Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss
5 Years After Wash. Lesbian Wigger Mom Drove Wife and Kids Off Cliff, the 'Hart Family Murders' Remain Chilling
4 views
Skip to first unread message
Clam Slappers
Sep 16, 2023, 6:20:43 AM9/16/23
to
The Harts looked like one big happy family.
But on March 26, 2018, the dark truth about the "Hart tribe" emerged when
Jennifer Hart drove her family's SUV off a 100-foot cliff in California,
killing all eight members of the family.
"Everyone's hearts are broken," family friend Zippy Lomax told PEOPLE
after the tragedy in 2018.
A little over five years later, the case remains one of the most shocking
murder-suicides in U.S. history.
Looking Back at the Tragic Hart Family Murders on 4th Anniversary
The crash occurred on a Monday, just after 3 a.m. A revving car engine,
tires crunching on gravel and plaintive cries for help could be heard in
the dark of night, a camper near the crash site recalled. They were the
sounds of the family's GMC Yukon — with Jennifer; her partner, Sarah; and
their six helpless children inside — speeding off the cliff and plunging
into the rocky Pacific coast.
Investigators looking into the crash noted that there were no brake marks
atop the cliff, causing authorities to grow suspicious of Jennifer and
Sarah's final moments.
Initially calling it "a very confusing scene," Mendocino County Sheriff
Tom Allman later said, "This was more than a crime. This was an out-and-
out conspiracy to kill six kids."
Sheriff Says California Cliff Crash That Killed Family Was No Accident:
'I'm Calling It a Crime'
Jennifer, it turned out, was driving drunk, and Sarah had high levels of
Benadryl in her system when they died.
The children were likely "unconscious or asleep" after being given many
doses of Benadryl when the car careened off the cliff, authorities said.
But before that day, Jennifer and Sarah, both 38, and their six adopted
children — Markis, 19; Hannah, 16; Devonte, 15; Jeremiah and Abigail, both
14; and Sierra, 12 — of Woodland, Wash., lived what seemed like a full
life.
In a Facebook post marking the ninth anniversary of three of the
adoptions, Jennifer reportedly wrote: "I am a better human in every
possible way for knowing these children. They have been my greatest
teachers. Contrary to the common notion that we can't choose our family,
we absolutely can. We choose by loving — and that's worth celebrating
every damn day."
Often seen in Facebook pictures smiling with their arms around each other,
the Harts traveled cross-country to music festivals to hear their favorite
bands play, took frequent hikes and even attended political rallies, like
one for Bernie Sanders in Vancouver, Wash., in 2016, when they showed up
in matching T-shirts bearing the senator's likeness.
"These kids lived more than most people ever will in the adventures they
would have and the things they would see," Lomax told PEOPLE. "These kids
were completely unafraid to be the first ones up there and be engaged."
Devonte Hart, for one, catapulted the family into the national spotlight
and stole Americans' hearts when a photograph of him hugging a white
police officer at a 2014 protest in Portland, Ore., went viral.
Devonte was photographed embracing the officer a day after a grand jury
decided not to charge Ferguson, Mo., officer Darren Wilson in the shooting
death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, a controversial decision that had
emotions riding high.
"Jen and Sarah really were the kind of parents that I think the world
desperately needs," Lomax told local TV station KOIN.
"They were that really bright kind of presence," Lomax said.
The Darkest of Intentions
Those who knew the family were initially shocked to learn that Jennifer
had driven her vehicle off a cliff, saying it had to be an accident.
One thing was certain, though. "Death was obvious for all of them,"
Mendocino County Sheriff Deputy Robert Julian testified during a 2019
coroner's inquest.
Jennifer, Sarah and three of their children, Markis, Jeremiah and Abigail,
were found in the car, authorities said.
Sierra's remains were found later. All that was found of Hannah were the
skeletal remains of her foot, still in a shoe, that washed up on a
California beach.
Devonte's remains have yet to be recovered, though he has been declared
legally dead.
Where is Devonte Hart? Boy in Viral Photo Was in Fatal Cliff Crash, but
Body Remains Missing
Upon learning the news, their friends were beside themselves with grief.
"I love you with all of my heart and soul Hart Tribe. I am still in shock
of your sudden, tragic departure," Kristina Pescatore, who appears to have
known the family, wrote on Facebook. "Your smiles and immense loving
presence radiates in my heart."
Another friend, Max Ribner, reportedly said, "They really found the
goodness in everybody and I hope they we can all really learn a beautiful
lesson from that and carry that legacy on."
Lomax told the Oregonian: "There were no clues anywhere that something was
wrong."
Others, however, later said Jennifer and Sarah had shown signs of being
abusive parents.
Hart Family Crash: Acquaintances Say Moms Mistreated Kids but Made Them
Pose for 'Happy' Photos
The Hart family's neighbors, Dana and Bruce DeKalb, said red flags were
raised in the summer of 2017 when Hannah leaped from a second-story window
at her house and raced over to them "begging for help," according to an
incident report from the Clark County Sheriff's Office.
