Haight family murder suicide

[Howl]

On 1/16/2023 at 2:10 PM, hoipolloi said:

If true, the murderer sounds like an absolute monster. Again, how many people outside the family saw this behavior, including their fellow church-goers?

So, yes and no. 

In one of the many links above, the author noted the patriarchal,  sex segregated nature of Mormonism and this is a typical scenario.  Guys hang out with guys. When a woman goes to her Bishop and says, "My husband is abusive," the Bishop often thinks, "I hang with this guy all the time.  We volunteer together, pray together,  go fishing/hunting/golfing together.  He's a great guy. Just fantastic.  What's her problem? She must be exaggerating."  This isn't hypothetical. Super guy in public, controlling abuser at home.  The Bishop and other men only see the "good guy" side. 

On 1/16/2023 at 2:10 PM, hoipolloi said:

Did his family see this behavior?

Maybe that's where he learned it.  

I read some of the condolences on the obituary page, before it was taken down. So many people posted about what a GREAT guy he was, including the customers at his agency.  

Nobody mentioned the family annihilator dealio. 

Quote

'Once he was late coming home so she let the kids start eating. When he got home and saw them eating without him- he threw all the food on the floor and made her start dinner all over again.'

Wife wasn't the only one living in hell.  Can't imagine what life was like in that house for the kids. 

[Howl]

Well, now we know that indeed it was a living hell for those kids. 

Police report outlines father's violent, controlling behavior 2 years before Enoch murders

This had to do with the dad physically (not sexually) abusing the oldest daughter.  At one point he choked her.  Choking in domestic violence is predictive of future homicide.  Huge. Red. Flag. 

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by Howl

[Howl]

Note from the article:

Quote

Officials conducted forensic interviews with Michael Haight, his wife Tausha Haight, and the teenage daughter in question after a complaint was filed by a DCFS (Division of Child and Family Services)  employee. 

It's not known who filed the complaint, but my bet is on a teacher or counselor from her school.   

[ADoyle90815]

My guess is that the complaint came from a teacher or counselor from her school, as even in Utah, school staff are considered mandated reporters for abuse. 

[Bluebirdbluebell]

Tons of updates on this case in the news:

Complete Timeline in the Deseret News: (link to the full article).

This article from the Salt Lake Tribune details years of abuse (link to full article): Long before it got physical, the husband was extremely controlling and cruel. 

The same article lists tons of warning signs. 

And since this is Free Jinger, the church failed this family.

Quote

 The DCFS record says that Tausha went to Latter-day Saint leaders several times to report concerns about Michael; those interactions were never passed on to police, records show. In Utah, anyone — including LDS bishops — who willfully fails to report abuse faces a class B misdemeanor. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ policy for responding to confessions about abuse, which was the focus of a recent investigation by The Associated Press, advises bishops to call a “help line” staffed by lawyers. It’s unclear if that happened with the Enoch church leaders.

 

[Ozlsn]

I really think one of the best things to happen in Australia in the last decade was the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Not just because it forced a light on how institutions ranging from churches to scouts to football clubs reacted in response to reports of child sexual abuse in their institution but because it started people also asking about other forms of abuse. It didn't (of course) solve the problems, either of CSA or family violence but it did make a lot of institutions look hard at what their processes were and improve them, and also look at how family violence presents. 

I hope this horrific case forces some change in the LDS.

[hoipolloi]

9 hours ago, Bluebirdbluebell said:

And since this is Free Jinger, the church failed this family.

Yep. I wondered if any of the uniformed men who were pallbearers were among the LEOs who blew off the repeated reports of family abuse and domestic violence.