As a precaution, investigators took DNA samples from the car, but there was still no evidence of foul play. The surviving McStay family members held an emotional memorial for. Susan said they would stop in little towns that had just a gas station and a grocery store to post flyers. Ultimately, officials determined it was not the McStay family in that video. How scared were they, Chase? The mother of Joseph McStay wept on the witness stand Tuesday as she recounted the moment in November 2013 when she learned the remains of her son, his wife, and their boys aged 3 and 4,. [34], On May 22, 2022, the case was looked at again on the Investigation Discovery docuseries Two Shallow Graves. Inconclusive:After three years of searching, the San Diego Sheriff's Department investigators concluded in April 2013 that the McStay family had gone to Mexico voluntarily, Frustrating: The McStays friends and family insisted they would never go to Mexico with their children, but there was no other explanation, Heartbreaking: On November 11, 2013, an off-road motorcyclist came across the family's human remains in San Bernardino County's Mojave Desert. Joseph 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 (San Bernardino. There were no signs of forced entry or any foul play, which baffled investigators and suggested the family left on their own accord. 'I'm gonna get out the information and try to find them.'. How to trick yourself slim: Top nutritionist reveals her tips including shrinking your cutlery, sniffing Meghan's (very expensive) date night look! #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/nZp6QeV6sQ, I dont know that I can ever explain the impact this man has had on my family, she said. Our last name is mentioned. Were just the clowns, - Britt Imes. You start calling his cellphones, her cellphones,' she said. His attorney also says Merritt himself will want to speak. As court resumed, the judge said Maline had made yet another motion: to disqualify this judge from ruling on the remaining motion to reduce Merritt's sentence. According to prosecutors, greed was the motive for the killings and Merritt killed the McStays because he had been embezzling thousands of dollars from Joseph McStay's business. Investigators also have e-mails indicating the couple asked. 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. He maintains his innocence. The next week, deputies released a video of a group of people similar to the McStay family entering Mexico hand in hand through the pedestrian gate around 7 p.m. on February 8, 2010, the same day their vehicle was towed. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. DNA samples were collected from the McSays' family, friends, and associates, but investigators couldn't get a search warrant to access their financial records because there was no evidence of a crime at the time. [16], After their disappearance, it was speculated that the McStays left voluntarily since investigators found searches on the family's computers for "What documents do children need for traveling to Mexico?" [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. Blake said, speaking to Merritt. Despite all the problems they had and how explosive Summer was, I dont know if he ever truly believed she was capable of that, but it was definitely something he considered. Richard K. De Atley has been a journalist since 1975, for City News Service in Los Angeles, The Associated Press in Los Angeles and New York, and The Press-Enterprise in Riverside. Michael McStay's wife spoke next, talking about the pain her family and husband live with every single day. The court took a brief break. Judge just said clearly its not timely. #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/qLzXb6wJlM. 'This despicable, evil monster. "[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. 'Are you that family? Michael McStay remembered the day detectives told him and his family that the bodies of his brother, sister-in-law, and nephews had been discovered in the desert. After 8-Hour Day in Court, Sentencing Delayed for Man Who Killed McStay Family. Note:A previous version of this story misidentified the prosecutor who questioned Michael McStay. At center is Erin McStay, Michaels wife. The show features new suspects, witnesses, evidence, and theories regarding the case, as well as the trial from both the defendant's and prosecutor's points of view. Just a monster.". He was arrested last year. And while he does not believe Summer was directly involved, he will dedicate a significant amount of the book to her behavior and the couples relationship. [14], The circumstances surrounding the family's disappearance and the lack of clues about their whereabouts triggered speculation by amateur sleuths. And that those sounds haunt you, Chase, he said. I would never raise my hand to a woman or a child.". "No more surfing; no more anything., Michael McStay said the court should never forget what this case is really about: "Those four innocent people and the lives they never got to live.". I dont remember bouncing a check, she said. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. He had this problem right up until the day he went missing. At one point he said to me, "Maybe I should start eating out more and stop eating her food". 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. 'Some rough places, but you have had somebody stab me, it doesn't matter,' she noted. [4] On June 10, 2019, a jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. She would shout at him in the privacy of their own home, but then put on a front like he was the most important person in the world when they were in public. June 10, 2019 Merritt is found guilty of murdering the McStay family. Officers arrived at the home and requested a search warrant, executed on February 19, 2010. 'You had a choice. Defense attorney Rajan Maline produced a check to Merritt for $3,300 that was issued in April 2010 and signed by Blake, not on her personnel account, but on an account for Earthinspiredproducts.com. (File photo by Peter Surowski, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG), In this file photo, Michael McStay, the brother of Joseph McStay and his mother Susan Blake enter the court through the throng of media before the start of the preliminary hearing on Monday, June 15, 2015 for Charles Merritt in the 2010 slayings of four McStay family members in Fallbrook. The bodies were identified asJoseph, Summer, Joseph Mateo, and Gianani McStay. Joseph's cellphone pinged a tower in Fallbrook. Joseph 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 (San Bernardino. The 30 Best Shows on Netflix for Kids. It cant be, Susan Blake testified after she regained herself. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. In a preview clip from the episode about the McStay family, Patrick recalled speaking to his son in the morning on the day they disappeared. Patrick McStay has waited for this day, when he finally gets to speak in court, gets to speak for his slain son Joseph McStay, daughter-in-law Summer and two young grandsons. The mother of Joseph McStay wept on the witness stand Tuesday as she recounted the moment in November 2013 when she learned the remains of her son, his wife, and their boys aged 3 and 4, missing for more than three years, had been found buried in the High Desert near Victorville. He boasted it had a "loft/game room & big. Related research topic ideas. He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. Merritt added: If Im honest, I have no idea why he put up with it. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. By Jill Sederstrom The McStay Family Goes Missing Now Playing Preview The McStay Family Goes Missing 2:14 Preview McStay Family Car Found Near Mexican Border 2:24 He just gave me the quote of the day on the continuing delays. 09:19 EST 04 Jan 2014 "I did not do this thing. They slept in the same bed, but were never intimate. How the Princess of Wales recreated her 2006 outfit from Prince William's Sandhurst graduation Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! The McStays' disappearance from their serene San Diego-area community of Bonsall has since prompted an investigation by police who still have no idea what happened. Why were they gone? But what happened to Joseph McStay, 40, his 43-year-old wife, Summer, and sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3? This world was robbed of four beautiful souls. All rights reserved, Jury Recommends Death Penalty for Business Associate Convicted of Killing McStay Family, Business Partner Found Guilty in McStay Family Killings, Check Your Pockets: These Coins Can Be Worth Up To $24,000, Glendale Neighborhood Frustrated After an Illegal Hostel Moves In, NASA Images Show Southern California Mountains Before and After Winter Storm, Tax Deadlines Extended to October for Most Californians Due to Storms. "Ultimately, I hope to be a father and when I am, I will hold my children close," he continued. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges that he killed McStay, 40, a former business associate; his wife, Summer, 43, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, in their Fallbrook home on Feb. 4, 2010, then buried their bodies more than 100 miles away in two shallow graves in the Mojave Desert, north of Victorville and west of the 15 Freeway. Investigators and the public also focused on Merritt, the last known person to have had contact with Joseph and the first to notice his disappearance. She was obsessed with the idea of being Italian and that was her name for him. The clip appeared to show a family of four crossing the border into Mexico -- a family that looked like they could have been the McStays. Every time you hear a sound in prison or in a movie similar to the sounds you made that day when you murdered this family, I hope it rings loud in your ears. But speaking on CNN in 2010 he said: 'My understanding was in the last year hed been having these vertigo type symptoms. 