Publicly Merrittwho had several prior convictions on his recordclaimed to be Josephs best friend,once telling CNNs Randi Kay that although they began as work acquaintances, they quickly grew to be friends, playing paintball together andsharingdinnera few nights a week. Searches about travelling to Mexico were also uncovered on the familys computer, bolstering a theory that theyd gone on a trip. Selena autopsy photo. The case had been baffling from the start. The details of Walker's death are equally lurid and disturbing. Charles Merritt, former business partner of Joseph McStay, has just been found guilty of killing the entire McStay family with a sledgehammer and burying their bodies in the desert. The family had moved into the house three months earlier, and was in the process of unpacking and doing renovations. While Summer stayed home to take care of the children, she planned to go to work soon. But jurors disagreed and Merritt was convicted and later sentenced to death for the slayings in January 2020. Case 8, Dorothy Scott Jaroslav Jerry Hanel had tormented the Diamond Head, Huong Lee and Long Nyugen were an elderly Vietnamese couple. The family had been savagely beaten to death. 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. One of those suspects, Charles Chase Merritt, was convicted of the murders in 2019 and remains on death row in California. The man convicted of killing a California family of four and burying them in the Mojave Desert nearly 10 years ago has been sentenced to death, San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael A . Two Shallow Graves also points to an advertisement allegedly placed by the same man to sell the water fountain business from under its rightful owner. The San Diego Sheriffs Department even posted footage of a family that resembled the McStays walking across the border to Mexico. Defense attorney Rajan Maline has continued to proclaimhis clients innocence, arguing there's no physical evidence linking Merritt to themurder scene. Good Housekeeping. Josephs business partner, Chase, claimed to have met him for a lunch meeting on the afternoon of February 4, 2010. The family's disappearance had puzzled investigators, who said there . Something doesnt, No , the murder happened in Ohio . Credit: Find the McStay Family Facebook Page. Research genealogy for Elizabeth McStay of Draycott, Derbyshire, England, as well as other members of the McStay family, on Ancestry. There was no evidence to determine where the family went or why they had left. A funeral service will be held on Sunday, March 5th 2023 at 2:00 PM at the . When the family went missing, the pair began their own investigation, describing in the new series how they combed through the McStays emails and followed up any lead they could find. The story of the McStay family is one that has baffled San Diego investigators for years.. The cops also learned that his cellphone had been pinged in the area where the family was buried. It gives you the story of the trial, and it gives you the story of the relationship between Merritt and Joseph McStay, and it gives you the understanding of the families on both sides going through the trial one of the interview subjects that we talked to said, This is going to be the comprehensive look at this story - which has not been done before.. Nelson is a graduate of California State University Fullerton. Lord Hanuman Angry Animated Wallpapers Hd posted by Sarah Anderson a28a80e3cc. 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. McStay Murder Suspect Chase Merritt Has Heart Condition, Lawyer Says . It certainly isn't justice, not for Murray or for her family. Merritt is accused of killing his former business associate, Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer, and their two small children on Feb. 4, 2010. The police concluded that Merritt killed the family for financial gain; the killer had a severe gambling problem, and after the murders, he managed to gain some control of Josephs business accounts. Family members of the victims were emotional in court during the preliminary hearing Monday. Skip to main content. Heavy. McGee noted that investigators submitted a DNA analysis request form to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Departments Forensic Biology Unit to help identify involved parties and verify involved parties. He also referenced an excerpt from page three of the form, which revealed something that has not been disclosed by investigators to date: they believe Summer McStay had been raped before she was killed. Investigators would discover evidence that showed someone had taken control of Josephs checking account right before and right after he disappeared, writing a total of nine checks to either Merritt or those who he owed money to totaling nearly $15,000. She adds that she still thinks one of the other suspects was involved in the brutal kilings. 