The entire family did not survive the night" and "The cruel husband took his own life

What this episode is about

The tragic story details the life of Michael Hait, a seemingly dedicated family man and community member from Cedar City, Utah, whose facade crumbled when authorities discovered the bodies of eight family members in their home on January 4, 2023. Investigations revealed a shocking turn of events, including Michael's role in the family's demise and the subsequent suicide of the husband, leaving the community in disbelief.

Key takeaways

• Beneath the facade of family bliss, a dark undercurrent of fear festered—Macy's chilling confessions were mere whispers unnoticed.
• A tragic reminder: in suburbs, silence can hide potential horrors. Eight lives lost, yet warning signs echoed faintly.
• What happens when devotion turns dark? Michael's journey from pillars of community to perpetrator is a gut-wrenching twist.
• Neighbors heard bangs at 3:30 AM, but they mistook tragedy for fireworks—reluctance to face reality often harbors danger.
• In the world of domestic abuse, the pain often remains unseen until it's too late—Michael's duality was sinisterly mundane.

Who speaks in this episode?

• Michael Hait
• Tasha Earl
• Gail Earl
• Macy Hait
• Briley Hait
• Aman Hait
• Detectives

What is discussed, and when

1. 0:00 – 3:00: Michael Hait, Tasha Earl, Gail Earl, Southern Utah University
2. 3:00 – 6:00: Michael Hait, Utah Division of Child and Family Services
3. 6:00 – 9:00: Tasha Earl
4. 9:00 – 12:00: Briley Hait
5. 12:00 – 15:00: Tasha Earl, Gail Earl
6. 15:00 – 18:00: Michael Hait

Notable quotes from "The entire family did not survive the night" and "The cruel husband took his own life"

• Commitment to his religious community upon his return to the United States Michael pursued a degree in business at Southern Utah University where he graduated in 2004 at…

  about Southern Utah University · at 0:46

• Not take long before the detectives concluded that Michael ha was the primary suspect they theorized that he killed his wife mother-in-law and five children before taking his…

  about Gail Earl · at 3:39

• During the investigation into the hate family murders detectives learned that an unnamed non-family member had reported abuse to the police in the Utah Division of Child and…

  about Utah Division of Child and Family Services · at 4:42

• 7-year-old son aan was acting more and more like his father Michael emulating his bad behavior whenever Tasha told aan to do something he responded that's not my job this…

  about Aman Hait · at 7:27

• To buy presents Tasha always gave her children a fulfilling Christmas Yet Michael received a substantial paycheck from his job at all state however he refused to allocate…

  about Michael Hait · at 9:49

• Important than any marital Bond on December 21st 20122 Tasha filed for divorce from her husband Michael however she asked for the divorce papers to be delivered after the…

  about Tasha Earl · at 12:41

• Mother moved in to provide support for both Tasha and the children however Michael's actions during this time further exacerbated the situation Michael did not vacate the…

  about Allstate · at 13:48

• Tasha and her family vulnerable in case of an emergency Michael and Tasha's oldest child Macy had expressed to several of her friends that she welcomed her parents divorce Macy…

  about Macy Hait · at 14:39

Who and what is mentioned in this episode?

People

• Michael Hait — Person · Primary subject (perpetrator/suspect in case narrative) · 5 mentions · first at 0:04
  The episode centers on Michael Hait’s life history, alleged domestic abuse, and investigators’ conclusion that he killed his family and himself.
• Tasha Earl — Person · Primary victim; spouse; divorce petitioner · 4 mentions · first at 0:59
  Tasha Earl is described as Michael Hait’s wife, a victim of coercive control and abuse, and the person who filed for divorce shortly before the killings.
• Macy Hait — Person · Victim; eldest child; reported abuse complainant/source · 6 mentions
  Macy is portrayed as the eldest child who disclosed fear and alleged physical abuse by Michael, triggering a DCFS report and investigation.
• Aman Hait — Person · Victim; child referenced in behavioral/emulation context · 6 mentions
  Aman is described as one of the children killed and is also referenced in discussions of household dynamics and alleged modeling of Michael’s behavior.
• Gail Earl — Person · Victim; mother-in-law; support figure during divorce · 2 mentions · first at 2:43
  Gail Earl is identified as Tasha’s mother, present in the home for support during the divorce period, and among the deceased.
• Briley Hait — Person · Victim; child referenced in discipline/household conflict · 1 mention · first at 11:53
  Briley is described as one of the children killed and appears in an incident used to illustrate Michael’s anger and escalation preceding the divorce filing.
  Grandchildren of a similar age and Bry found solace in the company of these children Briley disclosed to a friend that she was happy about her parents impending divorce she…

