911 calls offer new insight into West Valley family homicide
Feb 4, 2025, 8:45 PM | Updated: 8:48 pm
WEST VALLEY CITY — New details have emerged about the tragic murder-suicide in West Valley that claimed the lives of five family members just before Christmas.
Calls to 911 and police radio recordings illustrate concerns from family and neighbors that brought officers to the home, where they found one teenager still alive.
After filing an appeal with the State Records Committee, the Utah Salt Lake Valley Emergency Communications Center agreed to release the 911 call recordings to the KSL Investigators.
Three calls were made to the police in the half-hour before they arrived on the scene.
The first call came in at 2:11 p.m. on December 17. A woman who said she was a neighbor reported that family members were concerned because they hadn’t heard from their relatives, and their pet dog had not been fed for a couple of days.
“I think there was some officers here last night,” she told the dispatcher. “I think the officers advised [the family] to kind of wait.”
According to police records, officers were dispatched six minutes later.
At 2:19 p.m., another caller said they were at the home, and thought they saw the father in the garage and tried talking to him.
“Just kind of rocking back and forth and wouldn’t, wouldn’t acknowledge us, wouldn’t speak to us. But I didn’t feel comfortable approaching him,” the caller said.
At 2:20 p.m., the first neighbor called 911 a second time, saying she heard a family member scream. During that seven-minute call, the woman told police the relatives went inside, “and it, it just went quiet.”
Officers arrived at 2:30 p.m., finding not the father, but the teenage son, Sha Reh, 17, in the garage, struggling to stay alive. West Valley City police later reported the father had killed his wife Bu Meh, 38, and their three children: Son Boe Reh, 11, and daughters Kristina Ree, 8, and Nyaya Meh, 2, sometime between late Friday and early Saturday, Dec. 14. Police said Dae Reh, 42, then took his own life.
Sha Reh survived and has since been released from the hospital. The family said he experienced “new vision loss” that prevents him from seeing clearly, and he was expected to enroll in the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org for free, confidential support 24/7.
Have you experienced something you think just isn’t right? The KSL Investigators want to help. Submit your tip at investigates@ksl.com or 385-707-6153 so we can get working for you.
Suicide prevention resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or exhibiting warning signs, call, text, or chat the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 which is answered 24/7/365 by crisis counselors at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. All calls to legacy crisis hotlines, including the old National Suicide Prevention hotline, 1-800-273-8255, will also connect to a crisis care worker at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute as well.
Additional resources
- SafeUT: Parents, students, and educators can connect with a licensed crisis counselor through chat by downloading the SafeUT app or by calling 833-3SAFEUT (833-372-3388)
- SafeUT Frontline: First responders, including firefighters, law enforcement, EMS, and healthcare professionals can chat with a licensed crisis counselor at no cost 24/7/365 by downloading the SafeUT Frontline app.
- SafeUTNG: Members of the National Guard can chat with a licensed crisis counselor at no cost 24/7/365 by downloading the SafeUTNG app.
- Utah Warm Line: For non-crisis situations, when you need a listening ear as you heal and recover from a personal struggle, call 1-833 SPEAKUT 8:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m., 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
- The Huntsman Mental Health Institute offers a wide variety of programs and services including suicide prevention and crisis services, hospital treatment, therapy & medication management, substance Use & addiction recovery, child & teen programs, and maternal mental health services including birth trauma, pregnancy loss, infertility, and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.
- LiveOnUtah.org is a statewide effort to prevent suicide by promoting education, providing resources, and changing Utah’s culture around suicide and mental health. They offer resources for faith based groups, LGBTQ+, youth, employers, firearm suicide prevention, and crisis and treatment options.