WEST HAVEN, Utah, Sept. 6, 2024 (Gephardt Daily) – Investigators from the Weber County Sheriff’s Office have confirmed the bodies of a woman and three children found deceased Tuesday night inside a vehicle outside a West Haven home died in a murder-suicide.
According to information provided in a Friday morning press conference, Weber County Sheriff’s officials made the following statement:
“About 10 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2024, deputies responded to a 911 call of four people found dead in the area of 1800 South and Prevedel Drive in West Haven, Utah.
“Deputies arrived and confirmed the four people were deceased, and beyond help. Investigators from Weber County Sheriff’s Office, Morgan County Homicide Task Force, and the Weber Metro CSI, along with other resources, were called to investigate the deaths.
“During the investigation, detectives identified the persons as 32-year-old Maribell Ibarra and her three children. The sheriff’s office will not be releasing the names of the three children.
“Based on video evidence, physical evidence, witness statements, and interviews with family members, detectives believe that this was a tragic incident of murder-suicide. While we have determined the cause of death for all four was gunshot wounds, we do not believe that anyone else was involved in their deaths.
“The evidence indicates that Maribell shot her three children in the rear cargo area of her vehicle, before turning the gun on herself.
“Our condolences go out to the family of the deceased. Our hearts also go out to the Weber County deputies, Roy City police officers, CSI and detectives who responded to this horrific scene and continue to work this ongoing investigation.”
A statement released by family members states the following:
‘With deep sorrow in our hearts, we want to express the following words. We are going through an extremely difficult time, with a pain in our hearts that cannot be explained in words due to the invaluable loss we have suffered, because they were the light of our lives.
As a family, we unfortunately knew nothing about her mental health. We always saw her as a loving mother, which makes this so shocking for us. We do not know the exact reasons why this tragedy happened, and we deeply regret it. This pain is something we wish no one would ever have to go through.
Therefore, we urge all those going through difficult times to seek help; please never hide your pain. Speak out and trust that you can overcome any situation.
As we mentioned, our pain is beyond words, and as a family, we are trying to get through this, even though we honestly do not know exactly how to cope with it. This is why we ask you to please respect our grief, so that in this way you can help us begin to heal, little by little, even though right now it seems unattainable.
We trust that God and the outpouring of love from the community will keep us strong and guide us to a path where we may one day find peace. We are grateful for the support and prayers of the entire community.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, including prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones. To speak with a trained listener, call 988.
The Crisis TEXT Line is a texting service for emotional crisis support. To contact a trained listener, text HELLO to 741741. It is also free, available 24/7, and confidential.
Talking with someone about your thoughts and feelings can save your life.
