Police: Michael Haight was investigated for abuse years before murder-suicide shooting

The man who police say killed his family and then himself in a murder-suicide in Enoch earlier this month was investigated previously for abuse and violence toward his family members.

Michael Haight, the 42-year-old who killed his five children, wife and mother-in-law inside their home on Jan. 4, was the subject of an investigation into child abuse two years prior, according to police records released on Tuesday. As first reported by the Associated Press, the investigations suggested a potential pattern of violent behavior by Haight but did not meet the threshold for criminal charges, police decided at the time.

Authorities were called to the Haight home in 2020 by a non-family member who suspected there could be child abuse taking place at the home, according to police. The family's eldest daughter described multiple assaults to interviewers, including an instance where she said she was choked by her father and was afraid he would kill her. The daughter, who was then 14, said the violent incidents started in 2017 and included an incident where her father grabbed her by the shoulders and banged her into a wooden piece at the back of a couch.

In an interview with investigators, Haight denied assaulting his daughter, calling it a "misunderstanding," although he admitted to getting angry, saying he was upset over the recent death of his father and his brother's divorce.

Tausha Haight, Michael's wife, said she didn't want to file criminal charges.

In a statement issued late Tuesday, Enoch City said it had received information from the Department of Child and Family Services regarding the Hiaghts and then conducted interviews with Michael, Tausha, and the daughter.

"These interviews were conducted separately and in accordance with best practices where Macie Haight was interviewed separately at the Iron County Children's Justice Center by individuals with specialized training related to child abuse," according to the statement.

The DCFS, Enoch Police and Iron County Attorney's office reviewed the details and decided against filing charges, determining "that this case did not meet all the elements required by statute for prosecution," according to the statement.

In addition, a "lethality assessment" was conducted with Tausha Haight, according to the statement. Her responses to the assessment "did not indicate a lethal relationship," although victim services were made available to her and to the family for several months.

Tausha Haight filed for a divorce from Michael on Dec. 21, and witnesses told police that Earl was living in the home to help support her daughter and grandchildren. There was no official word on Michael Haight's motives or other information on the circumstances surrounding the shootings.

The shooting left eight people dead, making it among the deadliest mass killings in Utah state history. Tausha, 40, and her mother, 78-year-old Gail Earl, were identified as the adult victims.

The couple’s five children were identified as a 17-year-old Macie Haight, 12-year-old Briley Haight, 7-year-old Sienna Haight, 7-year-old Ammon Haight and 4-year-old Gavin Haight.

The seven other victims were buried in LaVerkin on Friday after a large funeral that saw more than 800 people attend services at a nearby chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where the family had been active members.

The wife, Tausha Haight, told her extended family that her husband took the guns from the family's home in the weeks ahead of the shooting, just two weeks after she had filed for divorce, sister-in-law Jennie Earl told The Associated Press, saying their removal had "left the family vulnerable."

Some of the surviving family members started a fundraiser on gofundme.com to raise money for funeral expenses, legal fees and a memorial fund. By Tuesday, more than 1,100 donors had helped raise more than $100,000.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

This article originally appeared on St. George Spectrum & Daily News: Suspect in Haight family killings was investigated for abuse, records say