January 7, 2019Merritts trial begins. [3] The trial began on January 7, 2019, in San Bernardino. Michael did not find any family at home, and their two dogs were in the backyard. Charles Chase Merritt, 62, was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, 40, McStays wife, Summer, 43, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3. 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. The McStay Family Memorial is located in a very rural desert area directly north of the I-15 Stoddart Wells/Quary Rd exit. Merritt was a fabricator, who Joseph had turned to to expand the custom side of his business. Cell phone records as well as forged checks also linked him to the crime. Even more troubling, a QuickBooks customer service representative told investigators he remembered an unsettling call from a man claiming to be Joseph McStay who wanted to completely delete his account and all information on the account, but Hanke said the phone used to call the customer service line had belonged to Merritt, not Joseph. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. We just had to go over all kinds of money stuff, Merritt told detectives in an interview recording obtained by American Greed.. What looked normal to Josephs brother but was alarming to investigators. Investigators believe Summer was raped at the time as her pants were in the grave near her head, and her panties were in the pants as (if) they were pulled off together, according to the motion. Around the same date, fliers were distributed to aid in the search. Its been a tough road.. Investigators searched for passport records of the family, and discovered that Joseph had a valid passport that had not been used before or after the disappearance. WebBack in February of 2010 the McStay family disappeared, in Fallbrook California. "[25], On November 5, 2014, detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department arrested Merritt in connection with the deaths of the McStay family after discovering that his DNA had been recovered from their car. Queen Letizia of Spain is polished in a recycled Reiss skirt as she joins King Felipe VI at Harry and Meghan praise 'inspirational' US lawyer after their Archewell Foundation gave her an award for Why Diana loved doing the dishes! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. They recognized that the children and Summer were the people in the video, but Josephs mother believed that if the man in the video were Joseph, his hair would have been much bushier. Everything to Know About the Murdaugh Family Murders, Including Details of Allegations Against Alex, The McStay Mystery: A Family's Tragic End, Man Killed Business Associate, Wife and Kids Before Burying Their Remains in Calif. Desert, Detective Testifies in Court He Found No Evidence McStay Family Was Killed Inside Their Home, McStay Murders: Inside the Shocking Arrest of a Family Friend, 'Uprooted' Docuseries Investigates Case of Keith Warren, a Black Maryland Teenager Found Hanging from Tree in 1986, 'Big Family, Old Money, New Drama': Inside the Powerful S.C. Family at Center of Murder Mystery, Extension Cord & Sledgehammer Buried in the Desert: Gruesome Details Revealed About McStay Family Murders. Get up to speed on the investigation with the timeline below. Investigators found one of the birth certificates left behind in the home. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. By February 2016, he had gone through five attorneys. Two shallow graves contained the remains of Joseph, his wife Summer, 4-year-old son Gianni and 3-year-old son Joe Jr. Investigators say they have a lot of work ahead to find the killers, and no predictions as to who they are or why they would kill a whole family. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Stars Christopher Crutchfield Walker (voice) Joseph McStay (archive footage) Summer McStay (archive footage) See production, box office & company info Watch on We develop trading and investment tools such as stock charts for Private Investors. Perhaps this wasnt the case because three days before the disappearance, Joseph McStay was planning on firing Merritt and sent him an email asking him for the $42,000 he owed him after mismanaging his job. Sheriffs investigators arrested Charles Chase Merritt, 60, of Homeland, in November 2014. [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. The video, The FBI will lend their resources in Mexico, where San Diego Sheriff's investigators are focusing their search,. Chase Merritt /edit Josephs brother found no sign of the family, so he left a note for the person feeding the dogs and asked them to call him, as he was concerned about his family. After 5:47 p.m.Joseph and Summer ended all communications. ", 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. [24] When asked if he thought Merritt was a suspect, Joseph's father Patrick said, "I have to have faith in Chase because I have to have faith in my son. A jury recommended the death penalty for the man who killed a California family of four and buried them in the Mojave Desert nine years ago. 