100-year sentence ordered for Utah teen who killed family seeking ‘clean slate’

TOOELE, Utah (KSL.com) — A Grantsville man who was 16 when he shot and killed his mother and three of his siblings in their home planned to kill his whole family and burn his house down to get a “clean slate” and a “new opportunity in life,” prosecutors said Wednesday.

But despite pleas for leniency from his attorney and neighbors who said the boy was bullied and suffered severe anxiety, a judge ordered maximum sentences that mean he will very likely serve the rest of his life in prison.

Colin Jeffery “CJ” Haynie, who turned 20 last week, was sentenced to at least 100 years in prison. Third District Judge Teresa Welch ordered him to serve four consecutive sentences of 25 years to life for each of the four murders. He was also sentenced to a concurrent term of 25 years to life for the attempted murder of his father, Colin Haynie.

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“I want you to know I’ve learned from what I’ve done,” Haynie said, addressing the court Wednesday. He apologized to his family and the community for “the pain and suffering I have caused them,” and added that he wants others to know they can get help for their anxiety.

Prosecutor Scott Broadhead said Haynie was angry at his father because of arguments they’d had, but the teen had “good” and “healthy” relationships with his siblings.

“I thought if I killed my dad, everyone would turn against me, so I made a selfish decision to kill them all,” Haynie said, according to a presentence investigation report.

Broadhead said Haynie shot each family member in a different part of the house to avoid them seeing each other when they each returned home that day.

“He should have no chance to hurt anyone else. If this case doesn’t warrant the harshest sentence, I don’t know what does,” Broadhead said. “Someone who murders four people, including three children he knew and cared about, should never be free.”

Defense attorney Richard Van Wagoner shared with the court a video compilation of Haynie when he graduated from high school last year while incarcerated. Van Wagoner proposed changes to the pre-sentence report, including acknowledgment that Haynie has graduated high school and is now taking college courses; he did not actually have friends with criminal pasts, as was previously stated; and he used to blame his father for the murders but now “accepts full responsibility.”

“He has gained considerable insights over the past 3½ years,” Van Wagoner said. He added that Haynie didn’t enter a guilty plea earlier so that he could spend more time in therapy, truly understand the consequences of his actions and prepare to “stand before your honor and honestly accept full responsibility.”

‘Red flags’

During the sentencing, Welch told Haynie that “this is an important day” because he needed to be aware of the “outpouring of grief and sadness that has been brought about based on your actions.”

“Part of the immense sadness here is because you not only deprive your family members of their lives in such a tragic and terrible manner, but you also deprived yourself of your life with them,” Welch said. “These are the people who loved you most, the people who wanted you to have a happy and fulfilling life.”

Colin Haynie, Haynie’s father, was present at the sentencing but declined to make a statement. Haynie’s only other living family member, his older brother Danny, addressed the court via an audio call.

He explained that his family had seen “red flags” about a month prior to the incident that Haynie was having dark thoughts. His mom had asked him if he wanted to go to therapy, Danny Haynie said, and Colin Haynie refused to send his son to therapy because he “didn’t want to say anything to the therapist that would make him end up in jail.”

“The irony is that (Haynie) ended up in jail, and my family is dead, and for what?” Danny Haynie said. “I’ve lived every day seeing my family’s faces in my dreams almost every night. … It’s traumatized me. It’s messed me up more than anyone could ever imagine.”

Danny Haynie said he feels like the murders could have been prevented, and that while CJ Haynie no longer blames his father, Danny Haynie still does because he wishes the family would have gotten him help when he needed it.

“I support fully whatever sentencing happens … but he still deserves some semblance of mental help that was denied to him before,” Danny Haynie said.

Van Wagoner said after the sentencing that he was disappointed, but not surprised, by the outcome. Broadhead added that the outcome wasn’t what anyone wanted, but was “fair,” and said, “There were no winners in this case.”

Welch said sentencing Haynie to four consecutive terms of 15 years to life was “appropriate given the aggravated circumstances,” including the severity of the crime, the number of victims, and the “methodic nature” of the shootings.

The judge said the choice to run the attempted murder charge concurrent was appropriate based on “mitigating circumstances,” including Haynie’s young age and the progress he’s shown during his stay in a juvenile detention center.

