Hart Family
Jennifer and Sarah Hart drove their SUV off a cliff in Mendocino County, California, killing themselves and their six adopted children. The murders followed a CPS visit.
On March 26, 2018, Jennifer and Sarah Hart intentionally drove their SUV off a cliff along Highway 1 in Mendocino County, California, killing themselves and their six adopted children: Markis (19), Hannah (16), Devonte (15), Abigail (14), Jeremiah (14), and Sierra (12).
The Hart family had been the subject of a viral photo showing Devonte hugging a police officer during a 2014 protest. Behind the public image, the children were being starved and abused.
A CPS caseworker from Washington state had visited their home on March 23 after a neighbor reported concerns about the children being malnourished. The family fled that same day.
Toxicology showed Jennifer Hart had a blood alcohol level of .102. Evidence showed the SUV accelerated toward the cliff edge. The case exposed catastrophic failures in the child welfare system across multiple states.
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