Companies & orgs

• Allstate — Company · Employer · 4 mentions
  Michael Hait worked at Allstate, which is mentioned in the context of his employment and financial behavior.
• Southern Utah University — Company · Educational institution · 1 mention · first at 0:52
  Michael Hait pursued a degree in business at Southern Utah University, where he also met his future wife.
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — Company · Religious organization · 1 mention · first at 0:42
  Michael was a dedicated member of this church, which influenced his personal life and mission trip.
  Brazil as a dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints this experience further deepened his faith and strengthened his commitment to his religious…
• Utah Division of Child and Family Services — Company · Government agency · 1 mention · first at 4:48
  This agency was involved in investigating reports of abuse within the Hate family prior to the tragic event.
• Iron County School District — Company · Educational institution · 1 mention · first at 1:53
  The school district was contacted by police to verify the attendance of the Hate children on the day of the incident.
  It did not appear as if anyone was home knowing that the hates had five children the police contacted the Iron County School District to verify if any of the children were at…

Full transcript with timestamps

0:04 Michael hait was born on January 7th 1980 in Seattle Washington however at an early age his family relocated to Cedar City Utah following the completion of his father's dental school as a child Michael was a typical young boy who enjoyed baseball basketball and soccer he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and excelled in school after graduating high school in 1998 Michael spent the summer working at a fish plant in Alaska he quickly earned the position of line manager overseeing more than a dozen men his work ethic and dedication were recognized reading to his promotion Michael when ton mission trip to South Brazil as a dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latterday saints this experience further deepened his faith and strengthened his commitment to his religious community upon his return to the United States Michael pursued a degree in business at Southern Utah University where he

0:54 graduated in 2004 at Southern Utah University Michael Met's future wife Tasha Earl they fell in love and married in the St George temple on May 10th 2003 Michael appeared to be the epitome of a devoted husband and father to Outsiders he coached his children's sports teams attended their School concerts and spent time with them sledding and doing projects in the garage however on January 4th 2023 the facade Michael had built around his family came crashing down on that day eight bodies were found in the height residence leaving investigators and neighbors alike shocked and bewildered early that morning Tasha ha missed an online appointment and Michael her husband failed to report for work their colleagues grew concerned and contacted the police to perform a welfare check at the hate residence in Enoch officers arrived at the hate residence but upon knocking they received no answer as they walked around

1:47 the property the officers observed that it did not appear as if anyone was home knowing that the hates had five children the police contacted the Iron County School District to verify if any of the children were at school that day however it was discovered that none of the children were present when the police arrived at the ha's home they cleared the premises to ensure no immediate danger was present after a thorough search they confirmed that no one needed medical attention and that there were no signs of an active threat the hates lived in a single story residence with a basement detectives arrived on the scene a short time later after the home was declared a crime scene upon entering the main bedroom the detectives noticed that the four-year-old Gavin was laying Flats on his stomach his head turned to the left one of his arms was placed under his head on a comfortable pillow all a blanket covered a portion of his body

2:35 similar to Gavin Tasha was only partially covered by the blanket the detectives discovered an older woman on the other side of the bed she was later identified as Gail Earl Tasha's mother Gail was also lying on her back her head resting on a pillow like her daughter and Grandson Gail was partially covered by a blanket as the detectives continued their search of the haes home they entered bry's room where they found the 12-year-old girl lying in bed she was slightly inclined and partially covered with a blanket in Aman's room the detectives discovered a seven-year-old boy lying face down in the corner of the room unlike his siblings he did not have a pillow or blanket over him Sienna Aman's twin sister was found in her bedroom lying on her left side in bed her head resting on a pillow also covered with a blanket Macy the eldest of the hate children at 17 years old was found in her bed her head resting on a