"She wanted us to take her to Seattle because they weren't treating her
right," Bruce said.
"'Don't make me go back,'" she told Bruce, he recalled. She appeared to be
missing two front teeth and looked much younger than she actually was,
according to the DeKalbs.
Records obtained by PEOPLE also show that while the Harts lived in
Alexandria, Sarah was charged with hitting one of her daughters after a
teacher found bruises on the child's body.
In 2011, Abigail told a teacher that she had "owies" on her "tummy" and
back, court records state. When the teacher asked Abigail how she got the
bruises, she said, "Mom hit me."
During police questioning, Sarah admitted to letting her "anger get out of
control" and spanking her daughter the day before, according to the
criminal complaint against her. But according to the Oregonian, it was
Jennifer whom Abigail said had hit her.
Sarah admitted to taking her daughter into the bathroom, bending her over
the edge of the bathtub and hitting her on the backside.
She was originally charged with domestic assault and malicious punishment,
according to court records. She agreed to plead guilty to the domestic
assault charge and the malicious punishment charge was dropped.
In April 2011, Sarah was sentenced to 90 days in jail — which was stayed —
and one year of supervised probation, according to court documents.
When Abigail's body was found after the 2018 crash, she was covered with
bruises indicating past abuse, according to police.
In March 2018, Devonte began asking his neighbors for food, saying that
his moms withheld food as punishment.
On March 23, 2018, Dana called Child Protective Services, who sent a
caseworker to the Hart's split-level home, leaving a business card in the
door.
The next day, CPS returned to the home they found no sign of the business
card in the door, or the family, who'd already left, never to return.
Dana blamed herself for what happened, saying, "Because I reported [them
to CPS], they took off and killed these kids," according to The New York
Times.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE's free
True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and
details of intriguing unsolved cases.
In 2019, almost a year after the accident, a jury convened by the
Mendocino County coroner found Jennifer and Sarah guilty of murdering
their children.
Oversights in the system, and Jennifer and Sarah, are to blame for the
tragic deaths, Sheriff Allman said after the inquest.
He would like to see a national database of child abuse and neglect
reports to prevent something like this from ever happening again.
"There could have been an opportunity to determine that these six kids
were not in a safe family," he said.
After the family's deaths, Lomax got together with other friends of the
Harts to remember the good times and how loving the children were.
"It was a gathering of people and of course a lot of tears just
remembering how much joy they exuded and brought to everyone," she says.
As for Jennifer and Sarah, she said, "Were they perfect? No. Do we all
know their whole story? No. None of us do and we never will."
Queers abuse and molest children. End of story.
https://people.com/crime/hart-family-murders-anniversary/
But on March 26, 2018, the dark truth about the "Hart tribe" emerged when
Jennifer Hart drove her family's SUV off a 100-foot cliff in California,
killing all eight members of the family.
"Everyone's hearts are broken," family friend Zippy Lomax told PEOPLE
after the tragedy in 2018.
A little over five years later, the case remains one of the most shocking
murder-suicides in U.S. history.
Looking Back at the Tragic Hart Family Murders on 4th Anniversary
The crash occurred on a Monday, just after 3 a.m. A revving car engine,
tires crunching on gravel and plaintive cries for help could be heard in
the dark of night, a camper near the crash site recalled. They were the
sounds of the family's GMC Yukon — with Jennifer; her partner, Sarah; and
their six helpless children inside — speeding off the cliff and plunging
into the rocky Pacific coast.
Investigators looking into the crash noted that there were no brake marks
atop the cliff, causing authorities to grow suspicious of Jennifer and
Sarah's final moments.
Initially calling it "a very confusing scene," Mendocino County Sheriff
Tom Allman later said, "This was more than a crime. This was an out-and-
out conspiracy to kill six kids."
Sheriff Says California Cliff Crash That Killed Family Was No Accident:
'I'm Calling It a Crime'
Jennifer, it turned out, was driving drunk, and Sarah had high levels of
Benadryl in her system when they died.
The children were likely "unconscious or asleep" after being given many
doses of Benadryl when the car careened off the cliff, authorities said.
But before that day, Jennifer and Sarah, both 38, and their six adopted
children — Markis, 19; Hannah, 16; Devonte, 15; Jeremiah and Abigail, both
14; and Sierra, 12 — of Woodland, Wash., lived what seemed like a full
life.
In a Facebook post marking the ninth anniversary of three of the
adoptions, Jennifer reportedly wrote: "I am a better human in every
possible way for knowing these children. They have been my greatest
teachers. Contrary to the common notion that we can't choose our family,
we absolutely can. We choose by loving — and that's worth celebrating
every damn day."
Often seen in Facebook pictures smiling with their arms around each other,
the Harts traveled cross-country to music festivals to hear their favorite
bands play, took frequent hikes and even attended political rallies, like
one for Bernie Sanders in Vancouver, Wash., in 2016, when they showed up
in matching T-shirts bearing the senator's likeness.
