Please be respectful of the memorial and do not leave any trash when you visit. An attorney eventually represented Merritt, and the jury decided in favor of the victims. In Fallbrook, CA, their home was fifty miles north of San Diego and twenty miles inland from the Pacific coast. January 30, 2015 / 2:32 PM / CBS News. Randi Kaye discusses her investigation into the murder of the McStay family, including her interview with "Chase" Merritt Photos Of McStay Family Murder Suspect. Good Housekeeping. Lastly, neither party to this case is arguing or disputing that it was in fact the McStays whom were the victims in this case, according to McGees motion. In the end, Merritt was represented by a defense attorney . Merritt had previously worked with Joseph McStay, who owned and ran the Earth Inspired Products decorative fountain company. They spoke with him for months in 15-minute phone calls allowed by the prison and both were taken aback by his knowledge of the case. 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. They had a loving circle of friends and family, enjoyed taking trips and watching their young sons grow and learn. Investigators were stumped until they came upon a distressing hint that directed them towards Charles "Chase" Merritt, a close friend and business partner of Joseph McStay's. Dan Hanke tells American Greed that when investigators examined Josephs QuickBooks account they did, in fact, discover a series of checks made out to Merritt or other vendors that Merrittowed money to that were dated Feb. 4, but the metadata stored within the computer revealed that the checks had not actually been written that day. 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. 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 . 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. Inside, he found a relatively normal scene. Prosecutors say Merritt owed McStay more than $42,000. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. 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. Chase further stated that Joseph called him at around 8:28 pm on that evening. Investigators discovered that neither of the familys cars had traveled to Mexico in years, so they believed that the family had not driven into Mexico during the unaccounted for four days. In 2014, he completed a fellowship at Loyola Law School's Journalist Law School program. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. 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. I never knew who did it, Ms Watson says in Two Shallow Graves. This week on Reasonable Doubt, the team takes on the Raul and Cathy Sarinana were sentenced to death for abusing Would love your thoughts, please comment. On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . January 21, 2020 Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Joseph McStay, 40. Photos of McStay Family Murder . People. uncovered the bodies of all four McStay family members, he was arrested by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office. 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. Investigation Discovery's 'Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of murdering Joseph McStay and his family. The family of four had just moved into their Southern California home when they vanished on the night of Feb. 4, 2010. The family's disappearance had puzzled investigators, who said there . 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? Their car was located a few days later, near San Diego, close to the Mexican border. The original memorial consisting of 4 white crosses. Merritt has said there is no direct evidence linking him to the crime scene. Merritt, a business associate of Joseph McStay, was arrested in 2014. 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. But hed also tell Kay during his television interview that he had definitely been the last person to see Joseph. On Nov. 20, at a vigil where volunteers erected white crosses and released doves, Michael pondered aloud the same questions. The missing persons flier for the McStay family. 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 . Investigators also found a three-pound sledgehammer that they believe was the murder weapon and clothing, some of it marked with the same color paint that the McStay family had been using to paint their home when they went missing. Selena autopsy photo. The first three episodes of Two Shallow Graves will air on ID (Investigation Discovery) on Sunday, May 22, at 9:00 PM ET. 1:39. That was when Charles Merritts story started falling apart and really gave us the motive, Hanke said. Theres a carton of eggs on the table as if maybe Summer or Joseph were about to make some food or something and the dogs, they had two dogs, they were just left there.. 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. 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 CNBC's American Greed, airing Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT. 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. 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 . 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. Joseph McStay's business partner, Charles Chase Merritt, was eventually charged with the deaths of the McStay family after detectives found apparent evidence of desertion and, ultimately, foul play. What to Know. It certainly isn't justice, not for Murray or for her family. Merritt used the money to fuel his gambling addiction at nearby casinos, in which he lost thousands of dollars. 