So without direct evidence, then they have to show enough circumstantial evidence to convice the jury that it was me at their home and who killed them.. Source: wikipedia | CBS News |. The family of four had just moved into their Southern California home when they vanished on the night of Feb. 4, 2010. 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. On a seemingly inconsequential day in early 2010, Mr McStay had a conversation with his father and told him he had a lunch meeting. That was the last time they would ever speak; no one heard from the McStays after 4 February 2010. Two days later, the remains were identified as the McStay family. Joseph and Summer McStay vanished from their . Everything was circumstantial. Two Shallow Graves airs Sunday from 9/8c on Investigation Discovery. People. She was predeceased by : her parents, Manuel Sousa and Nicolina Sousa (Melo); and her siblings . The sledge hammer is the likely murder weapon. No mention was made by investigators or attorneys during Merritts preliminary hearing that investigators believe Summer McStay had been raped, nor has any evidence been presented publicly to indicate that, other than what McGee included in his motion. In addition, investigators also discovered that Summer had changed her name multiple times throughout her life. This led to speculation that the family may have willingly fled the country. I think its a story where people want answers, and this project is another step in trying to give people answers to what really happened.. Merritt has said there is no direct evidence linking him to the crime scene. 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. The family had been savagely beaten to death. Charles 'Chase' Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer and the couple's children The McStay family vanished from their San Diego . The authorities initially believed this was the McStay family because of a few other things that came to light. I think, normally when you [look at] a case, youre like, Oh, there could be one or two people involved., There were potentially more than one or two people involved when we started this. Defense attorney Rajan Maline has continued to proclaimhis clients innocence, arguing there's no physical evidence linking Merritt to themurder scene. Prosecutors say a sledgehammer was used to kill all four members of the McStay family, and the 4-year-old boy was struck seven times. Merritt insists on his innocence in the face of the prosecution's evidence, raising the question: Did Merritt murder the McStay family? 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and it appeared they were tortured before they were killed. 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. The details of Walker's death are equally lurid and disturbing. All rights reserved. They had recently moved to a home Jan 21, 2020 Charles Merritt was sentenced to death for killing the McStay family.. A jury recommended the death penalty for Merritt for the murders of Summer Jan 22, 2020 Charles Merritt has been sentenced to death for killing the entire McStay family in a bizarre California case that went unsolved for years. Whether or not Merritt receives the death penalty has yet to be decided. An attorney eventually represented Merritt, and the jury decided in favor of the victims. Research genealogy for Elizabeth McStay of Draycott, Derbyshire, England, as well as other members of the McStay family, on Ancestry. That was when Charles Merritts story started falling apart and really gave us the motive, Hanke said. On Feb. 15, the family was reported missing to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. Apr 20, 2020 Joan's husband, Hal Rogers, stayed behind to care for the family's dairy farm.. Joan, Michelle and Christe Rogers.. Photo Source: Crime 1.7k votes, 195 comments.. From the LA Times: "A jury Monday found a man guilty of bludgeoning a family of four and burying their bodies in shallow , Charles Ray Merritt has been sentenced to death for the murders of McStay family members, .. 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. USA Spot News. Photos Of McStay Family Murder Suspect. When Joseph needed to develop his bespoke company, he enlisted Merritt, a fabricator, for assistance. In 2019, Charles "Chase" Merritt was accused of killing Joseph McStay's family during his trial for the murders. They were living at Fallbrook and simply listed as missing. While no one has the answer, there are many leads, provided by people like Josephs father, Patrick McStay, who has complained for years that the San Diego Sheriffs Department was not treating the case seriously, and Rick Baker, who traveled the world researching his book, No Goodbyes: The Mysterious Disappearance of the McStay Family. Please be respectful of the memorial and do not leave any trash when you visit. Case 8, Dorothy Scott Investigators from the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department soon uncovered the bodies of all four McStay family membersincluding Joseph, Summer, 4-year-old Gianni and 3-year-old JosephJr.buried in two shallow graves in the harsh desert. In 2020, Merritt was sentenced to death following a conviction on four murder counts. In January 2010, just days before the disappearance, the home computer was used to search for passport requirements for kids traveling to Mexico. How do you do that?. Jaroslav Jerry Hanel had tormented the Diamond Head, Huong Lee and Long Nyugen were an elderly Vietnamese couple. The autopsy report details the pathologist's findings.. Merritt is charged with murdering the McStay family of four in February 2010 in San Diego County. Timeline of Gabby Petito Tragedy 1 Year After Killer Brian Laundrie's Body Was Found, Calif. Man Gets Death Penalty for Killing Business Partner, Victim's Wife, Kids Before Burying Bodies, Murder, Greed and the Mojave Desert: The Mystery Behind the McStay Family Murder. Reports state that Susan, Joseph's mother, was visibly upset and described him as a "despicable, evil monster," adding that knowing how the family was murdered had made her life a nightmare. At that time, no one knew what happened to the family. I would follow all of these paths, but I never followed just one to the exclusion of the