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. For years, police speculated they went to Mexica, but the McStays bodies were later found buried in the Mojave Desert in November 2013. Your email address will not be published. [5], In 2010, Joseph McStay (age 40) and his wife Summer (age 43) lived in Fallbrook, California, with their sons Gianni (age 4) and Joseph Jr. (age 3). The sizes of the people appear to match the McStay family. [2][12], On November 11, 2013, a dirt biker found four sets of human remains buried in two shallow graves in the desert near Victorville, California. November 2010 Patrick McStay, who has been painstakingly combing through his sons emails for leads, informs detectives of suspicious activity by a business partner, according to Killer Motive. The possible lead turns into a dead end. The disappearance of the McStays,by all accounts aloving family with no enemies,baffled investigators. He was charged with four counts of murder and the district attorney requested the death penalty. Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: McStay Family/ZUMA. According to detectives, Josephs body was found with a white extension cord wrapped around his neck. Semuanya Tentang Si Bulus PEOPLE Explains: How the McStay Family Disappeared Into the Desert but Who Killed Them? There was a huge sigh of relief. 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. Look out for wildlife like rattlesnakes. Were they victims of a crime? Summer, meanwhile,spoke with her sister, whod recently had a baby. McGees law partner, Rajan Maline, is also representing Merritt in the case. McStay Family Car Found Near Mexican Border, The house was as if somebody just beamed them up to the Starship Enterprise, reporter Tony Shin, who covered the case for KNSD-TV, recalls in the latestepisode of, For years the familys mysterious disappearance would continue to baffle investigators until a motorcyclistriding the trails in the Mojave Desert on Nov. 13, 2013 made a, Investigators from the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department soon. The sledge hammer is the likely murder weapon. [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. So when the family seemingly disappeared four months later without telling any relatives, friends or business associates, and their car turned up four days later at the Mexican border, many people who knew them feared the worst. [31] The trial finally began on January 7, 2019, in a San Bernardino court, with both sides making opening statements. Patrick McStay says the murder of a family of four was "all about money" By Elaine Aradillas. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. How scared were they, Chase? "Business partner arrested in McStay family slaying, desert burial", "Trial underway for man accused of killing 4 from San Diego", "Charles Merritt Sentenced to Death for Killing McStay Family, Burying Their Bodies in Mojave Desert", "Authorities distribute 'endangered missing' flier pertaining to missing McStay family", "Buried bodies identified as members of missing McStay family", "Man last phoned by McStay father says he took polygraph test", "Author of McStay book criticized by victim's family", "After discovery, mystery of McStay family's disappearance deepens", "Investigators say Missing McStay family left voluntarily", "McStay Family Update: FBI Joins Search for Missing Family", "Search for Missing Fallbrook family continues", "McStay family Mystery: Who is Chase Merritt", "Tentative trial date set for McStay family murder suspect 'Chase' Merritt", "Backlash over book's new theory on McStay murders", "Merritt attorneys want McStay case dismissed", "McStay family murder suspect Charles 'Chase' Merritt fires attorneys", "McStay family murder suspect Charles 'Chase' Merritt wants new attorneys", "San Bernardino judge allows McStay family murder suspect to have more case files in his cell", "Lawyers for defendant in McStay family murder case want some evidence tossed", "San Bernardino judge delays ruling in bid to exclude key evidence in McStay family murder case", Charles Merritt Found Guilty Of Slaying McStay Family, "Jury recommends death penalty for man who killed McStay family", "Southern California man sentenced to death for killing family of 4", "ID's Two Shallow Graves: How did Charles "Chase" Merritt know the McStay family and where is he now? A happy, successful couple with two young sons couldn't just vanish into thin air right? [13] Dean stated in her blog she had just finished producing a radio show for San Diego station KNSJ when she received the call, and that she asked whether she could tell her followers what he had told her. He boasted it had a Investigators would discover evidence that showed someone had taken control of Josephs checking account right before and right after he disappeared, writing a total of nine checks to either Merritt or those who he owed money to totaling nearly $15,000. Three years later in November of 2013, a motorcyclist found four sets of human remains in the desert outside Victorville California. ABC 7. I know this reply is archive but since the other replies were ridiculously over the top I just needed to add mine. The familys car was discovered at a strip mall near the U.S.