ENOCH, Utah — One year after seven members of the same family were killed in their Enoch home, the community will gather for a celebration of life.
The community gathering will be hosted on Thursday at 6 p.m. in the gym of Enoch Elementary.
“It was something small and simple, but it was beautiful and just what I needed,” said Cindy Baldwin, a friend and neighbor of Haight family. She was one of the event organizers to help her community heal.
The community gathering was hosted Thursday at 6 p.m. in the gym of Enoch Elementary. The memorial event honored Tausha Haight, her five children and her mother, Gail Earl, who were tragically killed inside their home in 2023.
“I’ve never experienced anything like it and I hope I never do again,” said Baldwin. She lived next door to the Haight family and remembers seeing police tape cutting off access to their street, and she had to break the news to friends who were wondering what was going on. The horrific incident impacted everyone in that community – even young kids who were friends with the Haight kids.
“The raw emotion of yourself being in crisis and trauma, and then your children being in crisis and trauma, and then your husband and your neighbors and friends and it was just like this whole community,” added Baldwin.
Michael Haight, Tausha's husband and father to the five children, took his own life after killing the other seven members of the family.
The tragedy rocked the tight-knit Enoch community, with hundreds attending the funeral of the seven family members.
During the funeral ceremony in the week after the deaths, family members remembered Tausha's kindness and the children's unique, bright personalities.
At the celebration of life, friends and neighbors shared memories of the family and talked about moments with them that they will hold on to forever.
“I will always remember her (Tausha) as unconditional and courageous.. Her kids were full of life and laughter,” said Baldwin.
People also wrote messages for the family, shared healing resources and made cookies from “Tausha’s Amazing Chocolate Chip Cookie” recipe.
It’s been a tough year for this community to pick up the pieces after something so devastating happened just next door to them. “It’s been really difficult and it’s just hit us in waves,” said Baldwin. “We’ve relied a lot on each other to get through it.”
In the aftermath of the murders, officials revealed prior complaints against Michael Haight that were filed about a month prior.
The report also detailed that Tausha Haight was in the process of divorcing him and told a caseworker he had anger problems.
Following the murders, Utah saw a push to increase resources for domestic violence victim services. The legislature approved $24 million in funding to expand services across Utah in 2023.
A year after the deaths of the Haight family, their lives are still remembered across Utah with the hope that such a tragedy will never happen again.
Domestic violence victim resources (free, 24/7, confidential):
- Utah Domestic Violence Coalition:
- Hotline: 1-800-897-LINK (5465)
- Online help: udvc.org
- National Domestic Violence Hotline
- 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
- Online live chat: thehotline.org
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, or in an emergency, call 9-1-1 immediately.
