WESTPORT, Calif. – The body of a 12-year-old girl found in the Pacific Ocean on April 7 was Ciera Hart, one of three Hart children reported missing following a mysterious SUV crash where five family members were found dead along the California coast, authorities said.
Ciera Hart, whom authorities initially said was 15 years old and spelled her name “Sierra”, was one of six adopted children of Jennifer and Sarah Hart. Authorities in Mendocino County believe all six children were inside the couple’s SUV when it plunged off a cliff. The crash was discovered along the rocky coast on March 26.
Ciera’s autopsy results, including a toxicology analysis, are pending. Authorities said Jennifer Hart had a blood-alcohol level of .102 at the time of the crash. Sarah Hart and two of the children found dead at the scene had high levels of the active ingredient in Benadryl in their blood, investigators said.
Authorities received reports of child welfare concerns in three different states involving the Hart family prior to the family’s fatal crash, records and interviews show.
Two of the Hart children, 16-year-old Hannah Hart and 15-year-old Devonte Hart, are still missing. Markis Hart, 19, Jeremiah Hart, 14, and Abigail, 14, were found dead near the family’s crashed SUV.