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 . San 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 in a shallow grave near Victorville, may have been raped before she was killed, according to a court document. A new documentary series re . Randi Kaye discusses her investigation into the murder of the McStay family, including her interview with "Chase" Merritt BREAKING: A jury found Charles 'Chase' Merritt GUILTY of first-degree murder in the bludgeoning deaths of the McStay family, Joseph (40), Summer (43), Gianni (4), Joseph Jr. (3). In 2014, he completed a fellowship at Loyola Law School's Journalist Law School program. ABC 7. It would take years for investigators to discover the family's grisly fate. He was a business partner of Joseph McStay. The authorities zeroed in on Chase after the remains were found and arrested him in the first week of November 2014. Merritt faces the death penalty if convicted as charged in the case. Their children, Gianni and Joseph Jr., were 4 and 3, respectively. Police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph McStay's business partner, and intended to charge him with the murders. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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 . Read More:Nicole Berte Murder: Where is Randy Lee Bode Now? 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. What to Know. January 21, 2020 Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Joseph McStay, 40. Chase further stated that Joseph called him at around 8:28 pm on that evening. Even though Merritt was at one point representing himself, that is no longer the case. 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. 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. 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. Their bodies were found on November 13, 2013 in the desert near Victorville, California. 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. I think its probably true; he has read everything, hes currently working on a book about his case and hes constantly working on it in some way. The McStays looked like the All-American family living the dream. While there were no signs of forced entry, it seemed like the McStays left in a hurry. It was sort of one sort of absurdity after the other, Kevin Fitzpatrick, an executive producer of Two Shallow Graves, tells The Independent. Summer will be forever missed by her family and many friends. I did not do this.. Family members of the victims . After a four-month trial, nine years after the McStay killings . In February 2010, the McStay family vanished without a trace, propelling the authorities to investigate. 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. 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.. The McStay family - whose bodies were found in a shallow grave in the Californian desert almost four years after they mysteriously vanished - could barely afford to pay $210 a week on rent just . Found the resolution to each, I know who really killed Chanin, her husband did not, I have so many questions about this story. Today, he is still imprisoned on death row at Quentin State Prison, where he has been held since the day he was arrested. A hearing on McGees motion is scheduled Friday in San Bernardino Superior Court. Then began the authorities' quest to figure out who killed the loving family of four. 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. 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). Merritt insists on his innocence in the face of the prosecution's evidence, raising the question: Did Merritt murder the McStay family? We just had to go over all kinds of money stuff, Merritt told detectives in an interview recording obtained by American Greed.. The skeletal remains of Joseph McStay were found with a cutoff extension cord wrapped around the neck, and the rest of the body wrapped in a white towel, all of it secured by a tie-down strap. A bombshell witness upends the Merritt murder trial, claiming someone else confessed to the McStay murders. Two shallow graves contained the remains of Joseph, his wife Summer, 4-year-old son Gianni and 3-year-old son Joe Jr. Investigators say they have a lot of work ahead to find the killers, and no predictions as to who they are or why they would kill a whole family. 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, Baby girl Winter of Lake Arrowhead is born amid raging blizzard, There are many ways to fight writers block, find inspiration, A.K. The deaths have been ruled a homicide. Autopsy Photos. That changed in November 2013, when the bodies were found in the desert along with a sledgehammer believed to be the murder weapon. Michael's worst fears were realized. Summer had stated that she felt that Mexico was too unsafe and that she would never go willingly. The 58-year-old Merritt is charged with four counts of murder in the deaths of McStay, 40; McStay's wife, Summer, 43; and the couple's two sons, Gianni, 4; and Joey, 3. . LOS ANGELES A Southern California man was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 10-year-old killings of a family of four whose bodies were found buried in shallow graves in the California desert . Syd Field Four Screenplays Pdf 11 !!HOT!! Reports state that it was via Joseph's flourishing decorative fountain business and Earth Inspired Products that the two first became acquainted. Merritt disputes the theory and argues, in the documentary, that hed been the one raising the alarm about the McStays disappearance, claiming he would have reported the four missing if the family hadnt. Lying beside the family was a sledgehammer. While there was little evidence and various theories floated around, nobody really precisely knew what happened to Joseph, his wife, and their two sons until years later. On November 11, 2013, the remains of two adults and two children were recovered in the California desert. It wasn't until January 2019 that his trial even started after it was revealed that he dismissed many lawyers to defend himself in court. At around 7:47 pm, part of the family car was captured on a neighbors surveillance camera, but there was no sign of the family after that. They were dressed similarly to the McStays, and the children were wearing hats similar to ones they had been photographed in. The first three episodes of Two Shallow Graves will air on ID (Investigation Discovery) on Sunday, May 22, at 9:00 PM ET. The sledge hammer is the likely murder weapon. 