In the quiet town of Grantsville, Utah, the afternoon of January 17, 2020, unfolded into a scene of unimaginable horror that would shatter a family and stun the community. Inside their home, 15-year-old Alexis Julianna Haynie, a White female, became a victim in a calculated and brutal act of violence. A freshman at Grantsville High School, Alexis was known for her quiet confidence, infectious smile, and her skills as a goalie on the junior varsity soccer team.
She was also a talented artist who enjoyed playing the piano.
Over a period of five hours, her 16-year-old brother, Colin "CJ" Haynie, systematically took the lives of their family members as they returned home one by one. After killing his mother, Consuelo Alejandra Haynie, 52, and youngest sister, Milan, 12, CJ lay in wait. Alexis arrived home sometime between 2:00 and 5:00 p.m. and was shot multiple times in the head and upper body. Her 14-year-old brother, Matthew, was the next to arrive and was also fatally shot.
The violence culminated when the father, Colin Haynie, returned home around 6:15 p.m. He was shot in the leg but managed to wrestle the gun away from his son. It was then that CJ informed his father that the rest of the family was already dead, stating his intention was to kill everyone in the house except himself. A neighbor who came to the door to return keys found the father and son and, after learning of the tragedy, drove them to the hospital, alerting police along the way.
Colin "CJ" Haynie was taken into custody at the hospital. He was charged as an adult with four counts of aggravated murder, one count of attempted aggravated murder, and five counts of felony discharge of a firearm. The motive for the killings was not immediately clear, though prosecutors later stated that CJ was angry with his father over typical teenage arguments and made the "selfish decision to kill them all" because he feared the family would turn against him if he only killed his father. In July 2022, CJ Haynie pleaded guilty to the charges. Subsequently, in July 2023, he was sentenced to four consecutive terms of 25 years to life in prison, ensuring he will likely spend the rest of his life incarcerated.
