The 62-year-old welder convicted in the brutal beating deaths of a Fallbrook family of four . Family members of the victims . 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.. 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. Merritt used the money to fuel his gambling addiction at nearby casinos, in which he lost thousands of dollars. Investigation Discovery aired a docuseries focused on the McStay family murders in late May. Two Shallow Graves delves into a case that garnered national news headlines, eventually culminating in the killer being brought to justice close to a decade later. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has yet to release a . Who murdered the McStay family? - YouTube When Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two young sons disappeared from the familys Fallbrook, California home in February 2010, it was as if theyd simply vanished into thin air. How did four people end up here in the middle of nowhere, over 100 miles from where they live? he asked. He stands charged with first-degree murder in connection with the February 2010 bludgeoning deaths of Summer McStay, 43, her husband Joseph McStay,40, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3. Witnesses say those checks were backdated to the last day the family was seen. 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. The McStays So, lets find out what happened then, shall we? Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. The cops also learned that his cellphone had been pinged in the area where the family was buried. For years, that was the prevailing belief among law enforcement. Autopsy Photos. Merritt, who faces the death penalty if convicted, has pleaded not guilty to the crimes. The remains were identified as the McStay familys and were buried in two shallow graves. Two days later, the remains were identified as the McStay family. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. 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. He had a criminal record and, it turned out, had been skimming money from the enterprise. Two Shallow Graves airs Sunday from 9/8c on Investigation Discovery. There was a huge sigh of relief. But privately, investigatorsnoticed Merritt had displayed some concerning behavior after the family disappeared. Photographer Behind Iconic Princess Diana Funeral Photos Reflects on Intimate Moments From Service. In addition, security cameras for the parking lot from which the car was towed confirmed that the car had not arrived there until the afternoon of February 8, so there was four days of which the family was unaccounted for. 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. 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 head, extremities and torso, likely from repeated blows to the bodies with the sledgehammer. The McStays looked like the All-American family living the dream. 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. 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. Investigators also uncovered an email from Joseph dated Feb. 1, just days before the family disappeared, stating that Merritt owed him nearly $43,000. 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 bodies of 40-year-old California businessman Joseph McStay, his 43-year-old wife, Summer, and sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, were found . On February 4, 2010,Summer McStay, her husbandJoseph, and their young sonsGianni andJoseph Jr.disappeared from San Diego, California. California man sentenced to death in killings of McStay family members Merritt was a fabricator, who Joseph had turned to to expand the custom side of his business. A California businessman has been sentenced to death for brutally murdering a family of four and then dumping their bodies in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert. Mr McStays friend, Gina Watson, and father, Patrick who called Merritt a ruthless mass murderer in court and told him to burn in hell are among the subjects interviewed in the series. A whole family vanished on February 4, 2010 from their home in Fallbrook, CA.. Josephs business partner, Chase, claimed to have met him for a lunch meeting on the afternoon of February 4, 2010. 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. The murders were as gruesome as they were shocking. I never settled on anybody. Investigators made a break in the investigation when a neighbors security camera caught the McStays car leaving their home on the evening of February 4. McStay Family Murders- FINALLY SOLVED. - YouTube 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 . A 3-pound sledgehammer was found with the bodies . However, a breakthrough in the case came in November 2014 when the cops found Merritts DNA on the steering wheel of McStays car. I think that, when this show airs, so many people know the case Theres going to be a lot of debate. A Family Vanishes: With Stacy Keach. Randi Kaye discusses her investigation into the murder of the McStay family, including her interview with "Chase" Merritt Autopsy Photos. Joseph had a newly successful business designing and installing water fountains. After 8-Hour Day in Court, Sentencing Delayed for Man Who Killed McStay Family Charles "Chase" Merritt was found guilty June 10, 2019, on four counts of murder in the slayings of the McStay Family . One of those suspects, Charles Chase Merritt, was convicted of the murders in 2019 and remains on death row in California. Credit: Find the McStay Family Facebook Page. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The memorial is located about 200 feet west of Quary road and requires visitors to leave their car at Quary Road and walk east to the actual location. 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. Dylan Eason and Isaiah Churchwell were convicted of murdering Cynthia William "Patrick" Alexander remains in prison for murder. On the same day as they are broadcast, episodes will be available on discovery+. True Crime : The McStay Family Murders (Murdered 2010) @Crimedoor 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. Merritt, a business associate of Joseph McStay, was arrested in 2014. The father of murder victim Joseph McStay and his family is upset with the way the San Diego County Sheriff's Department handled the case. