What Happened in the Haight House? Murder-Suicide Left 8 Dead

Tragedy struck the city of Enoch, Utah, on January 4, 2023, when 42-year-old Michael Haight shot and killed his wife, Tausha Haight, 40; his mother-in-law, Gail Earl, 78; and his five children: Macie, 17, Briley, 12, Sienna, 7, Ammon, 7, and Gavin Haight, 4, inside their home. After he killed his family, he died by suicide. 

In the years leading up to the tragic murders, Michael was accused of physical and emotional abuse after a non-family member reported the alleged situation to authorities in the summer of 2020. After allegations of abuse from family members, authorities did not file criminal charges against Michael. In the weeks leading up to the murders, the family was going through significant changes, including Michael’s job and Tausha filing for divorce.

The Haight family were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and were “well liked and respected in the community,” according to a police report. Michael worked as an insurance agent with Allstate and cared a lot about his public image. He wanted to be seen as perfect, both personally and professionally. However, behind closed doors, a much darker picture of the Haight family began to emerge. 

On August 27, 2020, an unidentified person reported child abuse in the Haight household, and an investigation was opened. Michael and Tausha’s oldest daughter, Macie, told investigators that Michael’s alleged abuse began in 2017. In her interview, she made claims that Michael choked her and was “very afraid that he was going to keep her from breathing and kill her.” Macie also noted that Michael once grabbed her shoulders and threw her into a wooden part of a couch. Michael claimed that the alleged incident was a misunderstanding and admitted to getting angry. 

Macie also told investigators that Michael belittled Tausha, criticized how she spent money and would take her electronics to read her messages. Furthermore, Macie claimed Michael would tell Tausha she was “stupid and lazy.” During his interview, Michael disputed mistreating his wife and family.

Tausha reportedly hoped that the investigation would be a wake-up call regarding Michael’s behavior. No criminal charges were filed against him, though one investigator told Michael that his actions were “close to assaultive.”

In January 2021, the Utah Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS) received another report, claiming that Michael and Tausha were arguing in the car with their kids on a highway when Michael slammed on the brakes, causing some family members to have red marks on their persons from the seat belt. The report was not investigated further because the incident was "unaccepted due to no disclosure of harm or threatened harm." 

On December 8, 2022, the DCFS opened the case to investigate the prior abuse claims. In a December 13, 2022, interview, Tausha urged the caseworker not to interview Michael until after she filed for divorce. The DCFS worker visited the Haight home on December 19, 2022, where Tausha claimed that Michael recently threw Ammon on the ground. Michael was never interviewed during this investigation.

On December 21, 2022, Tausha and her lawyer drew up divorce papers, and Michael was served those papers at his office on December 27, 2022, days before the murders. 

The police report stated that investigators spoke on December 22, 2022, to one of Michael’s previous Allstate clients who attempted to contact Michael, but was redirected to a corporate call center, where they told him that Michael was no longer working with Allstate. It was also stated in the police report that he was in the process of becoming an independent agent. Michael told a friend that he was terminated for a policy violation.

On December 30, 2022, Michael’s Google searches included “How loud is a 9mm gunshot,” “What does a gunshot sound like,” “How loud is a gunshot in a house?” and “Would a neighbor hear a gunshot in the garage?” 

During the week of the murders, Tausha told family members that Michael removed several firearms from the house. Michael also left a paycheck for his secretary on her desk and left his living trust paperwork on his desk. The night before the murders, Michael recorded a conversation with Tausha, pleading with her not to go through the divorce so they can keep their family together. 

“I’m pleading; I’m trying to take care of my family. And I know I hurt your feelings, and I feel horrible. I’ll go to 20 counselors if I have to go to 20 counselors; I don’t care. I want my family. I want that more than anything,” Michael said. 

Tausha responded, “I’m doing this because I cannot continue to tolerate that way you are treating me...I don’t have a voice, Mike. I don’t have a voice. I will have freedom now. I will have financial freedom where I’m not controlled.”

In the early hours of January 4, 2023, around 3:30 a.m., a neighbor told investigators that they heard firework-like sounds, which could have been gunshots. 

After Tausha missed an appointment in the late morning, a welfare check was conducted. Police failed to reach any Haight family members and even contacted the children’s school. They did not enter the home. 

Michael’s brother-in-law reported that he missed work and several appointments. Iron County Sheriff Kenneth Carpenter made the call to dispatch to report him missing. Police returned to the home but couldn’t see anything through the windows that indicated a problem. Later on, out of concern, neighbors entered the home and were the ones to find the deceased family and called the police.

The bodies of Gavin, Tausha and Gail were found in the master bedroom on the main floor. Meanwhile, Sienna, Ammon, Briley and Macie’s bodies were found in their bedrooms. Each victim died from a gunshot wound to the head, some being shot multiple times. 

Michael’s body was found on top of a sleeping bag in a room in the basement. The pistol was placed between his legs along with a suicide note, in which he described himself as an “honorable good man” and put the blame on his wife for issues the family faced. 

“I would rather rot in hell than to put up with another day of this manipulation and control over me,” the note read. “...This is nonsense, and I can't handle it for one more day. We will not be a burden on society.”  

There was no criminal trial for this case, as officials believe Michael killed his wife, his mother-in-law and the couple's five children.