Tragic deaths of West Haven mother, children, ruled murder-suicide by Weber Co. detectives

If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, call the suicide prevention hotline at 988. National Alliance on Mental Illness Utah: namiut.org

WEST HAVEN, Utah ( ABC4 ) — Detectives have ruled the tragic deaths of a 32-year-old woman and her three children in West Haven earlier this week was a murder-suicide.

The West Haven mother allegedly shot her three children — aged 4, 2, and 1 — before shooting herself. It is unclear when the shots were fired, but detectives believe the shooting happened Sunday night into Monday morning.

Lt. Terance Lavely with the Weber County Sheriff’s Office said that based on video and physical evidence, as well as statements from eyewitnesses and family members, no one else was involved in their deaths.

The family said in a statement they were unaware of the mother’s mental health and always saw her as a loving mother. Her and her children’s sudden deaths came as a painful shock.

“We do not the know the exact reasons why this tragedy happened, and we deeply regret it,” the family’s statement reads in part. “This pain is something we wish no one would ever have to go through. Therefore, we urge all those going through difficult times to seek help; please never hide your pain. Speak out and trust that you can overcome any situation.”

Lavely said the entire crime scene was isolated within the car, which was parked outside a West Haven home near 1800 South and Prevdel Drive.

The bodies of the four individuals were found just before 10 p.m. on Sept. 3. By the time deputies arrived at the scene they said the mother and three children were all “beyond help.”

An investigation into the deaths is still ongoing, according to Lavely, as detectives work out a motive behind the deaths. The investigation will reportedly include interviews as well as downloads of cell phone records.

“Our condolences go out to the family of the deceased,” said Lavely. “Our hearts also go out to Weber County deputies, Roy City Police Officers, CSI, and detectives who responded to this horrific scene and continue to work this ongoing investigation.”

This is the second child death in as many months for the Weber County Sheriff’s Office and the 11th child-death scene processed by the department in 2024, according to Lavely.

The full family statement can be found below:

With deep sorrow in our hearts, we want to express the following words. We are going through an extremely difficult time, with a pain in our hearts that cannot be explained in words due to the invaluable loss we have suffered, because they were the light of our lives.

As a family, we unfortunately knew nothing about her mental health. We always saw her as a loving mother, which makes this so shocking for us. We do not know the exact reasons why this tragedy happened, and we deeply regret it. This pain is something we wish no one would ever have to go through. Therefore, we urge all those going through difficult times to seek help; please never hid your pain. Speak out and trust that you can overcome any situation.

As we mentioned, our pain is beyond words, and as a family, we are trying to get through this, even though we honestly do not know exactly how to cope with it. This is why we ask you to please respect our grief, so that in this way you cna help us begin to heal, little by little, even though right now it seems unattainable.

We trust that God and the outpouring of love from the community will keep us strong and guide us to a path where we may one day find peace. We are grateful for the support and prayers of the entire community.

Family Statement

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