Bu Meh, a 38-year-old woman of Karenni ethnicity, had escaped violence in her home country of Myanmar over a decade ago, seeking a safer life for her family in the United States. After spending time in a refugee camp in Thailand, she and her family eventually settled in West Valley City, a suburb of Salt Lake City, Utah. There, she taught herself English and worked tirelessly, nurturing the dream of one day owning her own home and living peacefully with her husband and their four children.
That dream was tragically cut short in what police believe was a murder-suicide that unfolded over the weekend of December 14, 2024. The bodies of Bu Meh and three of her children—daughters Kristina Ree, 8, and Nyay Meh, 2, and son Boe Reh, 11—were discovered in their home on Tuesday, December 17. All had been shot and killed. Bu Meh and her daughters were found deceased upstairs, while her son Boe Reh was found downstairs.
The suspect in the horrific act was identified by police as Bu Meh's 42-year-old husband, Dae Reh. He was also found deceased in the home, downstairs, with a handgun discovered under his body, leading investigators to conclude he had killed his family before taking his own life. Because the sole suspect is deceased, no arrests have been made in connection with the deaths. A motive for the violence has not been determined or released by authorities.
The devastating scene was discovered when a relative, worried after not being able to contact the family, went to their home to check on them. The relative found the couple's 17-year-old son, Sha Reh, critically wounded but alive in the garage, suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. This prompted a call to the police, who then found the deceased family members inside. Sha Reh was hospitalized with a severe brain injury, the lone survivor of the tragic event.
