He seemed caught off guard, like Oh, I didnt realize I was doing that, San Bernardino County District AttorneyBritt Imes tellsAmerican Greed.. Summer, meanwhile,spoke with her sister, whod recently had a baby. At their home in Fallbrook, California, investigators found no signs of forced entrance or violence. When the bodies were found, he offered a refund to those who purchased his book before November 2013. In 2014, he completed a fellowship at Loyola Law School's Journalist Law School program. [33] The court upheld the jury's recommendation, and Merritt was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. Being spoiled by my rich friend makes me feel like a charity case, Anti-agers no one but you needs to know about,Inge Van Lotringen tells all, How to dress like a grown up: Trust me, loose fit can be flattering, says Shane Watson, The one thing I've learnt byBinky Felstead, My Daily Horoscope: What does 27th February bring for my star sign? By February 2016, he had gone through five attorneys. Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: McStay Family/ZUMA. Look out for wildlife like rattlesnakes. 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. [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. 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. I don't think so, and I truly hope not. Defense attorney Rajan Maline has continued to proclaimhis clients innocence, arguing there's no physical evidence linking Merritt to themurder scene. 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. Prosecutors believed that Charles Merritt had a gambling problem and killed the McStay family for financial gain. Merritt is documented as writing checks totaling $21,000 on McStays business account, after McStay went missing. Charles Merritt used that money for his gambling addiction at nearby casinos. When questioned about his choice of language by investigators, Merritt said he had no idea why he'd done that. It did appear, however, as though the family left the home quickly. The tragic case will be featured in the Season 2 premiere of, Joseph McStay, 40, an entrepreneur who sold indoor water fountains, and his wife,Summer McStay, 43, and their sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr., move to Fallbrook, California, a community known as The Friendly Village.. A sledgehammer was also found buried at the site. [32] On June 24, the jury recommended that Merritt be sentenced to death. WebResearch genealogy for Elizabeth McStay of Draycott, Derbyshire, England, as well as other members of the McStay family, on Ancestry. Summer's sister stated that her passport was expired. Investigators also discovered that the same car had been towed on February 8 for a parking violation near the Mexican border. On February 19, California police notified Interpol to be on the lookout for the family. The sledge hammer is the likely murder weapon. I did not do this thing.. 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. Investigators also say they found emails indicating the family had been interested in obtaining passports to travel to Mexico, according to the outlet. On February 15, Michael phoned the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSD) and reported that his brother and his family were missing. The McStay family is seen in this undated family photo provided to KGTV. The sizes of the people appear to match the McStay family. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. CNN. Unconfirmed family sightings were reported in Mexico and elsewhere, perpetuating hopes that they were safe and had left voluntarily. So we created Beyond Charts to put you on the right path. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. "[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 family had moved into the house three months earlier, and was in the process of unpacking and doing renovations. Its been a tough road.. Volunteers set up the original memorial site in 2013. Merritt was transferred to San Quentin State Prison until an execution date is scheduled.. Radio host Rick Baker published a book, No Goodbyes: The Mysterious Disappearance of the McStay Family. Gavin Newsom has placed a moratorium on executions while he's in office. Joe Nelson is an award-winning investigative reporter who has worked for The Sun since November 1999. Summer, meanwhile,spoke with her sister, whod recently had a baby. Nov. 5, 2014Business associate Merritt is arrested for the murders of Joseph, Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. McStay. It would have been impossible for the McStays to travel into Mexico with insufficient documents. ', 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. However, there was raw food left out, which seemed to indicate the family left in a hurry or had the intention to come back soon after. He was sentenced to death 5 months later and was put to death on January 21, 2020. Merritt is on trial for the murder of the McStay family from Fallbrook back in 2010. To learn more about the case, tune into Monday's episode of "American Greed" at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CNBC. 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. 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. The family and friends of the McStays did not expect them to be at the Mexican border. Pupils take to TikTok as they stage protest at Shenfield High School, Huge urgent police search for missing baby of Constance Marten, King Charles hosts von der Leyen at Windsor Castle, Gabor Mat: No Jewish state without oppressing local population, Putin spy plane before being 'destroyed by pro-Ukraine Belarus group', Amplified jet stream could lead to 'disruptive snow in places', Shocking video shows machete fight playing out in broad daylight, Dashcam captures moment two cars collide on a roundabout, Putin orders intelligence service to find 'scum' who oppose him, Moment supermarket cashier is attacked at work in New York, Police search allotment sheds for Constance Marten's missing baby, Dramatic moment police cars chase driver moments before smash. Josephs father Patrick McStay, however, continues to be haunted by Merritts dark deeds. Theyre not there, but their dogs are in the backyard and theres food rotting in the kitchen. [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. People. San Quentin, Calif Death Row, Your email address will not be published. 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. 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. 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. They were dressed similarly to the McStays, and the children were wearing hats similar to ones they had been photographed in. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The pair had met through Josephs successful decorative waterfall business, Earth Inspired Products. 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. 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. 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. poorly researched and poorly written blog. Who would brutally murder the entire McStay family? [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. Although a search of the house found no evidence of a struggle or foul play, there were indications of a hasty departure: a carton of eggs had been left on the counter, and two child-size bowls of popcorn sat on a sofa. The familys disappearance was a shock to the investigators because there was shown no evidence of struggle at their Fallbrook home. Get up to speed on the investigation with the timeline below. "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? [17] Because their car was found so close to the Mexican border, police reviewed surveillance footage of the pedestrian gate into Mexico. The comments below have not been moderated. San Bernardino County Det. 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 Thursday, February 4, the last day that the McStay family was heard from, Joseph attended regular work meetings. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Continues to be haunted by Merritts dark deeds regular work meetings to you... 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