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). Do you remember writing that check? he asked. [27], Prosecutors allege that Merritt had a gambling problem and killed the McStay family for financial gain. For years, police speculated they. She said it was not until six months later that she could bear to go out to the site, marked by four crosses. [7] Summer was born Virginia Lisa Aranda, and had also been known as Summer Martelli. Tony Shin reports for NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2019. He was visibly shaken, fighting back tears. The McStay family disappeared from their San Diego County home in 2010. [15] Baker began following the case in 2013 after interviewing Michael McStay on his program. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. Joseph McStay - the father of the family of four found dead in the California desert after vanishing nearly four years ago - had suspicions his wife was POISONING him in the days before their . I just dropped me to my knees I will never go back to that spot, she told San Bernardino County Deputy District AttorneyMelissa Rodriguez. McStay family murder: 4-year-old was struck 7 times on head Charles Merritt, McStay family killer, gets death penalty Merritts defense team has claimed Kavanaugh is a likely suspect in the McStay family case, but was overlooked by investigators despite what they described as a deteriorating relationship with Joseph McStay in the months before the familys disappearance. Sheriffs investigators believeSummer McStay may have been rapedbefore she was killed. It cant be, Susan Blake testified after she regained herself. He would try to ignore it at first, but she would call and call and eventually he would have to go off and deal with whatever drama there was. What about the little guys? 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. And that those sounds haunt you, Chase, he said. Michael did not find any family at home, and their two dogs were in the backyard. He was given the death penalty for killing Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. Now, Merritt is on San Quentin Death Row. Vanished: Mike also discovered Summer's prescription sunglasses on the kitchen counter, Looking back: Summer is pictured wearing her prescription sunglasses prior to the family's disappearance, Case to crack:There were no signs of forced entry or any foul play, which baffled investigators and suggested the family left on their own accord, First clue: Their neighbor's surveillance camera had captured what appeared to be the family's Isuzu trooper leaving the cul de sac at 7:47 p.m. on the night they went missing. 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. I loved Joseph. #mcstay #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/gDh8XuxqiV, Merritt said he has the "utmost disdain" for the investigators and prosecutors who "put them all in this courtroom" and for the people who, in his words, "manipulated the evidence.". He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. At that time, no one knew what happened to the family. [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. I remember one woman in particular was all over him for a while. 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. Joseph loved to eat out anyway, but I know he made a real effort to eat away from his house after that.. The book will be released later this year. Soon, the family's car was found at a strip mall in south San Diego County near the U.S.-Mexico border. On February 15, Michael phoned the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSD) and reported that his brother and his family were missing. McStay says he's felt all along that multiple people were involved in the February 2010 disappearance of his son, Joseph; Joseph's wife, Summer; and their children; 3-year-old Joey and. She would fawn over him and call him, her Joseppi. Joseph McStay the father of the family of four found dead in the California desert after vanishing nearly four years ago had suspicions his wife was POISONING him in the days before their disappearance, according to an explosive new book. Just a monster., After a delay, the convicted killer of the McStay family of Fallbrook will be sentenced today. Smith ordered Merritt transferred to San Quentin State Prison until an execution date is scheduled. He maintained his innocence, saying something has always been "amiss" in this case. (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. He was in the hospital for a couple of weeks, and on the (February) 4, he was talking to my mother and he had to pull over when he was driving home because he felt vertigo type symptoms.'. How One Man's Greed Meant the End of the Entire McStay Family Day by day, month by month, the case grew colder. Inside the Gruesome McStay Family Murder Case - Peoplemag "Death was the appropriate verdict for those three offenses," the judge said. He said: Summer was a very self-centered, self-obsessed person with an awful temper. I see its written, yes, she answered, confirming it was her signature. 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. Crosses Erected for McStays at Site Where Remains Were Found [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. Patrick had the chance to directly address Merritt in court, calling him a 'ruthless mass murderer' and telling him, 'I hope you burn in hell. Where were they? In the last of the two meetings, They were definitely yelling, big time, at each other. Then, he slammed the podium loudly with his hands.Come on, Chase! Crying for Mommy and Daddy? The court took a brief break. We dont run this circus. The family's computer had recent internet searches for: 'What documents do children need for traveling to Mexico?' [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. "I hope you burn in Hell," he told the man convicted of killing his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. Dont worry, your fate will be way less tragic than of the family you murdered.. A deep pause followed as Michael McStay tried to collect himself. It would take years for investigators to discover the family's grisly fate. Merritt has pleaded not guilty to the murders of McStay; McStay's wife, Summer, 43; 4-year-old son Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph Jr. With all the action and breaks, there was no time left