In a quiet Spanish Fork, Utah neighborhood, the life of a 5-year-old White/Caucasian female named Haley Boren came to a tragic end on January 16, 2014. The grim discovery was made late that Thursday evening when Haley's father, 34-year-old Joshua Boren, a police officer with the Lindon Police Department, failed to appear for his night shift. Concerned colleagues, unable to reach him, requested a welfare check at his home.
What officers found there was a scene of unimaginable horror that shattered the peace of the community.
Upon arriving at the two-story home, police peered through a window and saw blood and shell casings, prompting them to enter the residence. Inside, they found the bodies of five people. In an upstairs bedroom lay Haley, her 7-year-old brother, Joshua "Jaden" Boren, and their 32-year-old mother, Kelly Boren. Next to them was their father, Joshua Boren. In an adjacent room, authorities found the body of the children's maternal grandmother, 55-year-old Marie King. Investigators quickly determined that Joshua Boren had shot and killed his wife, two children, and mother-in-law before turning the gun on himself in a horrific murder-suicide.
The investigation that followed painted a grim picture of a deeply troubled marriage hidden behind a facade of normalcy. While colleagues described Joshua Boren as a professional and exemplary officer, it became clear that the couple had been experiencing significant marital problems for several months and were living separately. A subsequent in-depth report by the Spanish Fork Police Department, released months later, revealed a disturbing dark side to Joshua Boren. It detailed a history of childhood abuse, struggles with drug and sex addictions, and allegations that he had drugged and sexually assaulted his wife, Kelly.
The night before the killings, a final, heated text message exchange between Joshua and Kelly seemed to confirm their eight-year marriage was over. Kelly had reportedly discovered what her husband had been doing and confronted him. Fearing the loss of his family and the exposure of his secrets, Joshua Boren committed the ultimate act of violence, ending the lives of his entire family before taking his own. No arrests were made as the sole suspect in the deaths of Haley Boren and her family was the perpetrator who died at the scene.