3:27 pillow and her body covered by the blanket the detectives then found Michael hait in the exercise room in the basement of the home he was lying on top of a sleeping bag all eight victims were found dead from a gunshot wound it did not take long before the detectives concluded that Michael ha was the primary suspect they theorized that he killed his wife mother-in-law and five children before taking his own life as the detectives began their investigation one neighbor provided crucial information that helped them piece together the timeline of the crime the neighbor told the police that she had awoken at 3:30 a.m. to the bathroom exiting her room she heard a loud bang that sounded like fireworks however she quickly noticed that it was past the legal date for fireworks to be allowed in the neighborhood leaving her feeling annoyed the neighbor continued stating that after the initial bang she heard

4:14 two more in quick succession this noise was followed by a short pause followed by another bang that pattern continued with a brief pause before the next bang and a longer pause before a final bang based on the neighbor's statement and the condition of the bodies found inside the house the detective speculated that the Bangs She had heard around 3:30 a.m. were directly related to the events that unfolded that night they believed that Michael hate carried out the brutal killings during this specific time frame during the investigation into the hate family murders detectives learned that an unnamed non-family member had reported abuse to the police in the Utah Division of Child and Family Services in 2020 this individual revealed that Macy who was 14 years old at the time confided in them about her fear of her father that Revelation sparked a further investigation into the hate household following receipt of the DCFS report

5:06 Macy and her parents were interviewed separately during Macy's interview the interviewer learned disturbing information Macy stated that there were times when her father choked her and she feared he was going to kill her she revealed that the violent attacks began in 2017 and spoke of a time when her father grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her into a wooden piece of furniture when the detectives interviewed Michael hait he denied ever hurting his daughter he dismissed the incidents described by Macy as misunderstandings and blamed his emotional state on his father's death and the recent divorce of his brother Michael stated that he had been upset about these issues and took it out him his older daughter Tasha did not want to press criminal charges against Michael at the Utah Department of Children and Family Services the Enoch police department and the Iron County prosecutor's office also declined to

5:55 press charges they had determined that the case did not meet the statute's requirements for prosecution additionally a lethality assessment was conducted with Tasha and according to her response it did not indicate her relationship with Michael was Lethal however victim Services were made available to Tasha and the children for several months after the case was open through conversations with Tasha's friends the detectives gained a different perspective on Michael hate from that portrayed to the community according to Tasha's friends whenever they stopped by the house to visit they often had to engage in conversation while the water was running in the kitchen to cover up any sound Tasha believed that Michael was monitoring her conversations and evees dropping on them these friends also helped Tasha clean the house whenever they came over so Michael would have nothing to yell at Tasha about Tasha's friends shared that

6:43 whenever they texted her she would respond with short positive messages seemingly mindful of the possibility that Michael might read these messages they believed this was a way of maintaining a positive image in front of Michael as to suggest that everything was going smoothly in their marriage the detectives signed of the case have learned that Michael exhibited signs of Highly controlling Behavior towards his wife Tasha one way in which Michael exerted control over Tasha was by taking her car keys and phone to prevent her from leaving another incident that raised suspicion about Michael was his reaction to Tasha purchasing a $30 rug from Walmart to replace a soiled one although Tasha had a legitimate need for the carpet Michael became Furious claiming the purchase was excessive Tasha confided in her friends that her 7-year-old son aan was acting more and more like his father Michael emulating

7:31 his bad behavior whenever Tasha told aan to do something he responded that's not my job this Behavior was concerning for Tasha as it reflected Aman's lack of responsibility and disregard for Authority Michael often dismissed to ignored Tasha's instructions and aiman seemed to follow suit according to Tasha's friends in 2022 Tasha dared indulge in a small Act of self-care despite the demands of her responsibilities she decided to get her nails done a relatively rare occurrence for her however her husband Michael did not allow it to happen placing strict restrictions on her Freedom after Tasha's Indulgence she felt renewed confidence in Beauty she told Michael that she would be getting her nails done on a monthly basis the decision that did not sit well with him angered by his wife's decision Michael expressed his disapproval questioning how much this new habit would cost to alleviate Michael's concerns Tasha calmly

8:25 explained that maintaining the self-care ritual costs $25 per month mon however Michael remained unconvinced arguing that Tasha was taking food from their children's mouths by spending money on her nails his perspective was rooted in control and a deep financial responsibility towards their family around the same time Tasha started prioritizing her self-care and began losing weight after years of her husband calling her fat and ugly Michael was Furious that she was shedding pounds he accused Tasha of cheating on him trying to justify the sudden change in her physical appearance Michaels controlling Behavior reached New Heights as he attempted to manipulate Tasha's weight loss he pleaded with her to stop losing weight concerned that other men might look at her with desire underlying this demand were his deep-seated insecurities and desire for complete control over his wife's body and behavior Tasha's friends

