Sarah Hart

Mass Murderer

Sarah Hart and the 2018 Hart Family Murders

Overview of the Case

Sarah Margaret Hart was one of the two adoptive mothers responsible for the deaths of six children in a carefully concealed case of familicide. On March 26, 2018, Sarah, her wife Jennifer Hart, and their six adopted children died after the family's 2003 GMC Yukon XL was deliberately driven over a cliff along California State Route 1 near Westport in Mendocino County, California. Sarah was 38 years old at the time of her death. Jennifer was driving the sport utility vehicle, while Sarah occupied the front passenger seat. Investigators initially approached the scene as a catastrophic traffic accident, but evidence recovered from the vehicle, the family's home, electronic devices, toxicology examinations, and previous child-abuse investigations established that the plunge was intentional. A coroner's jury later concluded that the children were victims of homicide and that Sarah and Jennifer died by suicide.

The Hart Family

Sarah and Jennifer Hart met while attending college in South Dakota. They eventually married and adopted six Black children from the Texas foster-care system. The children were Markis, Hannah, Devonte, Jeremiah, Abigail, and Ciera Hart. The family lived in several states, including Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington. On social media, the women portrayed themselves as loving, socially conscious parents raising a close and adventurous family. Photographs showed the children attending music festivals, traveling, participating in demonstrations, and embracing their adoptive mothers. This carefully maintained public image concealed repeated allegations that the children were being physically abused, deprived of food, isolated, and pressured to support the family's idealized public narrative.

Early Reports of Abuse

Concerns about the treatment of the children arose years before the murders. In 2008, while the family was living in Minnesota, school personnel noticed bruising on one of the children. Sarah admitted striking the child and pleaded guilty in 2011 to a misdemeanor domestic-assault charge. She received a suspended jail sentence, probation, community service, and counseling requirements. Other reports described the children as unusually small for their ages and intensely focused on food. Teachers and acquaintances reportedly observed children taking food from other students, searching through garbage, or describing punishments involving the withholding of meals. Sarah and Jennifer denied serious wrongdoing and offered explanations that investigators did not always have enough evidence to disprove. Child-protection authorities investigated the family more than once. However, the family moved between states, homeschooled the children for extended periods, and controlled much of their contact with outsiders. These circumstances made continued observation difficult and allowed the abuse allegations to remain unresolved. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Ciera Hart 12 yr old Male

Hart family murders