1:22. The seven-episode Two Shallow Graves premieres Sunday on Investigation Discovery and will be available to stream on discovery+. And they should be. Joseph and Summer McStay vanished from their . 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. Merritt would also make a bold claim about his last contact with Joseph. Sheriffs investigators arrested Charles Chase Merritt, 60, of Homeland, in November 2014. 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. Earlier in the week before the family disappeared, Summer had made plans to visit her sister, who had recently had a baby. At that point, the investigation shifted from searching for missing persons to investigating a possible murder. On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . The motive was greed and the murders were brutal. 4:25. I think its a story where people want answers, and this project is another step in trying to give people answers to what really happened.. This led to speculation that the family may have willingly fled the country. Merrit himself, the producers say, was nervous to participate since he could not control the narrative. memorial page for Virginia Lisa "Summer" Aranda McStay (27 Dec 1966-4 Feb 2010), Find a Grave Memorial ID 120355781, citing El Toro . San Bernardino County Det. They had a loving circle of friends and family, enjoyed taking trips and watching their young sons grow and learn. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Investigators from the San Bernardino Sheriffs Department soon uncovered the bodies of all four McStay family membersincluding Joseph, Summer, 4-year-old Gianni and 3-year-old JosephJr.buried in two shallow graves in the harsh desert. He started as a crime reporter and went on to cover a variety of beats including courts and the cities of Colton, Highland and Grand Terrace. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. There is reportedly a DNA match that links Merritt to the McStay vehicle, which was found in San Ysidro near the U.S.-Mexico border. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. 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. The ID series features new interviews with Merritt who, unsurprisingly, remains adamant that he is innocent as well as trial footage, interviews with legal teams and the McStays loved ones. Inside The Gruesome McStay Family Murder Case. None of these theories have been confirmed. The morning of February 4, 2010, started like any other day for the family. Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. I never settled on anybody. In January 2010, just days before the disappearance, the home computer was used to search for passport requirements for kids traveling to Mexico. 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. 0. The original memorial consisting of 4 white crosses. The remains were identified as the McStay family's and were buried in two shallow graves. 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. Chase went on TVand talked about his relationship with Joseph and one of the key statements that he made was something to the effect of he was definitely the last person who saw Joseph alive, San Bernardino County Sheriffs Sgt. 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. The family of four had just moved into their Southern California home when they vanished on the night of Feb. 4, 2010. Given the evidence, Chase was eventually found guilty of murdering the McStay family. On February 4, 2010,Summer McStay, her husbandJoseph, and their young sonsGianni andJoseph Jr.disappeared from San Diego, California. Merritt used the money to fuel his gambling addiction at nearby casinos, in which he lost thousands of dollars. Their car was located a few days later, near San Diego, close to the Mexican border. 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. Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010. 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.. At the beginning, hes like, I know this case better than the attorneys, Mr Fitpatrick adds. There were at least four impacts to the skull of Joseph McStay, and at least seven impacts to 4-year-old Gianni. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Investigators believed that the family pictured is likely the McStays, based on analysis of family photos and home videos. In an email Thursday, sheriffs Lt. Sarkis Ohannessian declined to comment, citing the ongoing criminal case. In December 2009, Summer inquired about buying software to learn Spanish. On Thursday, February 4, the last day that the McStay family was heard from, Joseph attended regular work meetings. This information was alarming enough for Josephs brother to call the police and report the family missing, as it was uncharacteristic of them to leave the dogs without food. 