to the obituary, he married Tausha in 2003 while the two attended Southern Utah University before earning his bachelor’s degree in 2004.
It was revealed that Tausha filed for divorce from her husband Michael on December 21
Tausha’s Facebook page is littered with pictures showing how her family has grown in recent years
The couple “then welcomed 5 children into their family,” the tribute continued, before offering praises for the alleged killer – including that he “enjoyed creating memories with the family” and that he had “a life in ministry” for the Mormon Church, also known as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“Each of these children was truly a cherished miracle to her,” the play says, adding that “Michael made it his mission to spend quality time with each and every one of them.
“Michael enjoyed making memories with the family,” it said. “He spent many evenings and Saturdays coaching the children’s city league sports 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 church service or community service, he was willing to help with whatever was needed.’
Welfare checks usually take place when neighbors raise concerns or when people have not been seen for a long time
The victims were found on Wednesday when police conducted a social 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 have more flexibility to spend time with his family.”
It added that Haight is survived by his mother Brenda Haight, two brothers and a 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 private – separate from a procession for the other seven family members, which was attended by friends on Friday . Neighbors, family and classmates.
“The family would like to say a special thank you to everyone in the community who has reached out with their love and support and everyone who has helped in any way,” Haight’s obituary added. Readers were assured, ‘You are greatly appreciated.’
Shortly after it was published in Enoch’s local newspaper, The Spectrum, the radiant tribute quickly drew criticism, including from Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, which seeks to address gun violence incidents across the United States.
Watts, one of the country’s most prominent anti-gun violence activists, shared a link to the obituary on Twitter and cited several quotes – including one that insisted Haight “lived a life of service.”
The anti-gun figure also shared a statement from the family of Haight’s murdered wife, in which relatives warned the media not to “use our family’s story for any endorsement of political agendas,” while insisting that “God, the one forgiving heart can do. ‘
Horrified by the appeal, Watts wrote, “And if that isn’t rude enough, the woman’s family has issued a statement supporting … guns.”
Shortly after it was published in Enoch’s local newspaper, The Spectrum, the radiant tribute quickly drew criticism, including from Shannon Watts, the founder of Moms Demand Action, which seeks to address gun violence incidents across the United States
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 killings “tragic”
Watts went on to say that none of the comments on an online version of the obituary — which has since been made private — mentioned Tausha Haight or her children.
“None of the obituaries mention the victims,” the anti-gun activist wrote.
Others were quick to focus on Watts’ posts as the alleged murder-suicide – which is still under investigation – continues to draw 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 killings “tragic” and commented on how it happened “less than a month” after the 10th anniversary of the Sandy Hook shooting.
Now, Biden’s official statement read: “Another mass shooting has claimed the lives of five more children in Enoch City.”
Police are now looking for a motive for the killings, aside from the prospect of Haight being upset about his impending divorce.
A report by a family friend on social media offered some potential insight into the father-of-five’s alleged unstable mindset leading up to the murders, as well as his abusive behavior.
“He was an abusive, two-faced monster,” reads the post, which was circulated on social media by a family friend.
“My brother and sister-in-law have been good friends with them for years. My brother said he had been controlling, manipulative, and psychologically abusive for years, but until recently no one knew how bad.
“He would demand that she have dinner ready when he got home. Nobody ate until they took the first bite.
“If she was making dinner and he called and said he wanted something different, she would have to start over.
“Once he came home late, so she let the kids start eating. When he got home and saw that they were eating without him, he threw all the food on the floor and forced them to start dinner all over again.’
The post, which was shared again by several people close to the family, insisted Haight “controlled” his wife’s friendships and that Tausha missed an appointment with a women’s crisis center days before her murder.
“She was in the process of finally working to get herself and the kids away from him when he did that,” the report continued.
Speaking to The Associated Press, Jennie Earl, Tausha’s sister, noted that Michael Haight removed all guns from the home before the alleged murders left Tausha, her mother and her sister’s five children “more vulnerable.”
Police officers in the small farm town are still investigating the tragedy — the latest in an increasingly frequent spate of mass killings of families across the United States, averaging every 3.5 weeks for the past two decades.