Authorities said they traced his cellphone to the gravesite area. [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. A decade after the family went missing, their killer was sentenced to death in January 202. If I want to speak with him, I have to go to a gravesite," Michael McStay added. This included Susan Blake, Joseph McStay's mother. 'I'm gonna get out the information and try to find them.'. Maline spent several hours speaking before the judge. [30] On May 4, the case was scheduled to go to trial in July 2018. Joseph McStay owned a custom fountain business and worked with Merritt. Merritt looked at Blake as she spoke. The trial in the downtown San Bernardino Justice Center is before Judge Michael A. Smith. Merritt's attorneys said the two men were best friends and investigators overlooked another possible suspect in the killings. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. The family had moved to Fallbrook, 45 miles north of San Diego, in November 2009 fromSan Clemente. In further sensational claims, Merrits new book Afraid of the Light will detail how the couple were having major problems in their relationship and had not had sex for more than a year before they went missing. 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). [8], On February 4, 2010, at 7:47pm, a neighbor's surveillance system captured the bottom eighteen inches of a vehicle, thought at the time to be the McStay family's 1996 Isuzu Trooper. [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. Our last name is mentioned. I even went to the hospital with him to try and see what was wrong; we thought maybe it was stress.'. Joseph was his older brother, by three years, two months, three days, he toldSan Bernardino County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Britt Imes. "Our family has already received a life sentence. The thing that is bringing you this solace, is ending my life. [19] Relatives of the McStays doubted that they would travel to Mexico, saying that Joseph and Summer avoided the country because of the safety threat posed by recent drug wars. NBC 7's Jackie Crea has more. I dont remember bouncing a check, she said. ', 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. 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. (File photo by Kurt Miller, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG). A lot of his close friends did not trust her and thought she treated him very badly. Just a monster. - Susan Blake, Joseph McStays mother. You cannot get back time. Arguing, and Dan just wasnt going to budge, she said. When their remains were unearthed, investigators also found a rusty sledgehammer that they said was used to kill the family. How scared were they, Chase? Patrick McStay was there, too, along with other members of the McStay family, including Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay. The family's computer had recent internet searches for: 'What documents do children need for traveling to Mexico?' He called Merritt a "ruthless mass murderer.". The evidence finally placing Merritt at the scene of the crime was his cellphone data, prosecutors said. The family disappeared without a trace in February 2010. "corrupt" . Charles Merritt was found guilty of murdering a family of four, and now the jury is recommending the death penalty. The bodies of Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife Summer, 43, along with their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, were found in a shallow grave in the desert north of Victorville in 2013. And when we were out she would call him constantly. Soon, the family's car was found at a strip mall in south San Diego County near the U.S.-Mexico border. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. [33] The court upheld the jury's recommendation, and Merritt was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. The skeletal remains of the McStay family were found near Victorville in 2013 and Merritt was arrested a year later. Merritt was due to speak next. The court took a brief break. [15] Baker began following the case in 2013 after interviewing Michael McStay on his program. With the motions finally out of the way, the judge moved on to the victim impact statements just before 11:20 a.m. Merritt was also expected to speak after the victims delivered their statements. 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. In the gallery sat Merritt's daughter and brother. "[21][22], In 2013, Merritt acknowledged he had spent more than an hour with Joseph the day the McStay family went missing. Blake said Merritt and Kavanugh got into arguments in two meetings during the spring of 2010. The McStay family disappeared from their Fallbrook home in San Diego's North County in 2010. I just dont remember very much because I fell to the office floor. She said it was not until six months later that she could bear to go out to the site, marked by four crosses. All rights reserved. After frustrating delays in proceedings in a Southern California courtroom last week, an emotional sentencing hearing resumed Tuesday for the man convicted in the mysterious killings of the McStay family, including two boys, ages 3 and 4. The judge has been speaking for the last hour - and still going, reviewing in slow, excruciating detail certain facts of the case. A license plate search for the vehicle led to the discovery that the McStay's SUV had been towed from a parking lot near San Ysidro, California, right near the U.S.-Mexico border, Gone: The family was considered missing, and detectives notified Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, to be on the lookout for headin to Mexico, Can't tell: 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, Devastating: Joseph's parents headed to Mexico to hang flyers and search for them but never found anything. But the details of this case go back decades and has many twists and turns. Indian lodge motel in joseph oregon. ", Missing McStay family killed, buried in desert, sheriff says, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=McStay_family_murders&oldid=1138842709, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:11. It would take years for investigators to discover the family's grisly fate. After 8-Hour Day in Court, Sentencing Delayed for Man Who Killed McStay Family. A year later,Charles 'Chase' Merritt, who was a partner in Joseph's water-fountain business, was arrested for bludgeoning the married couple and their children to death inside their home in Fallbrook because he owed them $30,000. [32] On June 24, the jury recommended that Merritt be sentenced to death. "I want to psychologically mess you up," he said to Merritt. 