Investigators believed that the family was willingly walking across the border, with no indication that they were in any distress. Summer had stated that she felt that Mexico was too unsafe and that she would never go willingly. Josephs brother found no sign of the family, so he left a note for the person feeding the dogs and asked them to call him, as he was concerned about his family. 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. Investigators also say they found emails indicating the family had been interested in obtaining passports to travel to Mexico, according to the outlet. 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. WebFebruary 15, 2010 Family members report the McStays missing to the San Diego County sheriff's department. The family was from Fallbrook, a quiet bedroom community in San Diego County. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. In an interview with detectives just two weeks after the family was last seen, Merritt talked about his friend in the past tense. Were they victims of a crime? Now She's Sentenced to Life for Starving Girl to Death, How a Calif. Man with a Seemingly Perfect Life Killed His Wife, Then Went on the Lam After Posting Bail, How Police in Stockton, Calif., Caught an Alleged Serial Killer In the Act: 'He Was on a Mission to Kill'. 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. How they stalked the stalker: A gripping new true crime 'It did get weird': Couple who are in the middle of divorce Woman finds out her husband was cheating on her after he was made an equally emotional statement ahead of the sentencing being handed down, telling the court how the killings had scarred their lives. Summers passport was expired and investigators could not find any records that she had applied for a new one. Watchara Phomicinda/Digital First Media/The Press-Enterprise via Getty, Pa. Police Arrest 'Supposed' Friend, Business Partner in Death of Mom Found in Shallow Grave, After 30 Years, Police ID Calif. Woman Who Was Stabbed to Death, but Her Daughters Remain Missing, Ohio Mom and Her 2 Teen Sons Found Dead in Home After Murder-Suicide, N.J. 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. Eddie Bachman tells American Greed. That kind of cued into us as a red flag there because I dont know how any one person could be certain and say that he was the last person that saw his best friend alive if he wasnt in fact the last person who saw him alive.. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! [3] The trial began on January 7, 2019, in San Bernardino. Sheriffs investigators arrested Charles Chase Merritt, 60, of Homeland, in November 2014. Investigators also say they found emails indicating the family had been interested in obtaining passports to travel to Mexico, according to the outlet. He was sentenced to death 5 months later and was put to death on January 21, 2020. By February 2016, he had gone through five attorneys. A three-pound sledgehammer is also found at the site. Later that night, he received a phone call from animal control, which was planning to take the dogs because they had been left outside without food for over a week. [29] Merritt's attorney filed a motion in San Bernardino Superior Court on April 7, 2018, arguing that Joseph's business and accounting records were hearsay evidence and therefore inadmissible. 'We went all the way down to Cabo because at first they said there were sightings, and then we just took the car and went north. That was when Charles Merritts story started falling apart and really gave us the motive, Hanke said. Mom Found Guilty of Killing Toddler Son, Burning Body and Burying Him in Yard, Woman Pleads Guilty to Helping Bury, Conceal Body of Murdered Ft. 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, Riverside County DA implores state lawmakers in war on fentanyl: We need your help!, Rep. Aguilar announces $500k for sickle cell mental health support, Stunning new park in South Fontana offers something for all outdoor enthusiasts, Is there a problem with paying cash for a car? He boasted it had a Prosecutors claim that the McStays were murdered by Merritt for financial gain. Investigators also uncovered an email from Joseph dated Feb. 1, just days before the family disappeared, stating that Merritt owed him nearly $43,000. The remains were identified as the McStay familys and were buried in two shallow graves. He was given the, for killing Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. Now, Merritt, To learn more aboutwhy Merritt committed such a horrible crime and to see exclusive interviews with Joseph's family, watch. CNN. [9] In the surveillance recording, the vehicle's occupants could not be seen. 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. Inside, he found a relatively normal scene. WebThe McStay Family Memorial is located in a very rural desert area directly north of the I-15 Stoddart Wells/Quary Rd exit. 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. Although both instances raised investigators' suspicions, another glaring clue would ultimately put Merritt at the center of the investigation. According to a news article from CNN, it states how Food had been left out and the dogs were home. Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010. November 15, 2013 The cause of death for all of them is deemed to be blunt force trauma. Nearly four years after a California family vanished, their remains were found buried in the desert. November 2010 Patrick McStay, who has been painstakingly combing through his sons emails for leads, informs detectives of suspicious activity by a business partner, according to Killer Motive. The possible lead turns into a dead end. On Thursday, February 4, the last day that the McStay family was heard from, Joseph attended regular work meetings. Although Merritt adamantly denied being at the location of the makeshift graves, he was arrested by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office on Nov. 5, 2014 and charged with four counts of murder. "[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. 