Obituary Praises Man Who Killed His 'Cherished' Wife & Kids As His Image Is Replaced With A Photo Of Jesus
They called him "Christlike"
Facebook / GoFundMe When you think of disturbed men who, instead of leaving a relationship they were unhappy in, decided to take the lives of their family members, sadly, many come to mind.
One of the most recent cases is this horrific phenomenon is Michael Haight, a Utah husband and father of five who killed his wife, along with their kids and his mother-in-law after his wife filed for divorce.
According to police, on January 4, 2023, Haight, 42, shot his 40-year-old wife, Tausha, her mother, Gail Earl, 78, his three daughters, ages 7,12, and 17, and two sons, ages 4 and 7 before turning the gun on himself.
Tausha decided to separate from her husband and filed divorce paperwork on December 21, 2022 — 20 years after the pair married.
Police confirmed that there have been domestic disturbances at the Haight residence over the years and Tausha's attorney, James Park, said she was fearful that her estranged husband would turn violent.
Michael Haight’s obituary has raised eyebrows.
Tausha, her mother, and her children were laid to rest in a ceremony that brought the town of 8,000 together to mourn an unbelievable loss.
But sadness turned to shock and anger when an obituary for Michael showed up online, showering him with praise while giving no mention of the atrocities he had committed.
The obituary has been locked and is not available to view anymore, but not before horrified viewers shared it online.
The obituary paints Haight as an upstanding and ambitious man, writing that “Michael excelled at everything he did.”
But the most shocking words of all are about how the Haight children were “truly a cherished miracle.” Those words are undeniably tone-deaf, considering the circumstances.
The obituary goes on to say, “Michael made it a point to spend quality time with each and every one of his children. Michael enjoyed making memories with his family.”
The words detailing his “life of service” and “willingness to help with whatever was needed” completely skip over the heinous crimes he committed against his family.
The details about the funeral are not included in the obituary. Instead, the deceased man’s family opted for a private service and thanked “the community” for their love and support.
There was a surprising amount of support for Michael Haight’s family.
One would think that a person who did something as grievous as what Haight did would become a pariah and be shunned when mentioned. If so, the comments on his obituary will surprise you.
Clients of his insurance agency, childhood friends, and those who knew his family well shared their condolences.
One of ‘Michael’s family members’ named Julie stated, “He loved his family and was proud of them. He took the time to show people that he loved them… by serving them.”
She went on to talk about his sense of humor and his “example of Christlike love and service”. Even if this were true, now does not seem like the right time to run down Haight’s good qualities.
Others skipped right over the reason Haight was featured in an obituary at all and took the opportunity to share 'great memories of him.'
One person’s biggest regret was that they missed out on a good time with their third cousin. They said, "Wish we would’ve had a big family get-together BBQ, like we talked about, but never able to do."
A photo of Haight was replaced with Jesus on GoFundMe.
The family of Mrs. Haight has since created a GoFundMe to cover the funeral expenses, legal fees and contribute to a memorial fund for the deceased mother and children.
As of the morning of January 16, it has raised almost $95,000 of the $150,000 goal. In the family picture shared in the GoFundMe campaign, Haight’s image is replaced with that of ‘white Jesus,' likely because they didn't want their family's killer in the image.
The page also makes no mention of Haight or how the family died.
There, the family pays homage to the victims, calling Mrs. Haight a “precious mother” and reminiscing on time spent with the family. The posters promise to remember they laughter and “pure love” they shared forever.
NyRee Ausler is a writer from Seattle, Washington, and author of seven books. She covers lifestyle and entertainment and news, as well as navigating the workplace and social issues.