others., She says: To be honest, I was not disappointed when they arrested Chase [Merritt] but scared that perhaps [investigators] didnt look into the whole thing enough because of the fact that we found so much compelling stuff in these other peoples files.. Inside, he found a relatively normal scene. SAN BERNARDINO, California- The man accused of killing four members of the McStay family in 2010 will stand trial, a California judge ruled this week. Is anyone feeling that the mom has strong narcissistic vibes, I worked on both cases. Merritt was a close friend to the McStays and a business partner. The family's disappearance had puzzled investigators, who said there . Lying beside the family was a sledgehammer. It was sort of one sort of absurdity after the other, Kevin Fitzpatrick, an executive producer of Two Shallow Graves, tells The Independent. Authorities say Merritt, a business associate of 40-year-old Joseph McStay, beat the family to death inside their residence. Good Housekeeping. Nov. 17, 2013 -- The 2010 disappearance of the McStay family, whose skeletal remains were discovered in shallow graves in the California desert last week, led a former North Carolina radio host to . Joseph had a newly successful business designing and installing water fountains. According to reports, three years after their disappearance, the family's remains were unearthed in two shallow graves in a remote area of the California desert. Suspicion had long fallen on Joseph McStays business partner, Chase Merritt, as he had been the last person to have contact with the family, and he also had a criminal record, albeit for small-time offenses. They were actually written several days after the family disappeared and backdated to make it appear as though theyd been issued before the family vanished. Syd Field Four Screenplays Pdf 11 !!HOT!! 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. 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. But there was an astonishing number of other people whod had significant run-ins with the McStays, according to the new series. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! While Joseph went to a work meeting, Summer spoke to her sister over the phone and planned to visit later. He seemed caught off guard, like Oh, I didnt realize I was doing that, San Bernardino County District AttorneyBritt Imes tellsAmerican Greed.. He started as a crime reporter and went on to cover a variety of beats including courts and the cities of Colton, Highland and Grand Terrace. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He found rotting food and Mrs McStays prescription sunglasses; there was no sign of foul play. Today, he is still imprisoned on death row at Quentin State Prison, where he has been held since the day he was arrested. While there were no signs of forced entry, it seemed like the McStays left in a hurry. In late November 2009, the family moved to Fallbrook, California, for a fresh start in a peaceful and friendly neighborhood. I never settled on anybody. The 62-year-old welder convicted in the brutal beating deaths of a Fallbrook family of four . When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. 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 . In an email Thursday, sheriffs Lt. Sarkis Ohannessian declined to comment, citing the ongoing criminal case. Publicly Merrittwho had several prior convictions on his recordclaimed to be Josephs best friend,once telling CNNs Randi Kay that although they began as work acquaintances, they quickly grew to be friends, playing paintball together andsharingdinnera few nights a week. On February 4, 2010,Summer McStay, her husbandJoseph, and their young sonsGianni andJoseph Jr.disappeared from San Diego, California. In addition, neither of the children had passports. To learn more about the case, tune into Monday's episode of "American Greed" at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CNBC. In an interview with detectives just two weeks after the family was last seen, Merritt talked about his friend in the past tense. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and it appeared they were tortured before they were killed. Charles Meritt did the welding, creating some of the metal work, the fountains, and Joseph was the businessman behind it all, and from all accounts, he was flourishing, Shin tells American Greed.. Part of the mystery was solved in November 2013 when a motorcyclist stumbled upon two shallow graves in the desert near Victorville and unearthed human remains. Merritt had previously worked with Joseph McStay, who owned and ran the Earth Inspired Products decorative fountain company. Case 7, McStay. Merritt used the money to fuel his gambling addiction at nearby casinos, in which he lost thousands of dollars. 16 Rare Photos of Princess Diana. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. San Bernardino County Det. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has yet to release a . One of those suspects, Charles Chase Merritt, was convicted of the murders in 2019 and remains on death row in California. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The man accused of killing the McStays, a family of four who disappeared in 2010 and whose remains were found in 2013 in the . 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.. He had a criminal record and, it turned out, had been skimming money from the enterprise. It took some time for people to become concerned; the family sometimes took small vacations, so it was more than a week before Mr McStays brother, Michael, stopped by the house to see if it held answers to where they might be. But several family members did not believe that the man in the video was Joseph. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. At around 7:47 pm, part of the family car was captured on a neighbors surveillance camera, but there was no sign of the family after that. His trial hadn't even begun until January 2019 after he reportedly fired multiple attorneys as he tried to represent himself. uncovered the bodies of all four McStay family members, he was arrested by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office. He continued to plead his innocence, and at his sentencing, he told the judge, I dont deserve this. May she rest in eternal peace. They spoke with him for months in 15-minute phone calls allowed by the prison and both were taken aback by his knowledge of the case. Another two points would put us in good . 