9:17 also told the police about when the family kitchen table unexpectedly broke and Tasha needed to buy a new table however Michael refused to give her the money to buy one frustrated by the situation Tasha decided to take matters into her own hands she chose to refinish the old table hoping to improve its appearance and functionality however this act of defiance did not sit well with Michael as he did not give her permission to do so Michael hate had a stingy attitude towards spending during the holiday season despite his significant income he provided only $100 to Tasha for each of their five children to buy presents Tasha always gave her children a fulfilling Christmas Yet Michael received a substantial paycheck from his job at all state however he refused to allocate additional funds to his wife and children his rationale was that he didn't see the need to provide them with more of what he believed was

10:05 rightfully his Michael's obsession with reducing waste and conserving resources led him to impose strict rules on Tasha's household habits she had to wash out and reuse plastic bags even if they were used once or multiple times this excessive demand for reusing bags placed additional responsibilities and burdens on Tasha leaving her feeling overwhelmed further Michael's desire to control every aspect of Tasha's life life extended to her cleaning and baby care routines he insisted on having the cleaning at baby wipes claiming it was more eco-friendly and cost effective however this demand compromised Tasha's comfort in hygiene and created unnecessary stress if Tasha failed to adhere to the instructions set by Michael she faced serious consequences he made it clear that Disobedience would lead to a lot of trouble for her this threat created a sense of fear and submission in Tasha leaving her with no

10:56 choice but to comply with Michael's demands according to Tasha's friends she confided in them that although Michael had been mean to her throughout marriage he had never extended this mistreatment to their children into the late 2010s however as time went on the abuse directed towards Macy intensified leading her to considered taking her own life Michael had extremely high expectations for his daughter Macy he expected her to earn Straight A's all the time even though Macy was already struggling with the weight of her father's abuse the pressure to meet his unrealistic expectations proved to be overwhelming for Macy Macy's friends told the detectives about another disturbing incident to the hate home Michael returned home one evening to find Macy with her head in her mother's lap angry and frustrated Michael instructed Macy to get up and clean her room this incident left Macy deeply shaken as she recalled looking into her

11:47 father's eyes and seeing them filled with hatred and pure evil the detectives uncovered another incident where 7-year-old Briley was playing with a changing table and did not stop when Michael told her this incident led to Michael blaming and his wife Tasha for their children's Behavior he labeled them as the worst children in the world who were disrespectful and awful Michael not only blamed Tasha but also called her fat and ugly all in front of their five children it was during this distressing incident that Tasha decided to pursue an exit strategy and file for divorce for Michael after 20 years of marriage the incident which showcased Michael's abusive behavior and lack of control over his anger served as a wake-up call for Tasha she saw the negative impact this Behavior with having on her children and realized that staying in the marriage was not an option divorce was difficult for Tasha

12:35 she spent over two decades with Michael however she realized that her children's well-being and safety were more important than any marital Bond on December 21st 20122 Tasha filed for divorce from her husband Michael however she asked for the divorce papers to be delivered after the holidays wanting one last normal Christmas for her five children before the separation she knew that Michael's Behavior would let Escalade once he received the papers and she did not want the holiday festivities tarnished for everyone the divorce papers were delivered to Michael's allate office 2 days after Christmas despite his recent actions Michael called Tasha acting completely normal asking her about her day as if she hadn't served him with divorce papers mere minutes ago he told Tasha to leave but insisted that she leave the children behind but Tasha stood her ground and refused to leave the house without them despite Michael's

13:27 demands Tasha decided decided to take the children with her to her mother's home in lever in Utah later that evening Michael showed up at his mother-in-law's house attempting to convince Tasha to go for a ride with him Tasha however refused and confided in her friends that she had a bad feeling about going anywhere alone with Michael after Tasha filed for divorce Gail Earl Tasha's mother moved in to provide support for both Tasha and the children however Michael's actions during this time further exacerbated the situation Michael did not vacate the family home instead he chose to move into the basement where the fitness room was in this room he slept on a sleeping bag with a pillow on the floor with his clothes hung on hangers piled on a couch outside the door Tasha confided in her friends that she had noticed a discrepancy in their children's saving accounts which contained $20,000 she

