On March 26, 2018, an SUV belonging to the Harts, a married couple from Woodland, Washington, was foundat the bottom of a 100-foot cliffoff the Pacific Coast Highway in Northern California.
The remains of two of the other kids were recovered in the coming months when the body of Ciera Hart wasfound near the crash site last April. Hannah Hart’s remains were notidentified until January 2019.The remains of Devonte Hart, 15, have still not been recovered, though Mendocino Sheriff-Coroner Tom Allman recently told PEOPLE that Devonte has been legally declared dead.
The crash sparked national headlines whenauthorities announcedthe fatal car crash was a crime — not an accident. The family’s picture-perfect online image also drew debate, as disturbing details leaked out about the realities the children had experienced at home.
The inquest was livestreamed on theMendocino County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
Mendocino Sheriff/Facebook
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Three days before the crash was reported, Washington State Department of Social and Health Services received a call reporting that the six Hart children appeared to be “potential victims of alleged abuse or neglect,” Norah West, the department’s spokeswoman, previously told PEOPLE.
The state’s DSHS tried unsuccessfully to contact the family on three occasions, the first on March 23, 2018. They tried again on March 26 and March 27, not realizing the family had perished in the crash.
Samantha Sinclair/Facebook
After the inquest, one of the jurors spoke out about the case, saying he was “kind of in pain” while sitting through the proceedings.
Juror Tony Howard told reporters that the reality of the violent deaths was difficult to hear.
“I’m going to be really honest with you guys,” Howard told reporters, according toOregon Public Broadcasting. “Coming up with the decision wasn’t the hard part. Dealing with the whole tragedy was the hard part.”
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go towww.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
source: people.com