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 CNBC's American Greed, airing Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT. This gave him a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home, so he could spend more time with his family. The accused was found guilty of the charges against him. 1:22. However, the rest of the family thought it was unusual for them to just leave so abruptly. Investigators made a break in the investigation when a neighbors security camera caught the McStays car leaving their home on the evening of February 4. The McStays looked like the All-American family living the dream. They had a loving circle of friends and family, enjoyed taking trips and watching their young sons grow and learn. They were dressed similarly to the McStays, and the children were wearing hats similar to ones they had been photographed in. Charles "Chase" Merritt, left, reacts after being found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder of the McStay family, in San Bernardino Superior Court in San Bernardino on June 10. Jan 18, 2020 MCSTAY FAMILY AUTOPSY PHOTOS.. Man convicted of killing McStay family sentenced to death .. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. It certainly isn't justice, not for Murray or for her family. He could face the death penalty as a result. Their children, Gianni and Joseph Jr., were 4 and 3, respectively. The family consisted of Joseph McStay, 40, the father and co-owner of a company that built custom, high . Joseph and Summer McStay had two sons Gianni and Joseph Jr. The court upheld the jury's recommendation and Merrit was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020 for the McStay Family Massacre. Mr McStays friend, Gina Watson, and father, Patrick who called Merritt a ruthless mass murderer in court and told him to burn in hell are among the subjects interviewed in the series. A whole family vanished on February 4, 2010 from their home in Fallbrook, CA.. Randi Kaye discusses her investigation into the murder of the McStay family, including her interview with "Chase" Merritt Investigators found one of the birth certificates left behind in the home. But jurors disagreed and Merritt was convicted and later sentenced to death for the slayings in January 2020. The McStay family - whose bodies were found in a shallow grave in the Californian desert almost four years after they mysteriously vanished - could barely afford to pay $210 a week on rent just . A carton of eggs lay on the counter, and two bowls of popcorn were located in the living room. It was February 4, 2010, when the small village of Fallbrook, in San Diego County, was shaken by the disappearance of a whole family. On February 15, eleven days after the family was last heard from, the police searched the McStay family home. This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this . These bodies were soon confirmed as the McStay family. None of these theories have been confirmed. A 3-pound Stanley-brand sledgehammer, the suspected murder weapon, was found in one of the graves, and the skeletal remains indicated the McStay family had suffered multiple bone fractures to the . Merritt was arrested for the family's killings the following year, when his DNA was discovered inside the family vehicle, dumped near the border, and fake company checks traced back to him. The authorities also found Chases DNA on the steering wheel and the gearshift handle of the McStay family car; he had claimed earlier to have never driven that vehicle. In addition, security cameras for the parking lot from which the car was towed confirmed that the car had not arrived there until the afternoon of February 8, so there was four days of which the family was unaccounted for. Joseph was 40-years-old back then, and Summer was 43. One of the most infamous murder cases in the Inland area will be a focus of the second season premiere of the Oxygen show "Killer Motive" Saturday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. Otherwise, the family looked identical to the McStays. He was a business partner of Joseph McStay. He adds: There are so many actual other people who could potentialy be suspects and so many people who had motive. 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. The McStay family of four was living a happy life, and had recently moved to a new house, which they were renovating and turning into their dream home. Prosecutors claim that the McStays were murdered by Merritt for . Charles Ray Merritt, 61, stands trial for the murder of a couple and their two sons in San Bernardino County, California. On February 13, when the family hadnt been heard from in nine days, Josephs brother went to the house. Princess Diana flashes a cheeky grin in rare bikini photos. Charles Ray Merritt has been named as the suspect in the murders of the McStay family in the San Diego area in 2010. The 58-year-old Merritt is charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of McStay, 40; McStay's wife, Summer, 43; and the couple's two sons, Gianni, 4; and Joey, 3. . And then there was another associate from Mr McStays work, the computer whiz who maintained the company website a man whod sent messages to MrMcStay essentially threatening to destroy the site and ruin the business. Nelson is a graduate of California State University Fullerton. When you look at the totality of the picture, you just came right back to its Charles Merritt, Imes tellsAmerican Greed.. LOS ANGELES A Southern California man was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 10-year-old killings of a family of four whose bodies were found buried in shallow graves in the California desert . On Nov. 20, at a vigil where volunteers erected white crosses and released doves, Michael pondered aloud the same questions. Merritts trial has been delayed multiple times due to Merritt attempting to represent himself and repeatedly firing his attorneys, he has gone through five between November 2013 to February 2016. There was the new husband