14:16 discovered that Michael had secretly transferred the money out of these accounts without her knowledge or consent furthermore Tasha inherited several firearms from her father after his death including hunting rifles and a handgun at the start of January 2023 Tasha discovered all the Firearms were missing from her house upon further investigation it was revealed that Michael had removed the weapons leaving Tasha and her family vulnerable in case of an emergency Michael and Tasha's oldest child Macy had expressed to several of her friends that she welcomed her parents divorce Macy confided that there would be peace without her father Michael in the home she yearned for the Tranquility that a divorce would bring furthermore Macy had a secret phone that she hid in her room according to to one of her friends Macy used this phone to record her father when he acted crazy she confided in this friend that she was

15:05 doing this to gather evidence to support her parents divorce however Tasha found the phone and hid it away Macy's younger sister Bry also endured a tumultuous home life due to the constant drama at home Bry often sought Refuge at her neighbor's house this neighbor had grandchildren of a similar age and Bry found solace in the company of these children Briley disclosed to a friend that she was happy about her parents impending divorce she even mentioned purchasing some new books but she refrained from telling her father out of fear that he might get angry with her on January 3rd 2023 Tasha met with her attorney to discuss her ongoing concerns about her divorce from her abusive husband Michael during their conversation Tasha revealed that although Michael was still living in the family home she was relieved that he had recently relocated to the basement given Michael's volatile Behavior the

15:53 attorneys pressed Tasha on whether she ever experienced any concern for her or her children's safety despite Michael's occasional outbursts Tasha reassured her attorneys that she never feared for her or her children's well-being in hindsight it is clear that Tasha's optimism and misplaced faith in her husband were tragically misplaced the investigation into the hate Family Shooting was a harrowing Journey for police detectives as they pieced together the chilling sequence of events that led to the tragic outcome one chilling Discovery stood out amid the digital evidence collected from the family's computers and cell phones on December 30th mere day days before the deadly shooting Michael conducted a disturbing Google search at 10:41 p.m.

16:35 Michael's queries delved into firearms and shooting related topics these searches and other evidence gathered during the investigation painted a chilling picture of Michael's intentions the search results revealed alarming questions such as how loud is a 9mm gunshot what does a gunshot sound like I heard gunshots near my house what do I do if you heard a single gunshot in your neighborhood at night would you immediately recognize it as such would you either way be alerted enough to call the police how loud is a gunshots in the house would a neighbor hear a gunshot in the garage how loud is a 40mm pistol in the note Michael crafted before he took his life it said he preferred to rot in hell than to continue enduring what he described as controlling Behavior by his wife Michael expressed that he could not handle the situation for another day and was determined to put an end to the manipulation and control he had been

17:28 subjected to Michael's notes expressed deep frustration and Desperation he mentioned repeatedly asking for help but no one seemed to listen in this note Michael emphasized his determination to not be a burden to society the details of this case have left many in shock and disbelief as it painted the picture of a deeply dysfunctional family plagued by violence Michael's actions were premeditated and calculated he carefully planned the murders ensuring that his wife and children were unaware and until it was too late

Questions about this episode

Who speaks in "The entire family did not survive the night" and "The cruel husband took his own life"?

Michael Hait, Tasha Earl, Gail Earl, Macy Hait, Briley Hait, Aman Hait, Detectives.

What is "The entire family did not survive the night" and "The cruel husband took his own life" about?

The tragic story details the life of Michael Hait, a seemingly dedicated family man and community member from Cedar City, Utah, whose facade crumbled when authorities discovered the bodies of eight family members in their home on January 4, 2023. Investigations revealed a shocking turn of events, including Michael's role in the family's demise and the subsequent suicide of the husband, leaving…

What is mentioned in this Casefile True Crime episode?

11 people, works and ideas are mentioned, including Michael Hait, Tasha Earl, Macy Hait, Aman Hait, Gail Earl, Briley Hait. Each one on this page links to its own page with every episode that mentions it.

How long is "The entire family did not survive the night" and "The cruel husband took his own life"?

The episode runs 18 min; the transcript is about 3,311 words in 22 timestamped sections.

More from Casefile True Crime

• All analyzed episodes
• Books mentioned on Casefile True Crime
• People mentioned on Casefile True Crime
• Topics mentioned on Casefile True Crime