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.. Mom Claimed Daughter, 5, Vanished Overnight. The family had moved into the house three months earlier, and was in the process of unpacking and doing renovations. A sledgehammer was also found buried at the site. [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. On February 9, when family and business partners hadnt heard from Joseph in five days, they sent a co-worker to the house to see if the familys beloved dogs were there. There was no evidence of forced entry or a struggle. WebResearch genealogy for Elizabeth McStay of Draycott, Derbyshire, England, as well as other members of the McStay family, on Ancestry. Though it is possible that Summer was using a different name, there are no records of passports under any of her other names. ABC 7. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Patrick McStay says the murder of a family of four was "all about money" By Elaine Aradillas. WebBack in February of 2010 the McStay family disappeared, in Fallbrook California. Hood Soldier Vanessa Guillen, The Best True Crime Documentaries to Stream Now, Wisc. 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. Photos Of McStay Family Murder Suspect. The familys white 1996 Isuzu Trooper was found near San Ysidro, adjacent to the Mexico border. Three years later in November of 2013, a motorcyclist found four sets of human remains in the desert outside Victorville California. McGees law partner, Rajan Maline, is also representing Merritt in the case. He conducted dozens of interviews on the case (traveling to Mexico, Belize, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic), followed leads, and reported sightings of the family. In addition, investigators also discovered that Summer had changed her name multiple times throughout her life. Patrick said, "I truly believe she loved my son. I would have never raised my hand for a woman or child. 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. But hed also tell Kay during his television interview that he had definitely been the last person to see Joseph. 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.. How did four people end up here in the middle of nowhere, over 100 miles from where they live? he asked. Dental records confirm that the remains are those of Joseph and Summer McStay and other remains are believed to be those of their children, the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department announcedat a news conference. 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. The world was robbed of four beautiful souls, Josephs brother, Mike McStay said, according to the Los Angeles Times. When the bodies were found, he offered a refund to those who purchased his book before November 2013. https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/01/21/charles-chase-merritt-san-quentin-death-row-murder/, Hello! January 25, 2018. mcstay family autopsy photosdave coulier son. 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. The disappearance of the McStays,by all accounts aloving family with no enemies,baffled investigators. why you have not fixed that glaring error is beyond me. Merritt later told police that he ignored the voicemail because he was watching a movie. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. ", Missing McStay family killed, buried in desert, sheriff says, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=McStay_family_murders&oldid=1138842709, February 2010 crimes in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:11. 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 gruesome discovery. After the family of four was reported missing, the authorities discovered surveillance footage from the US-Mexico border in San Ysidro, California. He found no signs of a break-in, except for a partially open window, which he used to get into the house. Although Merritt adamantly denied being at the location of the makeshift graves, To learn more about the case, tune into Monday's episode of. Summer's sister stated that her passport was expired. KGTV/ABC News. On February 13, when the family hadnt been heard from in nine days, Josephs brother went to the house. 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. 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? Chase, you are a low-life baby killer.. They recognized that the children and Summer were the people in the video, but Josephs mother believed that if the man in the video were Joseph, his hair would have been much bushier. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. The family did not appear to have any plans to be gone that day. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Merritts cellphone was also traced to the burial site area in the days following the McStays disappearance. WebRandi Kaye discusses her investigation into the murder of the McStay family, including her interview with "Chase" Merritt With no leads, the case went cold until nearly four years later, when the familys remains were found 100 miles away in the Mojave Desert after an off-road motorcyclist discovered human bones. 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. I don't think so, and I truly hope not. Credit: Find the McStay Family Facebook Page. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Investigators immediately seized the car and searched it for evidence. Cell phone records as well as forged checks also linked him to the crime. They said that he wrote checks totaling more than $21,000 on Joseph's business account in the days after the family was killed and then went on a gambling spree at nearby casinos, where he lost thousands of dollars. Buried in the Desert: Was a Family Friend Their Killer? Published: 23:50 GMT, 22 January 2021 | Updated: 23:58 GMT, 22 January 2021, 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.. McGee argued that the use of family photos and/or videos in the case should only be relevant if they are used for identifying victims, otherwise they are irrelevant. Merritt, 60, of Homeland, in San Ysidro, adjacent to the burial area. Summer was using a different name, there are no records of passports any., Hanke said house three months earlier, and I truly believe she loved son. 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