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. A whole family vanished on February 4, 2010 from their home in Fallbrook, CA.. 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. Tribune Broadcasting. From my discussions with him, thats all he does, is work on his case.. This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this . But hed also tell Kay during his television interview that he had definitely been the last person to see Joseph. 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. As the investigation continued, it also emerged that the last call from Mr McStays phone had been to Merritt whose cell phone pinged near a tower in the desert in the vicinity of the shallow graves. After he reported the family missing on 15 February, police discoverd the McStays vehicle had been towed from a parking lot near the border with Mexico on 8 February. The murder suspect, Charles "Chase" Merritt, was present in court, wearing a gray shirt and pattern tie that was delivered to him by his family. Jun 15, 2015 Merritt has said there is no direct evidence linking him to the crime scene.. In Fallbrook, CA, their home was fifty miles north of San Diego and twenty miles inland from the Pacific coast. Photos of McStay Family Murder . The McStays Nov. 17, 2013 -- The 2010 disappearance of the McStay family, whose skeletal remains were discovered in shallow graves in the California desert last week, led a former North Carolina radio host to . Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Joseph Sr ran a successful waterfall business in suburban California, spending every inch of spare time with his raven-haired wife, Summer, and their two young sons, Gianni, four, and Joey Jr, three. Another two points would put us in good . January 30, 2015 / 2:32 PM / CBS News. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Victim(s): Joseph McStay, Summer McStay, Joseph McStay Jr, Gianni McStay, . Since opening statements Jan. 7, prosecutors have tried to show jurors that he was the person who killed the McStay family in their Fallbrook home in northern San Diego County and buried them near the High Desert town of Victorville in San Bernardino County. Though it is possible that Summer was using a different name, there are no records of passports under any of her other names. Its kind of remarkable, Ms Davis says. 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 was given the death penalty for killing Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. Now, Merritt is on San Quentin Death Row. This gave him a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home, so he could spend more time with his family. However, friends and family claimed this would be out of character, and the couple still had a large amount of money in a bank account that remained untouched. So, lets find out what happened then, shall we? A carton of eggs lay on the counter, and two bowls of popcorn were located in the living room. When you look at the totality of the picture, you just came right back to its Charles Merritt, Imes tellsAmerican Greed.. He adds: There are so many actual other people who could potentialy be suspects and so many people who had motive. Nicole Berte Murder: Where is Randy Lee Bode Now. Detectives testified during Merrittspreliminary hearingin June 2015 that Merritt was a gambling man who had written multiple checks totaling more than $21,000 on Joseph McStays QuickBooks account in the weeks after the McStay family was last seen on Feb. 4, 2010. 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 . 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. His trial hadn't even begun until January 2019 after he reportedly fired multiple attorneys as he tried to represent himself. 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. Witnesses also testified that Merritt cashed checks written from Joseph McStay's business account days after McStay and his family vanished. At that time, no one knew what happened to the family. A Family Vanishes: With Stacy Keach. Cell phone records indicate that he drove home after the meeting, and he continued to make calls into the evening. 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. 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People. 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. Follow the links to read about more violent crimes profiled on ID. He seemed caught off guard, like Oh, I didnt realize I was doing that, San Bernardino County District AttorneyBritt Imes tellsAmerican Greed.. Everything. Home; . Charles Ray Merritt, 61, stands trial for the murder of a couple and their two sons in San Bernardino County, California. He was joined by his defense team: three attorneys from the High Desert. Otherwise, the family looked identical to the McStays. 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. Investigation Discovery's 'Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, the man who [] GUILTY. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- 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. Joseph was 40-years-old back then, and Summer was 43. Jan 18, 2020 MCSTAY FAMILY AUTOPSY PHOTOS.. Man convicted of killing McStay family sentenced to death .. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. Each is holding the hand of a child. He has covered San Bernardino County since 2009.
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