On Jan. 17, 2020, Haynie shot and killed his mother and three of his siblings over a five-hour period as each returned to their home. When his father arrived home, he also shot his father in the leg, but the man was able to wrestle the gun away from his son.

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Haynie’s mother, Consuelo Alejandra Haynie, 52; sisters Alexis Haynie, 15, and Milan Haynie, 12; and brother Matthew Haynie, 14, were all murdered. He was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty on July 19, 2022, to four counts of aggravated murder and one count of attempted aggravated murder.

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‘Not a lost cause’

While the crimes shocked the community, some asked the judge for mercy.

“(Haynie) is not a lost cause. He is not incorrigible,” Van Wagoner said in a letter submitted to the court Monday.

Despite being charged as an adult, Haynie has been housed for the past 3½ years at the Salt Lake Valley Youth Center. Van Wagoner says being there has greatly benefited his client’s development.

“As a young teen with impoverished social skills and abilities, a speech impediment, an anxiety disorder, significantly delayed education, and a life of relative isolation, (Haynie) responded to and embraced (Utah’s Juvenile Justice and Youth Services) structure, resources and programs administered by a committed and caring staff in the most positive ways,” the attorney’s letter states. “(Haynie) has become a prime example of the neurological development that can come during formative years, particularly in the areas of self-reflection, insight, empathy, personal responsibility, coping abilities, education and social skills.”

Prior to the killings, Haynie had no criminal record and did not do drugs. But he suffered from various issues, “including severe anxiety,” according to court documents. He later described to a therapist evaluating him after his arrest his increasing social isolation in the months before January 2020, along with increasing arguments and unfulfilled expectations with his father, which led to further isolation.

“(Haynie) did not have a plan but felt the only option to address his situation was to shoot his father and the rest of his family; he now sees there of course were many options for help,” Van Wagoner’s letter continues. “(Haynie) knows his explanation is wholly inadequate because there is no conceivable excuse or justification for what he did.”

But since his incarceration, he has earned his high school diploma, is taking college courses, and has had no disciplinary action while in detention, the letter states.

“(Haynie), who was socially, emotionally, academically and otherwise mentally younger than his biological age when he committed these terrible crimes, lacked maturity and failed to comprehend the host of options available to address his circumstances at 16 years old,” his attorney wrote. “Indeed, (Haynie’s) character has already progressed significantly as he has transitioned from a teenager to a young man who is still growing, learning and maturing.”

Van Wagoner also on Monday submitted several other letters to the court written by neighbors and associates who know the Haynie family.

One man, whom Haynie did yard work for, says Haynie confided to him that he suffered from “severe anxiety,” but did not tell his father.

“Jeffery was a bit backward in social skills but had good work ethics and learned well. He learned well and became better over time. He listened to advice and followed it. I hope he will have a chance later in life maybe to live a normal life with what has happened,” the man wrote.

Another neighbor, who was close to the Haynie family, wrote a letter to the judge describing Haynie as “socially awkward,” but said he always seemed to want to do the right thing.

“However, from my perspective, Jeffery was not doing well, he didn’t have the social/emotional tools to excel in the environment he’d been placed in. It didn’t seem like he’d found his niche, and teenagers can be really, really mean. Jeffery was a perfect target for bullying and teasing, and it didn’t look like he’d found a group of kids that he could flourish within. I was worried about him,” the neighbor wrote. “Add in a strict environment at home and additional conflict with the family, and Jeffery was descending into a darker and darker place. The actions Jeffery took on Jan. 17, 2020, are certainly his own and are not excused by any amount of bullying and teasing at school, or conflict at home, but it does give some context on where he was and where he went.

“Although hard to believe considering the circumstances, Jeffery is a good kid,” he stated. “I ask for some leniency for this young man.”

During a ceremony in which Haynie received his high school diploma, he thanked all his teachers and the staff at Salt Lake Valley Youth Center.

“I needed to grow up and become a better person in this life,” he said in a transcript of his comments. “And once again, my eternal gratitude to all the staff that works here or has since worked here for you. You’ve given me something I’ve always wanted, which is friends.”