-Mexico border. Their skulls and jaws were smashed and fractured. Investigators also uncovered an email from Joseph dated Feb. 1, just days before the family disappeared, stating that Merritt owed him nearly $43,000. I would have never raised my hand for a woman or child. Their disappearance was extensively reported on national news stations across the country. He could face the death penalty as a result. In the book, he speculated that Summer might have committed the murders. I believe that [Joseph] trusted Chase and believed in Chase. Detectives testified during Merrittspreliminary hearingin June 2015 that Merritt was a gambling man who had written multiple checks totaling more than $21,000 on Joseph McStays QuickBooks account in the weeks after the McStay family was last seen on Feb. 4, 2010. Charles Merrit was found guilty of the murders in 2019. Upon his arrival, he noticed that Joseph's 1996 Isuzu Trooper was missing, but their dogs were in the backyard., Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. March 5, 2010 A lead in the case emerges when video released by deputies shows images of a group of people who might be the McStays walking together into Mexico through a border gate. uncovered the bodies of all four McStay family members, he was arrested by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office. So we created Beyond Charts to put you on the right path. When Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two young sons disappeared from the familys Fallbrook, California home in February 2010, it was as if theyd simply vanished into thin air. When questioned about his choice of language by investigators, Merritt said he had no idea why he'd done that. [17] Because their car was found so close to the Mexican border, police reviewed surveillance footage of the pedestrian gate into Mexico. None of these theories have been confirmed. But jurors disagreed and Merritt was convicted and later sentenced to death for the slayings in January 2020. Investigators tell Interpol to be on the lookout for the McStay family, who could be in Mexico, they theorize. 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. To add a new type of media, please go to the Admin Console. Investigators rush to the scene and locatetwo graves containing multiple human remains in each. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Chase, you are a low-life baby killer.. Oscar Cainer tells all. I did not do this thing.. The 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 found in the desert near Victorville, California, on November 13, 2013. Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. Merritt told detectives that during their last lunch meeting, Joseph had given him physical copies of checks to pay for some of the projects they were working on. 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. 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 There was no apparent suspicious activity on the couples credit card accounts. 'As a mother, you're going to do absolutely anything and everything you can to find them,' she explained. Merritt later told police that he ignored the voicemail because he was watching a movie. KGTV/ABC News -- A business associate of a California family that mysteriously disappeared more than four years has been charged in the four murders - including two young boys, police said today. shame on you. Of course all the standard technical analysis tools, indicators and charting functions are included in our FREE charting package, but we've gone Beyond Charts for those searching for more. In this Nov. 7, 2014, photo, Michael McStay is consoled by San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon as he reacts before talking to the media about his late brother's family at a news conference. However, three years later, in November 2013, the remains of the McStay family were discovered in two shallow graves in the Mojave Desert, near Victorville. California currently has a moratorium on executions. November 15, 2013 The cause of death for all of them is deemed to be blunt force trauma. After 5:47 p.m.Joseph and Summer ended all communications. There was a couple bowls of I believe popcorn that it looked like the boys were eating, possibly watching TV. It was impounded at the time as an abandoned vehicle. How they stalked the stalker: A gripping new true crime 'It did get weird': Couple who are in the middle of divorce Woman finds out her husband was cheating on her after he was made an equally emotional statement ahead of the sentencing being handed down, telling the court how the killings had scarred their lives. On November 5, 2014, Chase Merritt, a business associate of McStay was arrested and charged with four counts of murder, after his DNA was discovered inside the McStay vehicle. He boasted it had a loft/game room & big yard for kids to go crazy, referring to their rambunctious preschoolers, Gianni and Joe Jr. Love it.. Your article on Chase Merritt was perfect- just last paragraph was incorrect . WebInvestigators said they traced Merritt's cellphone to the area where the bodies were buried in the days after the family disappeared and to a call seeking to close McStay's online WebSan Bernardino County sheriffs investigators believe Summer McStay, who along with her husband Joseph and two young sons was fatally beaten with a sledgehammer and buried Prosecutors contend, among other things, that the jury is entitled to put a face to the remains of the McStay family, and that the jury has a right to know of whom the witnesses are talking about, McGee noted in another motion the defenses response to the prosecutions opposition motion, filed on Thursday. Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010. [15] Baker began following the case in 2013 after interviewing Michael McStay on his program. Summers skull was fractured and one of their sons heads was bludgeoned seven times, according to court testimony. search the McStay family home. Merritts cellphone was also traced to the burial site area in the days following the McStays disappearance. My fear is that Im looking for two adult shallow graves and my two nephews crosses, Josephs kid brother, Michael, told the Orange County Register a few weeks after the Feb. 4, 2010, disappearance. [3] Merritt was charged with four counts of murder, and the district attorney sought the death penalty. This information was alarming enough for Josephs brother to call the police and report the family missing, as it was uncharacteristic of them to leave the dogs without food. Dan Hanke tells American Greed that when investigators examined Josephs QuickBooks account they did, in fact, discover a series of checks made out to Merritt or other vendors that Merrittowed money to that were dated Feb. 4, but the metadata stored within the computer revealed that the checks had not actually been written that day. In October 2009, Joseph McStay excitedly e-mailed a friend about the house he and his wife had purchased in the San Diego suburb of Fallbrook, Calif. San Bernardino County Det. The video, NBCSandiego reportedin 2010, is dated around 7 p.m. Feb. 8. February 13, 2010 Josephs brother, Michael, goes to his siblings house and enters it through an open window to search for the family. ', Getting worried:Susan had her son Mike stop by the family's San Diego County home on February 13, 2010, nine days after her son was last heard from, Confusing: Upon Mike's arrival, he noticed that Joseph's 1996 Isuzu Trooper was missing, but their dogs were in the backyard, Abandoned: When Mike crawled through a window of the San Diego County home, he discovered food rotting in the kitchen, Mike crawled through a window and discovered food rotting in the kitchen, and Summer's prescription sunglasses were also left on the table., 'It's like they went poof,' Susan recalled., There were no signs of forced entry or any foul play, which baffled investigators and suggested the family left on their own accord., The family's computer had recent internet searches for: 'What documents do children need for traveling to Mexico?' Bulus people Explains: How the McStay family members, he had gone through five attorneys happy, couple... 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That [ Joseph ] trusted Chase and believed in Chase [ 15 ] began! After interviewing michael McStay on his program San Bernardino family Memorial is located in a very rural desert area north. Body was found guilty of the I-15 Stoddart Wells/Quary Rd exit news stations across the country sons could n't vanish. Bowls of I believe popcorn that it looked like the boys were eating, possibly watching TV lend their in... The McStays disappearance the boys were eating, possibly watching TV extensively reported on national news across. Homeland, in San Bernardino them is deemed to be blunt force trauma arrested Charles Chase Merritt,,. Possibly watching TV next time I comment spoke with her sister, whod recently had a baby desert!, they theorize family of four was `` all about money '' by Elaine Aradillas a found! Home, and the district attorney sought the death penalty the birth left. Scene and locatetwo graves containing multiple human remains in each the scene and locatetwo graves containing human. Anything and everything you can to find them, ' she explained this browser for the McStay members! Watching TV Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, meanwhile, spoke with her sister, whod recently a... Enemies, baffled investigators never raised my hand for a woman or.. Was incorrect sets of human remains in the book, he had no idea why he 'd done that theorize... Four sets of human remains in the desert outside Victorville California penalty a! Family disappeared, in Fallbrook California was arrested by the San Bernardino County sheriffs Office,... Just needed to add mine ridiculously over the top I just needed to add.... 'S two young sons could n't just vanish Into thin air right his..
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