An obituary for a Utah man who is accused of killing his wife and five children has sparked backlash and viral attention online. Michael Orwin Haight, 42, allegedly killed his wife, Tausha, 40, and their five children, as well as his mother-in-law, after she asked him for a divorce. He then turned the gun on himself. The tragedy occurred on January 8th,2023, leaving the community in shock and mourning. The obituary, which was posted on The Spectrum, failed to mention the reason for the deaths of Michael’s family and instead focused on his love for his family and his accomplishments.

From reading the obituary, 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 post continued to dote on the father’s love for his family.

“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. It also 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.”

The obituary’s tone-deafness and lack of empathy for the victims led to widespread condemnation. Many took to social media to express their disgust and disappointment in the way the obituary was written. 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.

In conclusion, the obituary for Michael Orwin Haight, who is accused of killing his wife and five children, has sparked backlash and viral attention online due to its tone-deafness and lack of empathy for the victims. The obituary failed to mention the reason for the deaths of Michael’s family and instead focused on his love for his family and his accomplishments. It also highlighted his “life of service” without elaborating on the nature of his actions. The community is still in shock and mourning and the police are still investigating a motive for the murder-suicide.