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. . According to cell tower data, on February 4, 2010, his phone was near the McStay family home. A man riding his dirt bike in the area discovered some of the remains and contacted police. Where Are Patrick and Michael McStay Now? - The Cinemaholic Our priority is picking up the points as soon as we can. Source: wikipedia | CBS News |. About three days later, Josephs brother, Mike, got into the house through an open window and saw that the pet dogs were still at home but no sign of the family. There was finally some closure for the family, Imes says. The story of the McStay family is one that has baffled San Diego investigators for years.. Jan 2, 2018 By all accounts, Joseph McStay, age 40, and his wife Summer, age 43, were happy and living the American dream.. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Charles Merritt Gets Death Penalty McStay Family Murders PHOTO: Charles Ray Merritt was arrested on Nov.. 5, 2021 by the San.. Investigators are questioning everybody, Michael McStay tells PEOPLE. If you have any suggestions for any crime locations, infamous crimes or infamous people you want me to cover, (mostly around WA state as that is where I live. He was given the death penalty for killing Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. Now, Merritt is on San Quentin Death Row. That was the last time they would ever speak; no one heard from the McStays after 4 February 2010. District Attorneys Office spokesman Christopher Lee declined to comment Thursday, saying it would be inappropriate given the ongoing criminal case. 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. He boasted it had a loft/game room & big yard for kids to go crazy, referring to their rambunctious preschoolers, Gianni and Joe Jr. Love it.. The authorities also found Chases DNA on the steering wheel and the gearshift handle of the McStay family car; he had claimed earlier to have never driven that vehicle. A motion filed in San Bernardino Superior Court on Nov. 20 on behalf of McStay family murder suspect Charles Chase Merritt by his attorney, James McGee, argued against the use of family photos and/or videos of the McStay family at trial, stating it could engender sympathy from the jury for the victims and prejudice the jury against Merritt. Although both instances raised investigators' suspicions, another glaring clue would ultimately put Merritt at the center of the investigation. 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 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 latest episode of CNBC's "American Greed . Merritt's DNA was found on the steering wheel and gearshift, even though Merritt told detectives he had never driven that vehicle. In the end, Merritt was represented by a defense attorney . Case 8, Dorothy Scott Merritt has said there is no direct evidence linking him to the crime scene. Bones found in Mojave Desert do belong to - New York Daily News Cell phone records indicate that he drove home after the meeting, and he continued to make calls into the evening. Earlier in the week before the family disappeared, Summer had made plans to visit her sister, who had recently had a baby. Tribune Broadcasting. Merritts trial has been delayed multiple times due to Merritt attempting to represent himself and repeatedly firing his attorneys, he has gone through five between November 2013 to February 2016. Prosecutors contend greed is the motive for the murders. What Clue Revealed McStay Family's Killer As Charles Merritt? | True 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. Where Is Charles Chase Merritt Now? On Death Row for McStay Murders Part of the mystery was solved in November 2013 when a motorcyclist stumbled upon two shallow graves in the desert near Victorville and unearthed human remains. The McStay Family Memorial is located in a very rural desert area directly north of the I-15 Stoddart Wells/Quary Rd exit. Visitation will be held on Sunday, March 5th 2023 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the Perry-McStay Funeral Home (2555 Pawtucket Ave, East Providence, RI 02914). Photos of McStay Family Murder . He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! My fear is that Im looking for two adult shallow graves and my two nephews crosses, Josephs kid brother, Michael, told the Orange County Register a few weeks after the Feb. 4, 2010, disappearance. The car never returned to the home. About three days before the disappearance, Joseph emailed Chase regarding the money and was close to firing him. Summer and Joseph McStay as well as their sons Joseph Mateo and Gianni had vanished without leaving much behind in terms of clues or without really informing any of their kith and kin. The seven-episode Two Shallow Graves premieres Sunday on Investigation Discovery and will be available to stream on discovery+. On February 15, eleven days after the family was last heard from, the police searched the McStay family home. McStay family murder: updates, and Patrick McStay's "3 suspects" - reddit Merritt was a close friend to the McStays and a business partner. Investigators immediately seized the car and searched it for evidence. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. 0. 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. Their children, Gianni and Joseph Jr., were 4 and 3, respectively. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and it appeared they were tortured before they were killed. Similarly, on February 6, his phone pinged off of towers in Victorville, placing him at the burial site. The remains of Joseph Jr., 3, were so minimal that a cause of death could not be determined, San Bernardino . Its not all as simple as it seems; I think thats the point of the show, Mr Fitzpatrick tells The Independent. GUILTY. The accused was found guilty of the charges against him. Man Convicted Of Killing Couple, Their 2 Sons, 10 Years After Familys Skeletal Remains Found In Desert. 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. On a seemingly inconsequential day in early 2010, Mr McStay had a conversation with his father and told him he had a lunch meeting. The defense now moves to exclude certain expected testimony and evidence from the prosecutions case in chief on the grounds that this evidence is not relevant, and that the onlypurposes of the expected evidence are to sensationalize the alleged crimes and inflame the passions of the jury against Mr. Merritt, according to the Nov. 20 motion. Good Housekeeping. On Feb. 15, the family was reported missing to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. Then began the authorities' quest to figure out who killed the loving family of four. 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. Prosecutors told jurors Merritt killed the family after learning Mr McStay was cutting him out; they said the victim told friends Merritt was doing shoddy work and stealing money. He could face the death penalty as a result. