Hart family cliff deaths ruled suicide, homicide

MENDOCINO COUNTY, Calif. (KOIN/CNN) – A Mendocino County, California jury determined unanimously that the Hart family did not die of natural causes.

A jury of 14 people heard two days of testimony then deliberated for about an hour before returning their verdict.

They determined that Sarah and Jennifer Hart took their own lives, with their six adopted children dying “at the hands of another,” being the person believed to have been driving the vehicle.

The California High Patrol determined the Hart SUV went from standing still to gas pedal floored as Jennifer Hart sat behind the wheel legally drunk.

CHP Officer Timothy Roloff said, “Our analysis of that data was that this was consistent with this being an intentional act.”

At first, investigators thought it was an accident until they got the data from the SUV’s “black box.” But even before then, investigators realized this wouldn’t be a typical investigation when one of them did an internet search on the Hart family.

CHP Investigator Jake Slates said, “At that time, he showed me an article that was published by the Oregonian depicting this picture behind me depicting Devonte Hart hugging a Portland police sergeant.”

Investigators soon realized the Harts had been in trouble or scrutinized by child protective services in Minnesota, Oregon and Washington.

But separating the family’s true nature from the public perception of a loving home was difficult.

Investigator Slates said, “Due to this the famous photo that went viral out of the Oregonian, there was… they were well known. So we had to do a lot of research and a lot of effort into what we call in the practice vetting our witnesses, to make sure that they truly knew the harts, both the good and the bad. There were a lot of people that stated that they were friends of the Harts, but in questioning those witnesses, it was very apparent that they didn’t know the harts on a personal level.”

Devonte Hart’s remains have never been found.

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