Utah Dad Accused of Killing His Wife & 5 Kids Praised In Bizarre Obituary
Jan. 16 2023, Published 2:30 p.m. ET
A Utah man accused of having killed his wife and five children was praised by friends in his obituary that failed to mention his horrific crimes, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Michael Orwin Haight, 42, allegedly killed his wife, Tausha, 40, and their five children, after she asked him for a divorce. The father allegedly turned the gun on himself after the horrific spree.
In addition to the death of his wife and children, Tausha's mother, Gail Earl, 78, was also a victim of the alleged murder-suicide.
While the massive loss of life was newsworthy in itself, it was Michael's bizarre obituary caught that garnered viral attention and backlash online.
From reading the obituary, which was posted on The Spectrum, one would not assume that Michael's family's lives were abruptly ended in such a gruesome manner.
The obituary listed Michael's children — Macie Lynn, Briley Ann, Ammon Michael, Sienna Belle, and Gavin Drew — sans the reason for their deaths. The obituary stated that "Each of these children was truly a cherished miracle to them."
The memorial posted continued to dote on the father's love for his family.
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"Michael made it a point to spend quality time with each and every one of his children," the obituary added. "Michael enjoyed making memories with the family."
"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," the obituary continued.
The obituary did not elaborate on Tausha's life, other than to share how the late mother-of-five met her husband while in school at Southern Utah University.
The post did, however, take time to elaborate on Michael's many accomplishments, including awards he received as a business student and a successful career in insurance — and celebrated the familial homicide suspect's "life of service."
"Michael lived a life of service," the obituary stated. "Whether it was serving in the church or in the community, he was willing to help with whatever was needed."
Enoch, Utah, mayor Geoffrey Chesnut stated that police were still investigating a motive for the murder-suicide, however, court records, obtained by Insider, showed that Tausha filed for divorce on December 21.
Additionally, Tausha's sister-in-law, Jennie Earl, claimed that Michael allegedly removed all the guns from the household prior to the murder-suicide, which she believed made them "more vulnerable."
Police suggested a pattern of domestic abuse and stated that they had investigated the father before the murders.