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. What lack of sleep REALLY does to your face: Expert reveals the warning signs your skin is suffering, My Daily Horoscope: What does March 2nd hold for MY star sign? [4] On June 10, 2019, a jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. 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. ", Chase Merritt watching and listening. And when four skeletal remains were found in shallow graves in the remote Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, it put an end to any belief the McStays had started a new life in the sunshine. 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. 'As a mother, you're going to do absolutely anything and everything you can to find them,' she explained. The home had no signs of forced entry. [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. How the Princess of Wales recreated her 2006 outfit from Prince William's Sandhurst graduation Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. Charles "Chase" Merritt interrupted his attorney Friday during legal proceedings. "We don't run this circus. The two children were very young a three-year-old and a four-year-old. Mystery of McStay money: Family found dead could barely afford rent. Scholarly publications with full text pdf download. Instead, they said, authorities zeroed in on an innocent man. "[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. 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. [3] Merritt was charged with four counts of murder, and the district attorney sought the death penalty. Investigators testified they believed the victims were tortured before they were killed. Joseph loved to eat out anyway, but I know he made a real effort to eat away from his house after that.. June 10, 2019 Merritt is found guilty of murdering the McStay family. He was such a great guy and he got his share of female attention. Related research topic ideas. - The mysterious disappearance of Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two sons in February 2010 raised a lot of questions. I would never have hurt him in any way. The details are shocking and nauseating to sit through.". NBC 7 was once again inside the courtroom Tuesday. 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. We were incredibly busy with the business, things were really flying, but he would often just have to work on his laptop from his bedroom. The bodies of the McStay family were found buried in the Mojave desert in 2013, three years after the family vanished from their home in San Diego County. 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. His arrest was announced on November 7, 2014. Son of Patrick McStay and Susan Blake. He went to the doctor a number of times, but they just didnt know what was wrong with him. They were in the process of remodeling their four-bedroom, three-bathroom home when they went missing. 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. On the surface, while tragic, it may not seem all that crazy. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. Mystery at the Border: With Christopher Crutchfield Walker, Joseph McStay, Summer McStay, Gianni McStay. she said. Were they scared, Chase? #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/xNxV3CqRtr. The father's parents, Patrick McStay and Susan Blake, have opened up about the murders on the second season of the Oxygen true-crime series Killer Motive, which premieres on January 23. He has been the entertainment editor, a features writer, a business writer and is now a courts and breaking news reporter. Joseph's family confirmed that he had an unexplained illness and that Summer was possessive of her husband, but they called Merritt's suggestion that she was responsible for his illness unfounded. I believe that [Joseph] trusted Chase and believed in Chase. Last month marked the 3rd anniversary since a family of four mysteriously vanished from their Southern California home. Who'll find love on our blind date? Watch live on social media with @fox5sandiego pic.twitter.com/jm1tgT66R2, Jeff McAdam (@JeffMcAdamTV) January 21, 2020, The victims family members, meanwhile, dismissed Merritt as, in the words of McStays mother, Susan Blake, a despicable, evil monster.. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. "Closer still because I know what it's like to lose people I love.". "The gruesome and brutal details of the crime that you committed are his family," she said to Merritt. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. Basically, she wouldnt let him near her. Our lives were intertwined both on a business and a personal level. Gavin Newsom has placed a moratorium on executions while he's in office. Susanmade an equally emotional statement ahead of the sentencing being handed down, telling the court how the killings had scarred their lives. Alex Murdaugh Is Guilty! He was in a really bad way. At center is Erin McStay, Michaels wife. Sentencing still has not happened. While Merritt does not think Summer was directly involved, he has revealed she treated Joseph horrendously in the years before they went missing. Charles Merritt was convicted of killing Joseph and Summer McStay along with their two sons. Published: 23:50 GMT, 22 January 2021 | Updated: 23:58 GMT, 22 January 2021. In the family's home, investigators found bowls of uneaten popcorn, as if the family had just been there, and planned to return. The 30 Best Shows on Netflix for Kids. There were no signs of forced entry or any foul play, which baffled investigators and suggested the family left on their own accord. (Will Lester . Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. Everything with her seemed to be done for gain.. (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. And now, victim impact statements before formal sentencing. The hearing, which consumed more than 10 hours, concluded with several emotional statements from McStays mother, brother, in-laws and surviving son, as well as from Merritt himself, who continued to maintain his innocence, I loved Joseph, he said, his voice shaking a times. He would spend days on end in bed.