Officials within the metropolis of Enoch stated Michael Haight, 42, killed his spouse, mother-in-law and the couple’s 5 youngsters. Each of the victims appeared to have gunshot wounds, officers stated.
Court information present that Tausha Haight, 40, filed for divorce from her husband on December 21. Her lawyer stated yesterday that Haight had been served with the divorce papers on December 27.
Police stated throughout a press convention that that they had earlier interactions with the household, however they didn’t elaborate.
Officers have been despatched to test on the household Wednesday after kin and associates contacted officers as a result of that they had not heard from the victims. Officers discovered them useless inside the house.
The youngsters ranged in age from 4 to 17 and included three ladies and two boys, authorities stated. The different sufferer was Tausha Haight’s 78-year-old mom, Gail Earl.
James Park, who represented Tausha Haight within the divorce case, stated she had not expressed any concern that her husband would bodily harm her however declined to elaborate, citing the investigation into the killings.
Park stated he solely met along with her twice, principally just lately on Tuesday, and stated she “was an incredibly nice lady.”
Enoch is a small city of about 8000 individuals positioned 394 kilometres south of Salt Lake City and about equally distant from Las Vegas.
The residence the place the victims have been discovered was adorned with Christmas lights and positioned in a neighbourhood of newly constructed single-family homes on a ridge overlooking the farming neighborhood of Enoch.
It has a view of homes with snow-covered roofs and mountains within the distance. Half the encircling block was cordoned off by police tape.
Enoch is on the outskirts of Cedar City, one of many fastest-growing cities in Utah, which is likely one of the US’s fastest-growing states.
Cattle and sheep line the freeway that runs by way of the city, together with indicators that publicize “Custom New Homes” and recreation in southern Utah’s well-known nationwide parks and recreation areas.
Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson stated the neighborhood was despatched reeling by news of the eight our bodies and that the deceased have been well-known within the city.
In most of Utah, the predominant faith is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, identified broadly because the Mormon church.
“Many of us have served with them in church, in the community and gone to school with these individuals,” Dotson stated Wednesday evening.
“This community at this time is hurting. They’re feeling loss, they’re feeling pain and they have a lot of questions.”
“We all can pray that their families and the neighbours and all will come to an understanding of what happened in this place, probably in a day or two, or maybe longer,” he stated.
After listening to in regards to the deaths, Sharon Huntsman of Cedar City got here to the neighbourhood with a bouquet of white flowers yesterday morning.
She stated the deaths had deeply rattled Iron County and cried she organized the bouquet.
“It’s just one big community,” she stated.
“We all have one heavenly father.”
The 5 youngsters attended colleges within the Iron County School District, officers stated in a letter despatched to oldsters.
Enoch sits off Interstate 15 in rural Utah, simply north of town of Cedar City and about 128 kilometres west of Bryce Canyon National Park.
