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Coroner’s Inquest Rules Hart Family Cliff Deaths a Murder-Suicide

Jurors cited vehicle data, toxicology results, online searches indicating premeditation.

Overview

  • Investigators reported no skid marks and vehicle data showed the SUV accelerated from a stop as a camper heard the engine rev moments before the plunge.
  • Toxicology results found Jennifer Hart over the legal alcohol limit, while Sarah Hart and several children had significant levels of diphenhydramine.
  • Evidence presented to the inquest showed recent online searches about Benadryl lethality and what drowning feels like.
  • Washington state child protection reopened an inquiry after Devonte Hart sought food from a neighbor, and caseworkers tried to reach the family three days before the crash and again on the day they died.
  • Authorities recovered five bodies; Devonte Hart was never found and is presumed dead, as prior reports documented years of abuse and a 2010 misdemeanor assault conviction for Sarah Hart.