We just had to go over all kinds of money stuff, Merritt told detectives in an interview recording obtained by American Greed.. Nov. 5, 2014Business associate Merritt is arrested for the murders of Joseph, Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. McStay. 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. February 13, 2010 Josephs brother, Michael, goes to his siblings house and enters it through an open window to search for the family. There were no signs of foul play, but the fact that they had left the car and toys four days after leaving home, so close to the Mexican border was bizarre. 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. Cell phone records as well as forged checks also linked him to the crime. WebIn 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. amily members report the McStays missing to the San Diego County sheriff's department. It did appear, however, as though the family left the home quickly. search the McStay family home. Its been a tough road.. The car's location from February 4 to February 8 remains unknown. [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. Webmcstay family autopsy photoscavalier king charles breeders near paris. Welcome to Beyond Charts. Although Merritt adamantly denied being at the location of the makeshift graves, To learn more about the case, tune into Monday's episode of. Publicly Merrittwho had several prior convictions on his recordclaimed to be Josephs best friend. How scared were they, Chase? Whether youre interested in researching and testing your ideas, saving and recalling your favourite analysis or accessing tools and strategies from leading Industry Educators, Beyond Charts+ is modern, powerful and easy to use charting software for private investors. The McStays' skeletal remains were unearthed along with a three-pound rusted sledgehammer believed to be the murder weapon a bra and a child's pants and diaper. What Happened to the McStays, Who Vanished 3 Years Before They Were Found Buried in the Desert? Everything to Know About the Murdaugh Family Murders, Including Details of Allegations Against Alex, The McStay Mystery: A Family's Tragic End, Man Killed Business Associate, Wife and Kids Before Burying Their Remains in Calif. Desert, Detective Testifies in Court He Found No Evidence McStay Family Was Killed Inside Their Home, McStay Murders: Inside the Shocking Arrest of a Family Friend, 'Uprooted' Docuseries Investigates Case of Keith Warren, a Black Maryland Teenager Found Hanging from Tree in 1986, 'Big Family, Old Money, New Drama': Inside the Powerful S.C. Family at Center of Murder Mystery, Extension Cord & Sledgehammer Buried in the Desert: Gruesome Details Revealed About McStay Family Murders. , was found on the steering wheel and gear shift of the McStay vehicle abandoned near the Mexico border. [31] The trial finally began on January 7, 2019, in a San Bernardino court, with both sides making opening statements. 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. The following year, authorities filed murder charges against Merritt, Josephs onetime business partner. At their home in Fallbrook, California, investigators found no signs of forced entrance or violence. Radio host Rick Baker published a book, No Goodbyes: The Mysterious Disappearance of the McStay Family. San Bernardino County Det. You start calling his cellphones, her cellphones,' she said., 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. Investigators rush to the scene and locatetwo graves containing multiple human remains in each. Just a monster. Hannah Betts' Better not younger: Secret to longer, thicker locks? It would take years for investigators to discover the family's grisly fate. There was no apparent suspicious activity on the couples credit card accounts. After 5:47 p.m.Joseph and Summer ended all communications. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Hood Soldier Vanessa Guillen, The Best True Crime Documentaries to Stream Now, Wisc. Investigators found four people who resembled the McStays walking across the border at approximately 7:00 p.m. on February 8, less than two hours after parking the car in the nearby parking lot. January 25, 2018. mcstay family autopsy photosdave coulier son. Your article on Chase Merritt was perfect- just last paragraph was incorrect . KGTV/ABC News. February 15, 2010 Family members report the McStays missing to the San Diego County sheriff's department. [26], According to the arrest warrant affidavits filed in the case, autopsies concluded that all four victims had been beaten to death with a blunt object. On February 15, eleven days after the family was last heard from, the police searched the McStay family home. Merritt later told police that he ignored the voicemail because he was watching a movie. Upon his arrival, he noticed that Joseph's 1996 Isuzu Trooper was missing, but their dogs were in the backyard., Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. February 23, 2010 Had the family gone off the grid? 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. To learn more aboutwhy Merritt committed such a horrible crime and to see exclusive interviews with Joseph's family, watch Killer Motive airing Saturday at 6/5c on Oxygen. [20] Although it is possible for a U.S. citizen to enter Mexico without a passport, one is required to reenter the United States. he was moved to death row on january 21, 2020, NOT executed. [14], The circumstances surrounding the family's disappearance and the lack of clues about their whereabouts triggered speculation by amateur sleuths. Because of the lack of furniture and the state of the home amidst renovations, it was difficult to determine whether or not there had been a struggle. KGTV/ABC News -- A business associate of a California family that mysteriously disappeared more than four years has been charged in the four murders - including two young boys, police said today. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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., 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, In a preview clip from the episode about the McStay family, Patrick recalled speaking to his son in the morning on the day they disappeared.. ', 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. 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. The McStay family is seen in this undated family photo provided to KGTV. WebRandi Kaye discusses her investigation into the murder of the McStay family, including her interview with "Chase" Merritt A three-pound sledgehammer is also found at the site. February 8, 2010 The familys white 1996 Isuzu Trooper was found near San Ysidro, adjacent to the Mexico border. Who would brutally murder the entire McStay family? There were no signs of foul play or any forced entry. Summer's sister stated that her passport was expired. His most recent felony conviction, in 2001, was for the theft of $32,000 worth of welding and drilling equipment from San Gabriel Valley Ornamental Iron Works in Monrovia, California. Merritts cellphone was also traced to the burial site area in the days following the McStays disappearance. It did appear, however, as though the family left the home quickly. [4] On June 10, 2019, a jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. How could you beat two precious little babies? The McStay family of four was living a happy life, and had recently moved to a new house, which they were renovating and turning into their dream home. Investigators also discovered that the same car had been towed on February 8 for a parking violation near the Mexican border. WebSan Bernardino County sheriffs investigators believe Summer McStay, who along with her husband Joseph and two young sons was fatally beaten with a sledgehammer and buried Merritt told detectives that during their last lunch meeting, Joseph had given him physical copies of checks to pay for some of the projects they were working on. According to investigators, DNA allegedly matching Merritts was found on the steering wheel of the McStays white Isuzu Trooper, which was abandoned near the Mexico border following the familys disappearance. Joe Nelson is an award-winning investigative reporter who has worked for The Sun since November 1999. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Patrick McStay says the murder of a family of four was "all about money" By Elaine Aradillas. 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. The pair had met through Josephs successful decorative waterfall business, Earth Inspired Products. McGee stated in his motion that the identity of the victims was not in dispute, and that DNA and dental records positively identified the McStay family as homicide victims after their skeletal remains were discovered in two shallow graves in November 2013, west of the 15 Freeway and north of Stoddard Wells Road. Investigators also say they found emails indicating the family had been interested in obtaining passports to travel to Mexico, according to the outlet. Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Snowed in during the SoCal storm, this Lake Arrowhead resident traded in a car for cross-country skis, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, As many as 700,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid health coverage this year, Balloon ban made official in Laguna Beach, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. January 21, 2020Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Joseph McStay, 40. ", 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. Many conspiracies believed that they wanted to disappear, and that they have crossed the Mexican border, the familys SUV having been found stranded near the border. April 2, 2010 The FBI joins the search for the missing family. 'As a mother, you're going to do absolutely anything and everything you can to find them,' she explained. His arrest was announced on November 7, 2014. Merritt is on trial for the murder of the McStay family from Fallbrook back in 2010. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. 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