of Mr McStays ex-wife, a man with a history of violence whod allegedly threatened to muzzle Mrs McStay and beat up her husband. Nicole Berte Murder: Where is Randy Lee Bode Now. Judge Michael A. Smith determined there Joseph McStay's business partner, Charles Chase Merritt, was eventually charged with the deaths of the McStay family after detectives found apparent evidence of desertion and, ultimately, foul play. He stands charged with first-degree murder in connection with the February 2010 bludgeoning deaths of Summer McStay, 43, her husband Joseph McStay,40, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3. Its kind of remarkable, Ms Davis says. The McStay Family Memorial is located in a very rural desert area directly north of the I-15 Stoddart Wells/Quary Rd exit. In Fallbrook, CA, their home was fifty miles north of San Diego and twenty miles inland from the Pacific coast. Tribune Broadcasting. and a close friend of the family falls under suspicion. The man found a small human skull that appeared to belong to a child. Who Killed The McStay Family? But hed also tell Kay during his television interview that he had definitely been the last person to see Joseph. The family and friends of the McStays did not expect them to be at the Mexican border. Ive heard people say that before and it not be true. Surveillance footage from the border from a few hours prior seemed to show a family of four crossing the border. A new documentary series re-examines the trial and evidence in a 'comprehensive' look at the case, writes Sheila Flynn Joe Nelson is an award-winning investigative reporter who has worked for The Sun since November 1999. The mysterious murders of the McStay family. The McStay case started . 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. Two Shallow Graves delves into a case that garnered national news headlines, eventually culminating in the killer being brought to justice close to a decade later. Although both instances raised investigators' suspicions, another glaring clue would ultimately put Merritt at the center of the investigation. But that changed when the remains of the McStay family were found in November 2013, [] Dylan Eason and Isaiah Churchwell were convicted of murdering Cynthia William "Patrick" Alexander remains in prison for murder. 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. "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 latest episode of CNBC's "American Greed . Inside The Gruesome McStay Family Murder Case. But the killer remained a mystery until investigators uncovered a disturbing clue they said pointed them toward Joseph McStays close friend and business associate, Charles Chase Merritt. About three days before the disappearance, Joseph emailed Chase regarding the money and was close to firing him. Reportedly, on January 21, 2020, Merritt was convicted of his crime and issued a sentence of life in prison and the death penalty. 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. After a four-month trial, nine years after the McStay killings . Photos of McStay Family Murder . SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - He wrote a book on the McStay case, but an investigative author is expressing shock over the tragic new twist in the case. Merritt's DNA was found on the steering wheel and gearshift, even though Merritt told detectives he had never driven that vehicle. Charles Merritt, former business partner of Joseph McStay, has just been found guilty of killing the entire McStay family with a sledgehammer and burying their bodies in the desert. Michaels worst fears were realized. For years, that was the prevailing belief among law enforcement. Earlier in the week before the family disappeared, Summer had made plans to visit her sister, who had recently had a baby. There were also incisions in her bra that lead investigators to believe it was cut off, the motion states. Investigators discovered that neither of the familys cars had traveled to Mexico in years, so they believed that the family had not driven into Mexico during the unaccounted for four days. Summer will be forever missed by her family and many friends. John F. Kennedy autopsy photo (#1) 0. When all four members of the McStay family seemingly vanish into thin air -- here one day, gone the next -- a years-long quest for answers begins. Investigation Discovery's 'Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of murdering Joseph McStay and his family. Two Shallow Graves on ID is examining the tragic murders of the McStay family, who were butchered by business associate Charles Chase Merritt, and buried in the desert near Victorville, California, in 2010. He was also cherished by companion he leaves five children, several grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. The story of the McStay family is one that has baffled San Diego investigators for years.. After he reported the family missing on 15 February, police discoverd the McStays vehicle had been towed from a parking lot near the border with Mexico on 8 February. When the family went missing, the pair began their own investigation, describing in the new series how they combed through the McStays emails and followed up any lead they could find. Charles "Chase" Merritt was sentenced to death Tuesday for killing the McStay family of Fallbrook. 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. 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. Then began the authorities' quest to figure out who killed the loving family of four. There were at least four impacts to the skull of Joseph McStay, and at least seven impacts to 4-year-old Gianni. Prosecutors contend greed is the motive for the murders. 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. Home; . 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. However, friends and family claimed this would be out of character, and the couple still had a large amount of money in a bank account that remained untouched. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- Prosecutors say a sledgehammer was used to kill all four members of the McStay family, and the 4-year-old boy was struck seven times. So, lets find out what happened then, shall we?

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