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. 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. Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, TN residents say Jack Daniel's distillery spews black mold, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' Charles Chase Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStays wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year-old sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr. 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. He said: Summer was a very self-centered, self-obsessed person with an awful temper. And if the truth be told, despite everything, he was still infatuated with Summer. Merritt's attorneys said the two men were best friends and investigators overlooked another possible suspect in the killings. Never again will we hear their voices. #mcstay #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/CGQmypfaZb. 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. That 8-hour day in court included lengthy motions arguments from Merritt's attorney, Rajan Maline, and even a moment when Merritt tried to interrupt proceedings and fire Maline. Basically, she wouldnt let him near her. Soon, the family's car was found at a strip mall in south San Diego County near the U.S.-Mexico border. All of the motions were denied. She said: 'My son had been sick since last August and hes normally a very healthy person. Do I think Chase is involved? 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. Three years later, the remains of the family were discovered in a shallow grave in a remote desert in Southern California. If you were trying to save the business, Ms. Blake, what steps did you take to learn about the funds that were coming into the business and going out of the business, Maline asked, surviving an objection from Rodriguez. He asked for funds to keep the business going, and at that time I would do anything to help my son probably not in my right mind anyway at that time, she said. California has not executed anyone since 2006. Joseph was 40 years old while his wife Summer was 43 making them a rather young family. Last month marked the 3rd anniversary since a family of four mysteriously vanished from their Southern California home. Joseph McStay has operated Earth Inspired Products, a waterfall and garden accessories business in San Clemente, since 1996, according. The case has sparked endless speculation, with both the police and amateur sleuths coming up with countless theories, some plausible, some wild and outrageous. The mother of Joseph McStay provided emotional testimony on the second day of the McStay murder trial. Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010. 14:31 EST 05 Jan 2014. Who'll find love on our blind date? 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. Crying for mommy and daddy? "No more surfing; no more anything., Michael McStay said the court should never forget what this case is really about: "Those four innocent people and the lives they never got to live.". Missing Family May Have Been Spotted - NBC 7 San Diego I see its written, yes, she answered, confirming it was her signature. [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. Sentencing set Friday for man convicted of killing McStay family Arent you tired? [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. 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. He told me when they had first got together they had a great sex life, but she just lost interest. I just spoke to the prosecuting attorney in the Merritt case. [2][7] The deaths were ruled a homicide and San Bernardino County authorities said they believed the family died of blunt force trauma inside their home, but declined to discuss specifics of the deaths or a motive. Chase you are a low life coward and a baby killer. Summer had also ordered a Spanish-language education program a few months prior to their disappearance. I was not his best friend, but he was mine and I believe he opened up to me about things he would not tell anyone else. He would often come up and visit me and we would go out for dinner with my wife at the time, but Summer never came. The disappearance of Joseph, Summer and their two sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 gripped the nation for almost four years, keeping people guessing until their bodies were discovered lying in a shallow grave in the Californian desert on November 15. Michael did not find any family at home, and their two dogs were in the backyard. In the McStay family murders, Judge listens to arguments that sentence should be reduced from death penalty to life in prison without parole. (Will Lester . The shocking claims will stun everyone who has followed the McStay family disappearance since they first went missing back on February 4, 2010. The evidence finally placing Merritt at the scene of the crime was his cellphone data, prosecutors said. Our lives were intertwined both on a business and a personal level. "It marked my kids.". Il ne rpond pas au . Despite all the problems they had and how explosive Summer was, I dont know if he ever truly believed she was capable of that, but it was definitely something he considered. (File photo by Kurt Miller, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG), In this file photo Susan Blake, mother of Joseph McStay, wipes her eyes at a press conference at the San Bernardino Sheriff Headquarters on Friday, November 15, 2013. I did not know any of that part, Blake said. Charles "Chase" Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of his former business associate, Joseph McStay, 40. Will Payne Doctors couldnt diagnose the energy-sapping condition and according to his close friend, Chase Merritt, he started to suspect that his fiery wife may have something to do with it. January 21, 2020 Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Joseph McStay, 40. Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay, took his turn. The McStays' disappearance from their serene San Diego-area community of Bonsall has since prompted an investigation by police who still have no idea what happened. Merritt and Kavanaugh both worked with McStays online business, Earth Inspired Products, which offered outdoor water fountains to customers. He was the last known person to see Joseph alive, during an hour-and-a-half long meeting in Rancho Cucamonga, California just hours before the family vanished into thin air. He used to spend hours at a time talking on his mobile phone and it got to the stage where he was convinced he had a brain tumor. [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. List of journal articles on the topic 'Kirkland House (Cambridge, Mass.)'. Who killed the McStay family? | CNN Summer's sister stated that her passport was expired. Joseph McStay - Biography - IMDb 'As a mother, you're going to do absolutely anything and everything you can to find them,' she explained. Authorities think they've caught the killer, who is awaiting trial, and the family. "[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. #nbc7 https://t.co/muZXjqJBFT. Parents of Joseph McStay open up about his family's murder Their remains were eventually discovered in the Mojave Desert near Victorville, California, about 100 miles from their home. He was such a great guy and he got his share of female attention. Joseph McStay; his wife, Summer; and their two children, Gianni and Joseph Mateo, have not been heard from since the night of Thursday, February 4, 2010. Family members react to the arrest: Summer McStays brother-in-law, Joseph Russell, speaks and then Michael McStay, brother of Joseph McStay, speaks. His attorney also says Merritt himself will want to speak. ___ 12 a.m. Summers sister: My sister walked with a passion and purpose. She also touched on the media attention and pressures her family has coped with for years, including questions from strangers. Journal articles: 'Kirkland House (Cambridge, Mass.)' - Grafiati Merritt was found guilty on June 10, 2019, on four counts of murder. At one point he said to me, "Maybe I should start eating out more and stop eating her food". #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/usvvTgHitl. [27] Merritt's trial was delayed as he had repeatedly fired his attorneys or attempted to represent himself. Joseph's father, Patrick McStay, told the Los Angeles Times in 2011. I just dropped me to my knees I will never go back to that spot, she told San Bernardino County Deputy District AttorneyMelissa Rodriguez. His face was stoic. Why were they gone? McStay murders: A man is on death row for the brutal killings of a It is my deepest desire in my own life not to spread pain and suffering, said a soft-spoken Jonah McStay. [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. Prosecutors eventually discovered that about the time the family vanished thousands of dollars in checks allegedly from McStay to Merritt had been written and cashed. Mystery:Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished from their home in Fallbrook, California, on February 4, 2010, Tragedy: Joseph'sparents, Patrick McStay and Susan Blake, have opened up about the murders on the second season of the Oxygen true-crime series Killer Motive. They were in the process of remodeling their four-bedroom, three-bathroom home when they went missing. 'This despicable, evil monster. The trial in the downtown San Bernardino Justice Center is before Judge Michael A. Smith. Then, he slammed the podium loudly with his hands.Come on, Chase! California man sentenced to death in killings of McStay family members I would never raise my hand to a woman or a child.". They got their first clue when they learned a neighbor's surveillance camera had captured what appeared to be the family'sIsuzu trooper leaving the cul de sac at 7:47 p.m. on the night they went missing. But speaking on CNN in 2010 he said: 'My understanding was in the last year hed been having these vertigo type symptoms. She said it was not until six months later that she could bear to go out to the site, marked by four crosses. He said healing will be a lifelong thing for his family, but he knows they can do it together. McStay family murder: 4-year-old was struck 7 times on head Theres nothing more valuable on this Earth than time and that was stolen from them; that was stolen from us," he said. A judge denied a motion to reduce Charles Merritt's sentencing from the death penalty to life in prison wihtout parole in the killings of Summer McStay, Gianni McStay and Joseph McStay Jr. Michael McStay talks about how much he misses his brother Joseph McStay at Merritt's sentencing. Il avait t le premier dplorer la disparition de Joseph McStay et sa famille , en fvrier 2010. Lo que hay que saber sobre el caso de los asesinatos de la familia McStay Patrick also searched for their son in Mexico and thought he had a lead when a family claimed to have seen the McStays at Walmart, but security footage confirmed it wasn't them. Joseph McStay's mother, Susan Blake, followed. My brother was I looked up to my brother. He played a portion of "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum in court, saying he was making good on a promise he made to Summer McStay many years ago. 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. She was obsessed with the idea of being Italian and that was her name for him. So why was being grilled about her books on Mastermind so Why should I be asked to tip when I shop online? May 23, 2022 Investigation Discovery's ' Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of murdering Joseph McStay and his family. ', 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. McStay Family Update: Joseph McStay's father says he suspects three Just a monster., After a delay, the convicted killer of the McStay family of Fallbrook will be sentenced today. The shame and despair of being physically attacked by your own child. Susan explained that her son and daughter-in-law would often go on 'little mini-trips' with their kids in California, so they weren't alarmed at first. Charles "Chase" Merritt appears at his sentencing hearing in San Bernardino, California, on Jan. 21, 2020. Sheriffs officials announced that the remains of the four people found buried in the desert belong to the McStay family, a Fallbrook family missing since 2010. Le mystre de la famille McStay rsolu - Ils ont t tus par l'associ De Atley is a Cal State Long Beach graduate with a double major in journalism and political science. (File photo by Kurt Miller, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG). Maline spent several hours speaking before the judge. Voice shaking, it was Merrit's turn to speak to the courtroom and to the McStay family's loved ones. Charles "Chase" Merritt interrupted his attorney Friday during legal proceedings. I did not do this thing.. