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. 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. To learn more about the case, tune into Monday's episode of "American Greed" at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CNBC. 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. Though simply changing her name is not an indication of anything sinister, it did stir up a number of theories that Summer was responsible for the disappearance. On February 10, 2010, Josephs business partner, Charles Chase Merritt, asked the authorities to check on the family, but an officer felt nothing was amiss. While there was little evidence and various theories floated around, nobody really precisely knew what happened to Joseph, his wife, and their two sons until years later. Additionally, a family friend was helping paint the house, and left with the intention of returning on Saturday, February 6, to finish the job. When questioned about his choice of language by investigators, Merritt said he had no idea why he'd done that. The McStay Family Memorial is located in a very rural desert area directly north of the I-15 Stoddart Wells/Quary Rd exit. Similarly, on February 6, his phone pinged off of towers in Victorville, placing him at the burial site. Merritt's girlfriend gives him an alibi, but the prosecution attempts to discredit her . Merritt, who faces the death penalty if convicted, has pleaded not guilty to the crimes. How To Paint Citadel Miniatures Download Pdf NEW! They had a loving circle of friends and family, enjoyed taking trips and watching their young sons grow and learn. A motorcyclist found human remains in a desert near Victorville, California. Investigators also discovered that the same car had been towed on February 8 for a parking violation near the Mexican border. How do you do that?. Its not all as simple as it seems; I think thats the point of the show, Mr Fitzpatrick tells The Independent. The paint was still fresh on the walls, the corners bordered by blue painter . Josephs father Patrick McStay, however, continues to be haunted by Merritts dark deeds. Investigators are questioning everybody, Michael McStay tells PEOPLE. Prosecutors contend greed is the motive for the murders. 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. Who Killed The McStay Family? After Joseph, along with his wife and kids, suddenly went missing in February 2010, the authorities didn't have many leads. Skip to main content. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. The caller lacked the necessary passcodeto delete the account and the customer service representative was unable to carry out his requestleaving the damaging information for investigators to discover later. Huong Lee and Long Nyugen were an elderly Vietnamese couplefrom Arlington, Texas, who wound up owing so-called spiritual healer Dephne Wright nearly $300,000. Nearly a decade after the skeletal remains of a family of four were found buried in the California desert, their accused killer was sentenced to death. The family was from Fallbrook, a quiet bedroom community in San Diego County. Earlier in the week before the family disappeared, Summer had made plans to visit her sister, who had recently had a baby. The four-year-old Gianni had suffered a shocking seven blows to the head. On February 15, eleven days after the family was last heard from, the police searched the McStay family home. On Nov. 20, at a vigil where volunteers erected white crosses and released doves, Michael pondered aloud the same questions. There were no signs of foul play or any forced entry. This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this . Follow the links to read about more violent crimes profiled on ID. On Thursday, February 4, the last day that the McStay family was heard from, Joseph attended regular work meetings. 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. 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. A few months before the McStay family disappeared from their Fallbrook home on Feb. 4, 2010, Summer McStay filed a Child Protective Services complaint against McFadden, according to Joseph McStay's father, Patrick McStay." McFadden has a pretty violent criminal history, and that coupled with Joseph wanting custody of his son, leads Patrick to . Judge Michael A. Smith determined there 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 . The family had moved into the house three months earlier, and was in the process of unpacking and doing renovations. The remains of Joseph Jr., 3, were so minimal that a cause of death could not be determined, San Bernardino . 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. Found the resolution to each, I know who really killed Chanin, her husband did not, I have so many questions about this story. Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. Source: wikipedia | CBS News |. It would take years for investigators to discover the family's grisly fate. Summer had stated that she felt that Mexico was too unsafe and that she would never go willingly. 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. He had a criminal record and, it turned out, had been skimming money from the enterprise. 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. Family members of the victims were emotional in court during the preliminary hearing Monday. Merritt used the money to fuel his gambling addiction at nearby casinos, in which he lost thousands of dollars. Then began the authorities' quest to figure out who killed the loving family of four. A new documentary series re-examines the trial and evidence in a 'comprehensive' look at the case, writes Sheila Flynn 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. . 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. That was when Charles Merritts story started falling apart and really gave us the motive, Hanke said. 