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. She adds that she still thinks one of the other suspects was involved in the brutal kilings. Investigators believed that the family was willingly walking across the border, with no indication that they were in any distress. The seven-episode Two Shallow Graves premieres Sunday on Investigation Discovery and will be available to stream on discovery+. The details of Walker's death are equally lurid and disturbing. Then a biker in the Mojave Desert finds their bodies in shallow graves. 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 . In February 2010, the McStay family vanished without a trace, propelling the authorities to investigate. 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. The family and friends of the McStays did not expect them to be at the Mexican border. In 2018, the trial was postponed again so that his current defense attorney could do more investigating, Merritt remained jailed without bail. There were also incisions in her bra that lead investigators to believe it was cut off, the motion states. 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. 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. I think, normally when you [look at] a case, youre like, Oh, there could be one or two people involved., There were potentially more than one or two people involved when we started this. San Bernardino Superior Court Judge Michael A. Smith ruled Monday afternoon that there is sufficient evidence for Merritt to stand trial. On February 15, the family reported them missing, and the authorities searched the house. Defence attorney Raj Maline in the series describes this suspect as a walking, talking red flag but Merritts team was barred in court from bringing up him or the other suspects without concrete evidence linking them to the crimes. They had recently moved to a home Jan 21, 2020 Charles Merritt was sentenced to death for killing the McStay family.. A jury recommended the death penalty for Merritt for the murders of Summer Jan 22, 2020 Charles Merritt has been sentenced to death for killing the entire McStay family in a bizarre California case that went unsolved for years. ABC 7. He was also cherished by companion he leaves five children, several grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews. Arrest in slaying of . 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. May she rest in eternal peace. Merrit himself, the producers say, was nervous to participate since he could not control the narrative. The familys remains were later unearthed by sheriffs crime scene investigators and forensic anthropologists. McGees law partner, Rajan Maline, is also representing Merritt in the case. On Feb. 4, 2010, Joseph and Summer McStay, ages 40 and 43, and their two sons, Gianni, 4, and 3-year-old Joey Jr., vanished without a trace from their Fallbrook home. 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.. Investigation Discoverys 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. At the beginning, hes like, I know this case better than the attorneys, Mr Fitpatrick adds. It didnt take this long. The family consisted of Joseph McStay, 40, the father and co-owner of a company that built custom, high . Cell phone records indicate that he drove home after the meeting, and he continued to make calls into the evening. At 30 seconds into the video, note the man and woman entering from lower left of screen. I think its fair to say the show looks at other suspects, and its fair to say that, towards the end of the show, we will confront some of them.. On November 11, 2013, the remains of two adults and two children were recovered in the California desert. 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 . Merritt was a close friend to the McStays and a business partner. Follow the links to read about more violent crimes profiled on ID. Investigators found one of the birth certificates left behind in the home. Photographer Behind Iconic Princess Diana Funeral Photos Reflects on Intimate Moments From Service. 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. 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. There was no evidence to determine where the family went or why they had left. Buried in the Desert: Was a Family Friend Their Killer? 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. In 'Captive Audience', the Stayner Family Opens Up About Navigating an Impossible Reality in the Spotlight, Patrick McStay Has a Theory About Why His Family Was Murdered. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. 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 . Then began the authorities' quest to figure out who killed the loving family of four. However, a breakthrough in the case came in November 2014 when the cops found Merritts DNA on the steering wheel of McStays car. And then there was another associate from Mr McStays work, the computer whiz who maintained the company website a man whod sent messages to MrMcStay essentially threatening to destroy the site and ruin the business. A man riding his dirt bike in the area discovered some of the remains and contacted police. Skip Ancestry navigation Main Menu Home Dylan Eason and Isaiah Churchwell were convicted of murdering Cynthia William "Patrick" Alexander remains in prison for murder. The remains were identified as the McStay familys and were buried in two shallow graves. Skip to main content. This led to speculation that the family may have willingly fled the country. I never settled on anybody. Merritt, who faces the death penalty if convicted, has pleaded not guilty to the crimes. 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. When family members were called in to help identify the people on the video, they had mixed reactions. McStay Family Murders: Who Killed Them?