"These kids lived more than most people ever will in the adventures they
would have and the things they would see," Lomax told PEOPLE. "These kids
were completely unafraid to be the first ones up there and be engaged."
Devonte Hart, for one, catapulted the family into the national spotlight
and stole Americans' hearts when a photograph of him hugging a white
police officer at a 2014 protest in Portland, Ore., went viral.
Devonte was photographed embracing the officer a day after a grand jury
decided not to charge Ferguson, Mo., officer Darren Wilson in the shooting
death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, a controversial decision that had
emotions riding high.
"Jen and Sarah really were the kind of parents that I think the world
desperately needs," Lomax told local TV station KOIN.
"They were that really bright kind of presence," Lomax said.
The Darkest of Intentions
Those who knew the family were initially shocked to learn that Jennifer
had driven her vehicle off a cliff, saying it had to be an accident.
One thing was certain, though. "Death was obvious for all of them,"
Mendocino County Sheriff Deputy Robert Julian testified during a 2019
coroner's inquest.
Jennifer, Sarah and three of their children, Markis, Jeremiah and Abigail,
were found in the car, authorities said.
Sierra's remains were found later. All that was found of Hannah were the
skeletal remains of her foot, still in a shoe, that washed up on a
California beach.
Devonte's remains have yet to be recovered, though he has been declared
legally dead.
Where is Devonte Hart? Boy in Viral Photo Was in Fatal Cliff Crash, but
Body Remains Missing
Upon learning the news, their friends were beside themselves with grief.
"I love you with all of my heart and soul Hart Tribe. I am still in shock
of your sudden, tragic departure," Kristina Pescatore, who appears to have
known the family, wrote on Facebook. "Your smiles and immense loving
presence radiates in my heart."
Another friend, Max Ribner, reportedly said, "They really found the
goodness in everybody and I hope they we can all really learn a beautiful
lesson from that and carry that legacy on."
Lomax told the Oregonian: "There were no clues anywhere that something was
wrong."
Others, however, later said Jennifer and Sarah had shown signs of being
abusive parents.
Hart Family Crash: Acquaintances Say Moms Mistreated Kids but Made Them
Pose for 'Happy' Photos
The Hart family's neighbors, Dana and Bruce DeKalb, said red flags were
raised in the summer of 2017 when Hannah leaped from a second-story window
at her house and raced over to them "begging for help," according to an
incident report from the Clark County Sheriff's Office.
"She wanted us to take her to Seattle because they weren't treating her
right," Bruce said.
"'Don't make me go back,'" she told Bruce, he recalled. She appeared to be
missing two front teeth and looked much younger than she actually was,
according to the DeKalbs.
Records obtained by PEOPLE also show that while the Harts lived in
Alexandria, Sarah was charged with hitting one of her daughters after a
teacher found bruises on the child's body.
In 2011, Abigail told a teacher that she had "owies" on her "tummy" and
back, court records state. When the teacher asked Abigail how she got the
bruises, she said, "Mom hit me."
During police questioning, Sarah admitted to letting her "anger get out of
control" and spanking her daughter the day before, according to the
criminal complaint against her. But according to the Oregonian, it was
Jennifer whom Abigail said had hit her.
Sarah admitted to taking her daughter into the bathroom, bending her over
the edge of the bathtub and hitting her on the backside.
She was originally charged with domestic assault and malicious punishment,
according to court records. She agreed to plead guilty to the domestic
assault charge and the malicious punishment charge was dropped.
In April 2011, Sarah was sentenced to 90 days in jail — which was stayed —
and one year of supervised probation, according to court documents.
When Abigail's body was found after the 2018 crash, she was covered with
bruises indicating past abuse, according to police.
In March 2018, Devonte began asking his neighbors for food, saying that
his moms withheld food as punishment.
On March 23, 2018, Dana called Child Protective Services, who sent a
caseworker to the Hart's split-level home, leaving a business card in the
door.
The next day, CPS returned to the home they found no sign of the business
card in the door, or the family, who'd already left, never to return.
Dana blamed herself for what happened, saying, "Because I reported [them
to CPS], they took off and killed these kids," according to The New York
Times.
Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Sign up forPEOPLE's free
True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and
details of intriguing unsolved cases.
In 2019, almost a year after the accident, a jury convened by the
Mendocino County coroner found Jennifer and Sarah guilty of murdering
their children.
Oversights in the system, and Jennifer and Sarah, are to blame for the
tragic deaths, Sheriff Allman said after the inquest.
He would like to see a national database of child abuse and neglect
reports to prevent something like this from ever happening again.
"There could have been an opportunity to determine that these six kids
were not in a safe family," he said.
After the family's deaths, Lomax got together with other friends of the
Harts to remember the good times and how loving the children were.
"It was a gathering of people and of course a lot of tears just
remembering how much joy they exuded and brought to everyone," she says.
As for Jennifer and Sarah, she said, "Were they perfect? No. Do we all
know their whole story? No. None of us do and we never will."
Queers abuse and molest children. End of story.
https://people.com/crime/hart-family-murders-anniversary/
0 new messages