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. But jurors disagreed and Merritt was convicted and later sentenced to death for the slayings in January 2020. 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 . Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. It wasn't until January 2019 that his trial even started after it was revealed that he dismissed many lawyers to defend himself in court. On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . Summer McStay may have been raped before she, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Summer McStay may have been raped before she was killed, buried in desert, court document says, Baby girl Winter of Lake Arrowhead is born amid raging blizzard, There are many ways to fight writers block, find inspiration, A.K. But several family members did not believe that the man in the video was Joseph. The family of four had just moved into their Southern California home when they vanished on the night of Feb. 4, 2010. On a seemingly inconsequential day in early 2010, Mr McStay had a conversation with his father and told him he had a lunch meeting. I never settled on anybody. Investigators also found a three-pound sledgehammer that they believe was the murder weapon and clothing, some of it marked with the same color paint that the McStay family had been using to paint their home when they went missing. Photos Of McStay Family Murder Suspect. Case 8, Dorothy Scott In 2014, he completed a fellowship at Loyola Law School's Journalist Law School program. Autopsy Photos. Investigators found one of the birth certificates left behind in the home. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Merritts trial finally began on January 7, 2019 and on June 10, 2019, a San Bernardino County jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. 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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 . 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 . Initial investigation revealed that the family car was found at around 11 pm on February 8, 2010, in a parking lot close to the US-Mexico border in San Ysidro, California. According to cell tower data, on February 4, 2010, his phone was near the McStay family home. 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. Cell phone records placed Merritt in the desert where the bodies were ultimately discovered just two days after the family disappeared. Merrit wasarrested a year after the McStay familysskeletal remainswere discovered in two shallow graves, west of the 15 Freeway and north of Stoddard Wells Road, near Victorville. At the time, Joseph owned an online company named Earth Inspired Products that sold decorative water fountains. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Defense attorney Rajan Maline has continued to proclaimhis clients innocence, arguing there's no physical evidence linking Merritt to themurder scene. While Joseph went to a work meeting, Summer spoke to her sister over the phone and planned to visit later. Charles Merritt Gets Death Penalty McStay Family Murders PHOTO: Charles Ray Merritt was arrested on Nov.. 5, 2021 by the San.. California man sentenced to death in killings of McStay family members in 2010 "I did not do this thing," Charles Jan 22, 2020 Smith upheld the recommendation the jury made on June 24, 2019, which said Merritt should be put to death for the murders of Summer McStay and Apr 22, 2020 Chase Merritt sentenced to death.. Much evidence linking Chase Merritt to the McStay family murders were presented by the prosecution.. Perhaps Jan 20, 2021 February 15, 2010 Family members report the McStays missing to the San Diego County sheriff's department. In 2019, Charles "Chase" Merritt was accused of killing Joseph McStay's family during his trial for the murders. Charles "Chase" Merritt, who has been convicted of killing the 4-member McStay family of Fallbrook and burying their remains in the San Bernardino County desert back in 2010, carries papers to . 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. None of these theories have been confirmed. To add a new type of media, please go to the Admin Console. San Bernardino County Det. Inside, he found a relatively normal scene. The grave sites were the main discussion in court. 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, .. However, the rest of the family thought it was unusual for them to just leave so abruptly. Witnesses say those checks were backdated to the last day the family was seen. San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Michael A. Smith ruled Monday afternoon that there is sufficient evidence for Merritt to stand trial. 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 . Nelson is a graduate of California State University Fullerton. Otherwise, the family looked identical to the McStays. There wasnt a sign or sound from them for nearly four years until an off-road motorcyclist came upon two shallow graves in the Mojave Desert, tragically revealing the bodies of the couple and their children. 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. 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. Though it is possible that Summer was using a different name, there are no records of passports under any of her other names. He has covered San Bernardino County since 2009. 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. Two Shallow Graves: The McStay Family Murders: With Suzanne Armstrong, Tony Azzaro, Taylor Jarvis, Shawn Patrick Murphy. Summer will be forever missed by her family and many friends. Prosecutors say Merritt owed McStay more than $42,000. What looked normal to Josephs brother but was alarming to investigators. Merritt is accused of killing his former business associate, Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer, and their two small children on Feb. 4, 2010. So, lets find out what happened then, shall we? 