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. [2] In April 2013, the San Diego Sheriff's Department announced that they believed that the McStays traveled to Mexico voluntarily.[18]. called the investigation into his son's disappearance . Patrick McStay was there, too, along with other members of the McStay family, including Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay. In late November 2009, the family moved to Fallbrook, California, for a fresh start in a peaceful and friendly neighborhood. "Disappeared" Mystery at the Border (TV Episode 2011) - IMDb Our last name is mentioned. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Here are the seven best ways to wear them this spring. 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.'. 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. He called Merritt a "ruthless mass murderer.". The attorney stopped Merritt, saying, "You can't.". California man pleads not guilty to killing family of four Susan Blake (L), the mother of Joseph McStay, leaves the courtroom with her son Michael McStay after Charles "Chase" Merritt was. Description. NBC 7's Jackie Crea has more. McStay murders: A man is on death row for the brutal killings of a Nine years after the McStay family disappeared, their accused killer A decade after the family went missing, their killer was sentenced to death in January 202. His son, Joseph, his daughter-in-law, Summer, and their two little boys, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 vanished. Investigators believe that Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons, 4-year-old Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph, were bludgeoned to death in their home in the San Diego County community of Fallbrook on Feb. 4, 2010, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said Friday. They also linked him to a call seeking to close Joseph McStay's online bookkeeping account. Tony Shin reports for NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2019. The show features new suspects, witnesses, evidence, and theories regarding the case, as well as the trial from both the defendant's and prosecutor's points of view. Radio host Rick Baker published a book, No Goodbyes: The Mysterious Disappearance of the McStay Family. Man convicted of killing McStay family sentenced to death 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. She said they clashed in front of her as they argued how to keep the business going. [15] Baker began following the case in 2013 after interviewing Michael McStay on his program. Joseph, 40, was suffering from a mystery illness in the months before he went missing with Summer and their two young children, and would spend days in bed barely able to walk. [17] Because their car was found so close to the Mexican border, police reviewed surveillance footage of the pedestrian gate into Mexico. [3] Merritt was charged with four counts of murder, and the district attorney sought the death penalty. Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife, Summer, 43, disappeared along with their two children, Gianna, 4, and Joseph, 3, from their their serene San Diego-area community more than a month ago. Joseph McStay owned a custom fountain business and worked with Merritt. He maintained his innocence, saying something has always been "amiss" in this case. Just a monster. - Susan Blake, Joseph McStays mother. So unnatural," he said. 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. He didnt know what was wrong with him and he was desperate. Just a monster. The McStay family disappeared from their San Diego County home in 2010. Crosses Erected for McStays at Site Where Remains Were Found Two days later, two sets of remains were officially identified as those of Joseph and Summer McStay. Here are some last-minute, Best last-minute Valentines Day gifts for him, These are places to live on the West Coast, Scooter rider killed in crash near border identified, SD Co. Sheriff: 2022 inmate death now ruled a homicide, A new pirate-themed speakeasy has washed ashore in, This SD campground is among the best in America, CA extends tax deadline to Oct. 16 for disaster areas, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "We don't run this circus. Susan had her son Mike stop by the family's San Diego County home on February 13, 2010, nine days after her son was last heard from. [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. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. Susanmade an equally emotional statement ahead of the sentencing being handed down, telling the court how the killings had scarred their lives. 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. Indian lodge motel in joseph oregon | | I'm so bummed out after 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. How could you beat two precious little babies? The mother of Joseph McStay wept on the witness stand Tuesday as she recounted the moment in November 2013 when she learned the remains of her son, his wife, and their boys aged 3 and 4,. Around five months before his disappearance he started suffering terrible problems with his equilibrium and his stomach. 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. Merritt is fully aware that his book will ruffle feathers and anger certain people, but he believes his intimate knowledge of Josephs life means he may be able to shed some light on the mystery. Prosecutors contend greed is the motive for the murders. I know you dont believe me and thats what kills me. Summer McStay's ex-husband spoke next. I honestly believed my psychiatrist . The family disappeared without a trace in February 2010. Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. A jury recommended the death penalty for Merritt for the murders of Summer McStay and the children, and life without the possibility of parole in the killing of Joseph McStay.
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