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. Autopsy Photos Archives - Weird Picture Archive The autopsy report details the pathologist's findings.. Merritt is charged with murdering the McStay family of four in February 2010 in San Diego County. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Maria Carvalho (Providence, Rhode Island), who passed away on March 3, 2023. How To Paint Citadel Miniatures Download Pdf NEW! The family and friends of the McStays did not expect them to be at the Mexican 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 . Inside, they found a relatively normal scene: there were a number of new toys, the childrens car seats were in their positions, and the front seats were adjusted to Summer and Josephs relative sizes. Charles 'Chase' Merritt is currently on death row in California after his 2019 conviction for the murders of Joseph and Summer McStay and their two young sons. Lots of peoples names came up, and lots of different theories came up, executive producer Jacinda A Davis tells The Independent. The court upheld the jury's recommendation and Merrit was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020 for the McStay Family Massacre. At that point, the investigation shifted from searching for missing persons to investigating a possible murder. Their disappearance was widely reported by the national news media. Reportedly, on January 21, 2020, Merritt was convicted of his crime and issued a sentence of life in prison and the death penalty. There is reportedly a DNA match that links Merritt to the McStay May 27, 2021 The McStay family murders occurred on or near February 4, 2010, after the family disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, Mcstay family autopsy photos Merritt is on trial for the murder of the McStay family from Fallbrook tried to cover his tracks after the murders. At the beginning, hes like, I know this case better than the attorneys, Mr Fitpatrick adds. A motorcyclist found human remains in a desert near Victorville, California. The McStay Family Disappearance and Murder. In January 2010, just days before the disappearance, the home computer was used to search for passport requirements for kids traveling to Mexico. Although Merritt adamantly denied being at the location of the makeshift graves, To learn more about the case, tune into Monday's episode of. Merritt not only had motive to carry out the grisly slayings, it seemed that he also had the opportunity. There was Mrs McStays ex-boyfriend, who sent her an email just months before the familys disappearance telling the mother-of-two hed love her for ever. He lived nearby and had been arrested for threatning a neighbour and her daughter. McGees law partner, Rajan Maline, is also representing Merritt in the case. It was sort of one sort of absurdity after the other, Kevin Fitzpatrick, an executive producer of Two Shallow Graves, tells The Independent. Charles Ray Merritt has been named as the suspect in the murders of the McStay family in the San Diego area in 2010. and a close friend of the family falls under suspicion. How do you do that?. 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.. 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. A motorcyclist found human remains in a desert near Victorville, California. There was no evidence to determine where the family went or why they had left. The autopsy revealed all four victims died from blunt force trauma to their heads. Skip Ancestry navigation Main Menu Home In Fallbrook, CA, their home was fifty miles north of San Diego and twenty miles inland from the Pacific coast. 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. Even though Merritt was at one point representing himself, that is no longer the case. However, the rest of the family thought it was unusual for them to just leave so abruptly. While Summer stayed home to take care of the children, she planned to go to work soon. With trial footage, and with getting access to Merrit and to the prosecution and to the defense attorneys, I think we were able to creat a much more intimate picture for an audience that gives you the whole story, Mr Fitzpatrick says. Warrants reveal details of McStay family murder investigation Vivian McStay 1901-1942 - Ancestry 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. At the time, Joseph owned an online company named Earth Inspired Products that sold decorative water fountains. Gas prices rise for 31st consecutive day in LA County, Carjacking victim comes face to face with suspect during wild chase, How Paul Murdaugh helped solve his own murder. Charles "Chase" Merritt was sentenced to death Tuesday for killing the McStay family of Fallbrook. However, in November 2013, an off-track motorcyclist discovered a tiny human skull in an isolated Californian desert, ultimately leading to uncovering the McStays' remains in two shallow graves. Everything. A funeral service will be held on Sunday, March 5th 2023 at 2:00 PM at the . The authorities zeroed in on Chase after the remains were found and arrested him in the first week of November 2014. Charles Ray Merritt, 61, stands trial for the murder of a couple and their two sons in San Bernardino County, California. 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. Joseph McStay's mother Susan Blake addresses the court during the sentencing of Charles Chase Merritt on Jan. 21, 2020 . McStay Murder Suspect Chase Merritt Has Heart Condition, Lawyer Says . Investigators searched for passport records of the family, and discovered that Joseph had a valid passport that had not been used before or after the disappearance. He found rotting food and Mrs McStays prescription sunglasses; there was no sign of foul play. ABC 7. Publicly Merrittwho had several prior convictions on his recordclaimed to be Josephs best friend. 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. Two Shallow Graves: The McStay Family Murders: With Suzanne Armstrong, Tony Azzaro, Taylor Jarvis, Shawn Patrick Murphy. 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 . ID's Two Shallow Graves: How did Charles "Chase" Merritt know the 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. No mention was made by investigators or attorneys during Merritts preliminary hearing that investigators believe Summer McStay had been raped, nor has any evidence been presented publicly to indicate that, other than what McGee included in his motion. That changed in November 2013, when the bodies were found in the desert along with a sledgehammer believed to be the murder weapon. 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.
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