Sarah Hart

Mass Murderer

Hart Family Murders (2018): Sarah & Jennifer Hart

Overview

On March 26, 2018, married couple Jennifer Hart and Sarah Hart drove their family’s SUV off a coastal cliff in Mendocino County, California, killing themselves and their six adopted children in a murder–suicide that became known as the Hart family murders. Investigators determined the plunge was intentional. Jennifer was the driver; Sarah was in the front passenger seat. The children were Markis, Hannah, Devonte, Abigail, Jeremiah, and Ciera (often reported as “Sierra”). Key facts confirmed by authorities and later reporting include: the lack of braking before the cliff, a speedometer frozen around 90 mph, Jennifer’s blood-alcohol level over the legal limit, and high levels of diphenhydramine (the active ingredient in Benadryl) in Sarah and some of the children. A 2019 Mendocino County Coroner’s inquest ruled both adults’ deaths as suicide and each child’s death as homicide (“at the hands of another, other than by accident”).

The Day of the Crash

On the afternoon of March 26, 2018, a passerby spotted the Harts’ brown 2003 GMC Yukon XL upside down on the rocky shoreline below State Route 1 near Juan Creek, north of Westport, California. First calls to authorities came in around 3:38–4:16 p.m. The SUV had plunged more than 100 feet from the highway. There were no skid marks indicating braking before the edge.

Investigation Findings

Evidence from the scene and the vehicle led the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and county authorities to conclude the crash was deliberate. Jennifer’s toxicology showed intoxication; Sarah and at least two children had significant diphenhydramine levels. None of the occupants were properly restrained. The vehicle’s speedometer was reported stuck near 90 mph. These findings—together with the absence of braking—supported the inquest jury’s determination of a murder–suicide. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Ciera Hart 12 yr old Male

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Hart family murders

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