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. Investigators 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 nearby parking lot. According to reports, denying his involvement in the murders, Merritt told the court. He could face the death penalty as a result. There was a couple bowls of I believe popcorn that it looked like the boys were eating, possibly watching TV. 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.. The defendant faces four counts of murder and the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. Furthermore, Chase wrote several checks on the online business starting February 5; he then went to a few casinos to spend that money. Detectives with the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department described in detail what they found, describing the remains of four bodies, 45 groups of bones, including ribs and parts of legs from two adults and two children. It certainly isn't justice, not for Murray or for her family. The McStay family, consisting of Joseph, 40, his wife Summer, 43, and their two sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, were reported missing in 2010. It didnt take this long. The sizes of the people appear to match the McStay family. That changed in November 2013, when the bodies were found in the desert along with a sledgehammer believed to be the murder weapon. Buried in the Desert: Was a Family Friend Their Killer? The McStay Family Disappearance and Murder. January 30, 2015 / 2:32 PM / CBS News. 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. 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. Lord Hanuman Angry Animated Wallpapers Hd posted by Sarah Anderson a28a80e3cc. There was no evidence to determine where the family went or why they had left. Josephs business partner, Chase, claimed to have met him for a lunch meeting on the afternoon of February 4, 2010. In January 2010, just days before the disappearance, the home computer was used to search for passport requirements for kids traveling to Mexico. Merritt constantly denied he had anything to do with the crime. The details of Walker's death are equally lurid and disturbing. 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. But privately, investigatorsnoticed Merritt had displayed some concerning behavior after the family disappeared. The familys remains were later unearthed by sheriffs crime scene investigators and forensic anthropologists. A 3-pound sledgehammer was found with the bodies, which was believed to be the murder weapon. Prosecutors said he bludgeoned the family to death with a sledgehammer. This site is to discuss and explore the Mcstay family murders. 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. CNN. 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. Lots of peoples names came up, and lots of different theories came up, executive producer Jacinda A Davis tells The Independent. Their bodies were found on November 13, 2013 in the desert near Victorville, California. 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. The man found a small human skull that appeared to belong to a child. The skeletal remains . Morbid Tourism does not recommend visiting the area after dark, as it can be dangerous at times. Two days later, the remains were identified as the McStay family. Lee Harvey Oswald autopsy photo. Read More:Nicole Berte Murder: Where is Randy Lee Bode Now? There is reportedly a DNA match that links Merritt to the McStay vehicle, which was found in San Ysidro near the U.S.-Mexico border. Prosecutors 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 Superior Court judge . 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. Lets make no mistake about it, Mr. Merritt is innocent, Maline tells American Greed.. June 10, 2019 Merritt is found guilty of murdering the McStay family. It wasnt until November 2013 that the case moved forward. He found no signs of a break-in, except for a partially open window, which he used to get into the house. When Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two young sons disappeared from the family's Fallbrook, California home in February 2010, it was as if they'd simply vanished into thin air. 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. Good Housekeeping. This gave him a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home, so he could spend more time with his family. The man convicted of killing a California family of four and burying them in the Mojave Desert nearly 10 years ago has been sentenced to death, San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael A . May she rest in eternal peace. But after the family's nanny arrived with the children in New York later estranged husband's property the day after mom went missing, report says. Both are convinced of Merritts guilt, but even they shake their heads and raise eyebrows at some of the other unexpected threads to the case. 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. The court upheld the jury's recommendation and Merrit was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020 for the McStay Family Massacre. Merritt, in the series, contends: They didnt have any direct evidence to support that I did these crimes. The pair had met through Josephs successful decorative waterfall business, Earth Inspired Products. Prosecutors claim he killed business partner Joseph McStay, McStay's 43-year-old wife Summer, and the couple's sons--4 year-old Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph Jr. Around about February 4, 2010, the McStay family, Joseph, 40; his wife, Summer, 43; and their . Ive heard people say that before and it not be true. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has yet to release a . 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. Merritt not only had motive to carry out the grisly slayings, it seemed that he also had the opportunity. On February 4, 2010,Summer McStay, her husbandJoseph, and their young sonsGianni andJoseph Jr.disappeared from San Diego, California.