Chilling abuse at heart of ‘perfect’ family before horrifying murder suicide

Sarah and Jennifer Hart were the picture of perfect parents, but behind the facade was a level of control and abject cruelty that would end in one of the most shocking murders in modern American history

Most people who encountered the Hart family believed they were almost perfect.

Mums Sarah and Jennifer were eager to demonstrate to others just how caring and forward-thinking they were, and how they had dedicated their lives to their six adopted youngsters.

Both maintained social media accounts filled with snaps of beaming faces, family holidays and other meticulously arranged scenes of happiness.

Mates would frequently comment on their devotion to the children and the strength of their family bond.

Yet beneath the carefully crafted image lay a degree of dominance and shocking brutality that would culminate in one of the most horrifying killings in contemporary American history, reports the Mirror.

In the early hours of 26th March 2018, the Harts’ SUV plummeted 100ft off a cliff on the California coast, smashing upside down onto a secluded beach below.

Within the motor were Sarah and Jennifer Hart, both 38, and their six adopted children: Markis, 19; Hannah, 16; Jeremiah, 14; Abigail, 14; Ciera, 12; and Devonte, 15.

Five bodies were retrieved from the wreckage and coastline.

15-year-old Devonte’s body was never discovered, but he is presumed dead.

Right from the start, investigators working the case suspected this was no accident, particularly after spotting that there were no skid marks on the road.

Information extracted from the vehicle would later reveal it had accelerated sharply from a stationary position before hurtling off the cliff edge.

A nearby camper told jurors he heard an engine roaring furiously moments before the plunge. A coroner’s inquest would later confirm the worst fears.

A 14-member jury unanimously determined the deaths were a murder-suicide. Jennifer Hart had intentionally steered the car off the cliff, killing herself, her wife and all six children.

As investigators delved deeper, the meticulously crafted facade of “perfect parents” rapidly crumbled, exposing something far more sinister.

In the hours and days leading up to the fatal crash, the couple had looked up various methods of mass suicide online. Their searches included queries about the lethal potential of Benadryl as well as what drowning feels like.

Toxicology results showed Sarah Hart and several of the children had substantial levels of diphenhydramine, the sedating component in Benadryl, in their systems.

Jennifer Hart, who was behind the wheel, was also discovered to be above the legal alcohol limit.

Heartbreakingly, had authorities managed to intervene earlier, the appalling mass murder might have been averted.

Just days beforehand, child protection officials in Washington state, where the family resided, had reopened an ongoing investigation after Devonte knocked on a neighbour’s door and begged for food, claiming his parents were denying him meals.

Acting on the tip-off, caseworkers tried to contact the family three days before the crash, and once more on the very day they perished. This wasn’t the first occasion worries had been voiced.

Over the years, teachers, neighbours and family friends had all flagged up similar issues which revealed a troubling pattern – harsh punishments, withholding food, physical violence and youngsters who seemed scared and timid.

In 2010, Sarah Hart pleaded guilty to assaulting one of the youngsters and was found guilty of a misdemeanour. Yet, despite these ongoing warning signs across several states, the family stayed intact.

Online, Jennifer Hart worked tirelessly to manage the story through Facebook updates and images, presenting the family as happy, politically active and caring.

One of the youngsters, Devonte, even momentarily gained worldwide recognition after being snapped embracing a police officer during a 2014 demonstration.

Investigators later determined the pair believed officials were about to take the youngsters from their custody.

According to evidence at the inquest, the choice to murder the family was motivated by the conviction that if they couldn’t retain the youngsters, nobody else should have them.

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