A Utah father already facing six counts of child torture for taking his three young children on a perilous mountain hike has been accused of threatening his estranged wife with a hatchet during a violent altercation last month, the Daily Mail can exclusively reveal.
From Family Hike to Criminal Charges
Micah Smith, 31, is currently being held without bond in the Salt Lake City Metro Jail. The construction company boss was arrested on November 25 and charged with multiple counts of aggravated child abuse and child torture. These charges stem from a 'nightmare' hike he undertook with his children, aged two, four, and eight, in October, which resulted in all three being hospitalised.
Charging documents reveal the most severe consequences were suffered by his four-year-old son, who remains critically ill at the Primary Children's Hospital of Utah in Salt Lake City after suffering a stroke. The stroke was a result of the child becoming hypothermic during the nine-mile trek in Big Cottonwood Canyon.
A Fractured Family and Further Violence
The Daily Mail has learned that Smith and his wife, Samantha, 29, have separated. She confirmed to police they were divorcing when officers were called to a violent incident at the family's Salt Lake City Airbnb on November 15—more than a month after the ill-fated hike. The family was staying at the rental to be closer to the hospital.
The altercation involved Smith, Samantha, and her new boyfriend. According to an exclusive police report, the drama erupted when Samantha returned to the property after spending the night away. She found Smith refusing to leave the shower and her belongings dumped outside.
Smith allegedly burst from the bathroom, yelled at his wife, picked her up by her shoulders, and threw her onto a couch. He then climbed on top of her, driving his weight into her stomach while gripping a hatchet. When Samantha tried to call for help, he snatched her phone and threw it across the room.
The terrified mother managed to escape and fled into the street, with Smith chasing her and squaring up to her boyfriend, who was waiting in his car. The incident concluded with Smith being arrested and charged with misdemeanour assault and damaging a communications device.
A Pattern of Recklessness and Distress
This latest alleged attack starkly contrasts with the idyllic family image Smith cultivated on social media. However, a pattern of pushing his children to extremes had been established. In an August 2020 Facebook post, he boasted about making his then three-year-old daughter, Ember, speed down a dirt bike trail despite her fear.
The October hike itself was a catalogue of poor decisions. Charging documents show Smith set off from South Jordan at 10am on October 11 with grossly inadequate supplies: several cans of tuna, five bottles of water, and some pretzels. He admitted to police he had not checked trail reports or the weather before attempting the difficult Broads Fork Trail.
By the time they reached the summit, all three children were exhausted. When a storm rolled in, eight-year-old Ember begged her father to turn back, only to be told, 'you shall not pass.' Smith and Samantha exchanged frantic texts, with her warning him: 'child endangerment. Not cool.'
Battling snow, hail, and rain on the descent, Smith tried to set up camp under a rock overhang. His two-year-old had already fallen and hit his head. During the night, both boys became unconscious and stopped breathing. Temperatures in the canyon had dropped to 34 degrees Fahrenheit (1 degree Celsius).
When Search and Rescue found them 24 hours after they set off, the boys appeared lifeless. Smith was described as unconcerned and even told rescuers one child had died. All three required hospitalisation, with the four-year-old needing 25 minutes of CPR en route.
In a motion for pre-trial detention, Salt Lake City District Attorney Sim Gill wrote that Smith had been 'ill-prepared and extremely selfish.' Gill also noted Smith had to be removed from the hospital on November 10 for interfering with his son's care and tampering with medical equipment.
The Daily Mail can also disclose a third police encounter in September, a month before the hike, where officers found two guns and an axe in Smith's truck after he expressed suicidal thoughts. Smith's prior record includes a 2012 shoplifting conviction and a 2023 conviction for fleeing from law enforcement.
The family has released a statement requesting privacy, noting they are grieving and focused on the children's recovery. Smith remains in custody and does not yet have an attorney of record.
