"[21][22], In 2013, Merritt acknowledged he had spent more than an hour with Joseph the day the McStay family went missing. [30] On May 4, the case was scheduled to go to trial in July 2018. Lets make no mistake about it, Mr. Merritt is innocent, Maline tells American Greed.. The sizes of the people appear to match the McStay family. [27] Merritt's trial was delayed as he had repeatedly fired his attorneys or attempted to represent himself. Unconfirmed family sightings were reported in Mexico and elsewhere, perpetuating hopes that they were safe and had left voluntarily. Nov. 5, 2014Business associate Merritt is arrested for the murders of Joseph, Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. McStay. November 8, 2014, 3:05 PM 2:09 The McStay family is seen in this undated family photo provided to KGTV. He was charged with four counts of murder and the district attorney requested the death penalty. In April 2013, the San Diego Sheriffs Department turned the case over to the FBI, which was more equipped to investigate cases that involve other countries. The memorial is located about 200 feet west of Quary road Um, no, Charles Merritt has NOT been put to death. The McStay Family Memorial is located in a very rural desert area directly north of the I-15 Stoddart Wells/Quary Rd exit. After 5:47 p.m.Joseph and Summer ended all communications. It gives us courage to know that theyre together and theyre in a better place, said Mike McStay, who attended the conference. [34], On May 22, 2022, the case was looked at again on the Investigation Discovery docuseries Two Shallow Graves. Their skulls and jaws were smashed and fractured. In 'Captive Audience', the Stayner Family Opens Up About Navigating an Impossible Reality in the Spotlight, Patrick McStay Has a Theory About Why His Family Was Murdered. Cell phone records indicate that he drove home after the meeting, and he continued to make calls into the evening. Defense attorney Rajan Maline has continued to proclaimhis clients innocence, arguing there's no physical evidence linking Merritt to themurder scene. Although Merritt adamantly denied being at the location of the makeshift graves, he was arrested by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office on Nov. 5, 2014 and charged with four counts of murder. The missing persons flier for the McStay family. February 19, 2010 Detectives search the McStay family home. It gives us courage to know that theyre together and theyre in a better place, said Mike McStay, who attended the conference. McStay Family Car Found Near Mexican Border. Earlier in the week before the family disappeared, Summer had made plans to visit her sister, who had recently had a baby. To add a new type of media, please go to the Admin Console. amily members report the McStays missing to the San Diego County sheriff's department. [26], According to the arrest warrant affidavits filed in the case, autopsies concluded that all four victims had been beaten to death with a blunt object. He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. Theres a carton of eggs on the table as if maybe Summer or Joseph were about to make some food or something and the dogs, they had two dogs, they were just left there.. Chase went on TVand talked about his relationship with Joseph and one of the key statements that he made was something to the effect of he was definitely the last person who saw Joseph alive, San Bernardino County Sheriffs Sgt. Tragically, that's exactly what happened whenJoseph and Summer McStay and their two young sons vanished from their home in northern San Diego in early 2010. The familys disappearance was a shock to the investigators because there was shown no evidence of struggle at their Fallbrook home. Joseph owned a company that sold water foundations, he informed Charles Merritt that he owed him more than $42,000. Despite all the cellphone records and banking records of Merritt being tied to the murders of the family, he maintained his innocence throughout the trial. On February 13, when the family hadnt been heard from in nine days, Josephs brother went to the house. For years, police speculated they went to Mexica, but the McStays bodies were later found buried in the Mojave Desert in November 2013. The family had moved into the house three months earlier, and was in the process of unpacking and doing renovations. McGee noted that investigators submitted a DNA analysis request form to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Departments Forensic Biology Unit to help identify involved parties and verify involved parties. He also referenced an excerpt from page three of the form, which revealed something that has not been disclosed by investigators to date: they believe Summer McStay had been raped before she was killed. November 11, 2013 A motorcyclist finds human remains in the desert near Victorville, California, 100 miles north of the McStay home. [2][7] The deaths were ruled a homicide and San Bernardino County authorities said they believed the family died of blunt force trauma inside their home, but declined to discuss specifics of the deaths or a motive. Sheriffs investigators believe Merritt, a business associate of Joseph McStay who built custom decorative water fountains for McStays online business, killed the McStays for financial gain. January 21, 2020Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Joseph McStay, 40. Although Merritt adamantly denied being at the location of the makeshift graves, To learn more about the case, tune into Monday's episode of. California has not executed anyone on death row since 2006 as current Gov. Investigators testified they believed the victims were tortured before they were killed. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. But privately, investigatorsnoticed Merritt had displayed some concerning behavior after the family disappeared. There were no signs of foul play, but the fact that they had left the car and toys four days after leaving home, so close to the Mexican border was bizarre. The family did not appear to have any plans to be gone that day. Radio host Rick Baker published a book, No Goodbyes: The Mysterious Disappearance of the McStay Family. WebThe McStay family murders occurred on or near February 4, 2010, after the family disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, United States; their bodies were Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010. San Bernardino County Det. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. [27], Prosecutors allege that Merritt had a gambling problem and killed the McStay family for financial gain. Hes a scumbag;hes a creep;he doesnt deserve to walk the earth or take a breath, Patrick tellsAmerican Greed. He killed somebody that trusted in him and gave him a chance when a lot of other people knew he was a crook and then he kills my grandsons, brutally. Investigators believed that the family was willingly walking across the border, with no indication that they were in any distress. WebProsecutors pushing for the death penalty for McStay family murder suspect Charles Chase Merritt can use one family photo of the victims during trial, a San Bernardino The deaths have been ruled a homicide. Summers prescription sunglasses are in the house as well, according to Killer Motive. Relatives are certain the family wouldnt go away without telling anyone. They were dressed similarly to the McStays, and the children were wearing hats similar to ones they had been photographed in. A California businessman has been sentenced to death for brutally murdering a family of four and then dumping their bodies in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert. The mystery was largely treated as a missing-persons case until this month, after a motorcyclist riding through the desert above Victorville, Calif., came across a weathered skull and called police. He found no signs of a break-in, except for a partially open window, which he used to get into the house. [3] The trial began on January 7, 2019, in San Bernardino. As it turned out, someone from animal control had stopped by and fed the dogs, so Summer and Joseph had not arranged for someone to feed them. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! WebJoseph and Summer McStay were found buried in shallow desert graves along with their two young sons nearly four years after they vanished from their suburban California home Morbid Tourism does not recommend visiting the area after dark, as it can be dangerous at times. Investigators believed that the family pictured is likely the McStays, based on analysis of family photos and home videos. Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished from their home inFallbrook, California, on February 4, 2010. Inside The Gruesome McStay Family Murder Case. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. There was no evidence of forced entry or a struggle. How did four people end up here in the middle of nowhere, over 100 miles from where they live? he asked. We need to find the killer., For more on the tragic case that has baffled authorities pick up this weeks issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Monday. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. Because of the lack of furniture and the state of the home amidst renovations, it was difficult to determine whether or not there had been a struggle. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! WebInvestigators found four people who resembled the McStays walking across the border at approximately 7:00 p.m. on February 8, less than two hours after parking the car in the ", Missing McStay family killed, buried in desert, sheriff says, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=McStay_family_murders&oldid=1138842709, February 2010 crimes in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:11. He seemed caught off guard, like Oh, I didnt realize I was doing that, San Bernardino County District AttorneyBritt Imes tellsAmerican Greed.. Stars Christopher Crutchfield Walker (voice) Joseph McStay (archive footage) Summer McStay (archive footage) See production, box office & company info Watch on The tragic case will be featured in the Season 2 premiere of Killer Motive, hosted by Troy Roberts and airing Saturday at 6/5c on Oxygen. Mom Found Guilty of Killing Toddler Son, Burning Body and Burying Him in Yard, Woman Pleads Guilty to Helping Bury, Conceal Body of Murdered Ft. Dental records confirm that the remains are those of Joseph and Summer McStay and other remains are believed to be those of their children, the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department announcedat a news conference. Joe Nelson is an award-winning investigative reporter who has worked for The Sun since November 1999. Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Snowed in during the SoCal storm, this Lake Arrowhead resident traded in a car for cross-country skis, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, As many as 700,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid health coverage this year, Balloon ban made official in Laguna Beach, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. They said that he wrote checks totaling more than $21,000 on Joseph's business account in the days after the family was killed and then went on a gambling spree at nearby casinos, where he lost thousands of dollars. Crying for mommy and daddy?' [4] On June 10, 2019, a jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. Dad Broke into Ex's Home and Fatally Stabbed Their Children, 3 and 5, in Their Beds, Idaho Murders Timeline: Everything to Know About the Case, Phoenix Dad Kills Wife, Toddler Son and Twin Baby Daughters in Murder-Suicide: 'Complete Shock', Investigators Reveal How They Learned Chris Watts Was Lying and that He Killed Pregnant Wife, 2 Daughters, Fla. McGee stated in his motion that the identity of the victims was not in dispute, and that DNA and dental records positively identified the McStay family as homicide victims after their skeletal remains were discovered in two shallow graves in November 2013, west of the 15 Freeway and north of Stoddard Wells Road. she said. It was believed to have been parked there between 5:30 and 7:00 that evening. Its been a tough road.. I did not do this thing.. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The defense now moves to exclude certain expected testimony and evidence from the prosecutions case in chief on the grounds that this evidence is not relevant, and that the onlypurposes of the expected evidence are to sensationalize the alleged crimes and inflame the passions of the jury against Mr. Merritt, according to the Nov. 20 motion. Eddie Bachman tells American Greed. That kind of cued into us as a red flag there because I dont know how any one person could be certain and say that he was the last person that saw his best friend alive if he wasnt in fact the last person who saw him alive.. WebBack in February of 2010 the McStay family disappeared, in Fallbrook California. [15] Baker began following the case in 2013 after interviewing Michael McStay on his program. search the McStay family home. According to a news article from CNN, it states how Food had been left out and the dogs were home. Susan explained that her son and daughter-in-law would often go on 'little mini-trips' with their kids in California, so they weren't alarmed at first., 'And then as the days went by, you start thinking, "Okay, something's not right here." [2], On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph McStay's business partner, and intended to charge him with the murders. This allows you to focus on the securities you are interested in, so you can make informed decisions. Prosecutors said he bludgeoned the family to death with a sledgehammer. McGees law partner, Rajan Maline, is also representing Merritt in the case. The memorial is located about 200 feet west of Quary road and requires visitors to leave their car at Quary Road and walk east to the actual location. By February 2016, he had gone through five attorneys. 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