for victim impact statements and the actual sentencing of Merritt. [17] Other critics of the theory noted that the McStays had more than $100,000 in bank accounts, with no withdrawal of funds in preparation for a trip, and their accounts were untouched after their disappearance. But despite that public front, I know, prior to their disappearance they had not had sex in more than a year. The parents of a man who disappeared with his wife and two young children have detailed how they searched for the family for years before it was discovered that their son's business partner brutally murdered them with a sledgehammer. "[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. The car's location from February 4 to February 8 remains unknown. And then the family that was killed by their own friend?'" Obviously there wasnt money coming in, cause I was paying for money going out., So to your knowledge, Maline said, there is no money coming in, or you didnt learn of any money coming in.. 'Are you that family? The home had no signs of forced entry. 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. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. ", 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. Joseph was 40 years old while his wife Summer was 43 making them a rather young family. Doves were . 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. [4], On June 10, 2019, a San Bernardino County jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. Missing McStay Family Members Found In Shallow Grave The family disappeared without a trace in February 2010. "Our family has already received a life sentence. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Prosecutors are seeking the death. On February 23, 2010, detectives notified Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, to be on the lookout for the family heading to Mexico. 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. After three years of suspicion, the family's bones were discovered in a desert over a hundred miles from their house. [1][2] Their disappearance was widely reported by the national news media. Joseph McStay, de 40 aos, su mujer, Summer, de 43, y sus hijos Gianni, de 4, y Joseph Jr., de 3, desaparecieron de su casa en Fallbrook, California, el 4 de febrero de 2010 DESAPARICIN They make up a small part of Merritts new book, which is due to be released later this year. Merritt added: If Im honest, I have no idea why he put up with it. And the fountain designer told MailOnline how Joseph once said to him, Maybe I should start eating out more and stop eating her food. [14], The circumstances surrounding the family's disappearance and the lack of clues about their whereabouts triggered speculation by amateur sleuths. McStay family went missing nearly three years ago Surveillance video shows four people of similar size crossing into Mexico Relatives dispute author's claim that wife was involved in. ', Merritt showed no emotion as she said she felt like she'd been hit by a boulder when she was told the bodies were found: 'It's just a nightmare.'. I would have never raised my hand for a woman or child. 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 . Joseph McStay and his wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr., were a fun-loving, happy family who'd recently settled into a comfortable life in Fallbrook, California. May 23, 2022 Investigation Discovery's ' Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of murdering Joseph McStay and his family. She was obsessed with the idea of being Italian and that was her name for him. Nine years after the McStay family disappeared, their accused killer The fountain designer has always been seen as a key player in the mystery as he was one of Josephs closest friends and his most trusted business associate. Three years later, their bodies were found in a remote desert location more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) away in San Bernardino County. She said: 'My son had been sick since last August and hes normally a very healthy person. Court docs: Suspect in McStay murder case owed victim money - CBS News Maline asked Blake about the point of that argument, again struggling against Rodriguezs objections: Chase is telling (Kavanaugh) that he is a liar, that he is getting the money and not giving it to him, he managed to outline to the witness. It was to me, at the time, very scary, so I literally walked out and said If my son loses his business, so be it, I need to find my family and I left., Under questioning by Rodriguez, Blake described the argument as filled with A lot of, lot of cussing, screaming at each other Chase wanted to wring his neck.. The case has sparked endless speculation, with both the police and amateur sleuths coming up with countless theories, some plausible, some wild and outrageous. 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. Mystery of McStay money: Family found dead could barely afford rent. "Not natural causes; there was intent here.". Charles Merritt was convicted of killing Joseph and Summer McStay along with their two sons. I have been in complete denial about having schizophrenia for the last few years. In the gallery sat Merritt's daughter and brother. Four years ago, Patrick McStay lost everything he loved. "It didn't just mark me that day," Michael McStay said. Their remains were eventually discovered in the Mojave Desert near Victorville, California, about 100 miles from their home. McStay Family Update: Joseph McStay's father says he suspects three How scared were they, Chase? Son of Patrick McStay and Susan Blake. 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. Yes, sir, McStay replied. 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. 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. He was arrested last year. A lot of his close friends did not trust her and thought she treated him very badly. I believe that [Joseph] trusted Chase and believed in Chase. The McStay family of Fallbrook was last heard from or seen on Feb. 4, 2010. 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. In the book, he speculated that Summer might have committed the murders. Situated in northern San Diego County, the community is known as "The Friendly Village." Sadly, disaster would soon strike the tranquil town.

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