#24: Murder on the Cliff - The Hart Family Case

On March 26, 2018, emergency responders discovered the wreckage of an SUV at the bottom of a 100-foot cliff along California's Pacific Coast Highway. Inside were the bodies of two adults and three children. Three more children remained missing and unaccounted for.

What initially appeared to be a tragic accident would soon reveal itself as something far more sinister—the culmination of a decade-long pattern of systematic abuse that had been hidden behind a carefully crafted public image of love and acceptance.

This case exposes the catastrophic failures of America's child welfare system, examining how six vulnerable children were removed from their birth families only to be placed with individuals who would ultimately kill them. Through extensive interviews and investigation, we trace the warning signs that were ignored, the reports that went uninvestigated, and the systemic biases that allowed abuse to continue unchecked.

This episode contains discussions of child abuse, domestic violence, and suicide. Listener discretion is advised.

Keywords: Hart family, child welfare system, adoption abuse, family tragedy, true crime podcast, child protection services, systematic failure, Oregon Washington, Pacific Coast Highway, murder suicide

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