'When I last talked to my son, on February 4, he said he still didnt feel good,' said Blake, adding that she had provided the Sheriffs Dept with information on Josephs health problems. [30] On May 4, the case was scheduled to go to trial in July 2018. [33] The court upheld the jury's recommendation, and Merritt was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. Hes considering motion of insufficient evidence to support verdict. #McStay family visibly frustrated. Sheriffs officials announced that the remains of the four people found buried in the desert belong to the McStay family, a Fallbrook family missing since 2010. "We don't run this circus. The McStays' skeletal remains were unearthed along with a three-pound rusted sledgehammer believed to be the murder weapon a bra and a child's pants and diaper. He will focus on a number of key incidents and characters and try to paint a picture of what really happened in the lead up to that fateful day. Family members react to the arrest: Summer McStays brother-in-law, Joseph Russell, speaks and then Michael McStay, brother of Joseph McStay, speaks. He always said, "I have messed up one family before, I will not be unfaithful and ruin another one". "[22], In January 2014, Merritt said that he might write a book about the family, alleging that Summer had anger issues and that Joseph had been ill for some time with a mysterious ailment. The impression I get is that Summer would use her sexuality to get attention and get what she wanted. [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. [2][11], During their investigation, the police learned that around 11:00 pm on February 8, the family's Trooper had been towed from a strip mall parking lot in San Ysidro, San Diego, near the Mexican border. Authorities said they traced his cellphone to the gravesite area. My brother was I looked up to my brother. NBC 7's Jackie Crea has more. The McStays, their two boys Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished in 2010, leaving food on the table and a massive mystery. Merritt looked at Blake as she spoke. A decade after the family went missing, their killer was sentenced to death in January 202. Charles "Chase" Merritt, 62, was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, 40, McStay's wife, Summer, 43, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr.,. Obviously that was a real problem for Joseph and he used to talk to me about it regularly. Father of Joseph McStay, whose remains and wife's were found this week after 2010 disappearance, calls San Diego Sheriff's Dept. "Our family has already received a life sentence. Now Merritt who actually took a voluntary lie detector test at the time of their disappearance and was the last person to see Joseph alive has decided to write a tell all book, in an effort to clear up the mystery. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. The judge has been speaking for the last hour - and still going, reviewing in slow, excruciating detail certain facts of the case. called the investigation into his son's disappearance . A jury recommended the death penalty for Merritt for the murders of Summer McStay and the children, and life without the possibility of parole in the killing of Joseph McStay. Chase Merritt sobs and says I did not do this thing. Patrick said, "I truly believe she loved my son. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. He said: Summer was a very self-centered, self-obsessed person with an awful temper. I did not know any of that part, Blake said. He asked for funds to keep the business going, and at that time I would do anything to help my son probably not in my right mind anyway at that time, she said. During that period, she got an early-morning call from someone in Saudi Arabia, demanding his fountain, she recalled. His son, Joseph, his daughter-in-law, Summer, and their two little boys, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 vanished. Doctors couldnt diagnose the energy-sapping condition and according to his close friend, Chase Merritt, he started to suspect that his fiery wife may have something to do with it. Crying for mommy and daddy?" And the fountain designer told MailOnline how Joseph once said to him, Maybe I should start eating out more and stop eating her food. I just dont remember very much because I fell to the office floor. Upon his arrival, he noticed that Joseph's 1996 Isuzu Trooper was missing, but their dogs were in the backyard. Patrick McStay, Joseph McStay's father told CBS 8 in San Diego that authorities informed him two of the bodies found in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert on Monday were that of his son and his son's wife, Summer. "I hope you burn in Hell," he told the man convicted of killing his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/Ojp02cg2cJ. Charles "Chase" Merritt interrupted his attorney Friday during legal proceedings. "Not natural causes; there was intent here.". ', Gruesome: The McStays' skeletal remains were unearthed along with a three-pound rusted sledgehammer believed to be the murder weapon, Crime: Charles 'Chase' Merritt, who was a partner in Joseph's water-fountain business, was arrested for the murders in 2014 and found guilty in 2019 (pictured), Criminal: In January 2020, Merritt was sentenced to death for bludgeoning the couple and their children to death inside their home because he owed them $30,000. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Joseph managed a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. During the lull, NBC 7 spoke with prosecuting attorney Britt Imes about the continuing delays. She said the two tangled over how to keep the business afloat. [31] The trial finally began on January 7, 2019, in a San Bernardino court, with both sides making opening statements. Investigators believe that Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons, 4-year-old Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph, were bludgeoned to death in their home in the San Diego County community of Fallbrook on Feb. 4, 2010, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said Friday. Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay, took his turn. Sentencing still has not happened. ', 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. [1][2] Their disappearance was widely reported by the national news media. Patrick also searched for their son in Mexico and thought he had a lead when a family claimed to have seen the McStays at Walmart, but security footage confirmed it wasn't them. [23] Merritt, who reportedly was the last person Joseph called from his cell phone, also said that he had passed a polygraph test and did not know anything that could help solve the mystery of the family's disappearance. . [17] Because their car was found so close to the Mexican border, police reviewed surveillance footage of the pedestrian gate into Mexico. In late November 2009, the family moved to Fallbrook, California, for a fresh start in a peaceful and friendly neighborhood. 'As a mother, you're going to do absolutely anything and everything you can to find them,' she explained. ': Anguish of $21m fraudster banker's wife after he's found running POT FARM a year after faking his suicide, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, TN residents say Jack Daniel's distillery spews black mold, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' "It marked my kids.". Scholarly publications with full text pdf download. Why? Imes asked, and Michael broke down on the witness stand. After three years of suspicion, the family's bones were discovered in a desert over a hundred miles from their house. Merritt said the people responsible for the slayings are still free. The family disappeared without a trace in February 2010. He was sentenced to the death penalty for the slayings of Joseph McStay's wife, Summer McStay, 43, and the couple's two sons, Gianni McStay, 4, and Joseph McStay, Jr., 3. Two days later, two sets of remains were officially identified as those of Joseph and Summer McStay. No one can explain how a seemingly normal suburban family who only moved into their new home in Fallbrook, California, three months earlier, could be living a regular life one day and then vanish the next. Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. Sheriffs officials announced that the remains of the four people found buried in the desert belong to the McStay family, a Fallbrook family missing since 2010. Patrick McStay was there, too, along with other members of the McStay family, including Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay. The shame and despair of being physically attacked by your own child. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts. They told how the McStays Joseph, Summer and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 were bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer and buried in shallow graves in the high desert outside. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. California has not executed anyone on death row since 2006 as current Gov. [2] In April 2013, the San Diego Sheriff's Department announced that they believed that the McStays traveled to Mexico voluntarily.[18]. And when we were out she would call him constantly. ___ 12 a.m. The break came, defense attorneys said, when Merritt and McStay separately worked on a custom-fountain side of the business that did not include Kavanaugh. "It didn't just mark me that day," Michael McStay said. Indiana Man Charged After Son In Diapers Points Gun At . Joseph McStay's mother Susan Blake addresses the court during the sentencing of Charles Chase Merritt on Jan. 21, 2020. Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife, Summer, 43, went missing along with their two children, Gianna, 4, and Joseph, 3. She had asked to get the money back, she said, But I never saw any., Blake had told an investigator that Merritt told her he completed a job for a customer in Saudi Arabia and was paid $17,000. Merritt's attorneys said the two men were best friends and investigators overlooked another possible suspect in the killings. She said: 'My son had been sick since last August and hes normally a very healthy person. He was in a really bad way. Summers ex husband made good on a promise the two made years ago and just played a portion of Norman Greenbaums Spirit in the Sky. The hearing, which consumed more than 10 hours, concluded with several emotional statements from McStay's mother, brother, in-laws and surviving son, as well as from Merritt himself, who . Charles "Chase" Merritt appears at his sentencing hearing in San Bernardino, California, on Jan. 21, 2020.
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