The 62-year-old welder convicted in the brutal beating deaths of a Fallbrook family of four . The grave sites were the main discussion in court. January 30, 2015 / 2:32 PM / CBS News. 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. He was given the death penalty for killing Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. Now, Merritt is on San Quentin Death Row. 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. 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.. Detectives said Merritt had grown up in the area and was familiar with the terrain. The sledge hammer is the likely murder weapon. 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. Sheriffs investigators believe Merritt, a business associate of Joseph McStay who built custom decorative water fountains for McStays online business, killed the McStays for financial gain. May she rest in eternal peace. In April 2013, the San Diego Sheriffs Department turned the case over to the FBI, which was more equipped to investigate cases that involve other countries. 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). Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. Nelson is a graduate of California State University Fullerton. Ive heard people say that before and it not be true. Michael's worst fears were realized. 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. Judge Michael A. Smith determined there I never knew who did it, Ms Watson says in Two Shallow Graves. 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. 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. Joseph's brother expressed his sorrow, saying. The car never returned to the home. Follow the links to read about more violent crimes profiled on ID. 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. Two days later, the remains were identified as the McStay family. The entire case left investigators and loved ones completely puzzled. Prosecutors say Merritt owed McStay more than $42,000. Charles Merrit was found guilty of the murders in 2019. The authorities zeroed in on Chase after the remains were found and arrested him in the first week of November 2014. 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. 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. The shocking find led to even more mysteries and revealed a surprising number of suspects who seemingly had motives to go after the family, according to a new series premiering this weekend on Investigation Discovery. Two Shallow Graves: The McStay Family Murders: With Suzanne Armstrong, Tony Azzaro, Taylor Jarvis, Shawn Patrick Murphy. Reports state that it was via Joseph's flourishing decorative fountain business and Earth Inspired Products that the two first became acquainted. 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 . So without direct evidence, then they have to show enough circumstantial evidence to convice the jury that it was me at their home and who killed them.. 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. Detectives said when they interviewed Merritt about the missing family, he referred to them in the past tense, saying Joseph McStay "was my best friend.". 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. The motive was greed and the murders were brutal. 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. Kevin McStay (Mayo): "There's a lot of teams that will beat each other before this League is over. 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. The McStay family, consisting of Joseph, 40, his wife Summer, 43, and their two sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, were reported missing in 2010. 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. Please be respectful of the memorial and do not leave any trash when you visit. Thats unusual.. 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. 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. There was the new husband of Mr McStays ex-wife, a man with a history of violence whod allegedly threatened to muzzle Mrs McStay and beat up her husband. Case 8, Dorothy Scott Furthermore, Josephs mother stated that the car had his asthma medication, and he never went anywhere without it. They were dressed similarly to the McStays, and the children were wearing hats similar to ones they had been photographed in. Furthermore, Chase wrote several checks on the online business starting February 5; he then went to a few casinos to spend that money. 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. On Feb. 15, the family was reported missing to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. The paint was still fresh on the walls, the corners bordered by blue painter . Around about February 4, 2010, the McStay family, Joseph, 40; his wife, Summer, 43; and their . People. Publicly Merrittwho had several prior convictions on his recordclaimed to be Josephs best friend. The family did not appear to have any plans to be gone that day. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. NBC article. It didnt take this long. Your login session has expired. California man sentenced to death in killings of McStay family members in 2010 "I did not do this thing," Charles Jan 22, 2020 Smith upheld the recommendation the jury made on June 24, 2019, which said Merritt should be put to death for the murders of Summer McStay and Apr 22, 2020 Chase Merritt sentenced to death.. Much evidence linking Chase Merritt to the McStay family murders were presented by the prosecution.. Perhaps Jan 20, 2021 February 15, 2010 Family members report the McStays missing to the San Diego County sheriff's department. Joseph was 40-years-old back then, and Summer was 43. A funeral service will be held on Sunday, March 5th 2023 at 2:00 PM at the . 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. Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. McStay Murder Suspect Chase Merritt Has Heart Condition, Lawyer Says . 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. At the beginning, hes like, I know this case better than the attorneys, Mr Fitpatrick adds. However, the rest of the family thought it was unusual for them to just leave so abruptly. Cell phone records indicate that he drove home after the meeting, and he continued to make calls into the evening. The McStay family murders occurred on or about February 4, 2010, after the family disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, United States. To learn more about the case, tune into Monday's episode of "American Greed" at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CNBC. But privately, investigatorsnoticed Merritt had displayed some concerning behavior after the family disappeared. Autopsy Photos. Two Shallow Graves is a seven-part docu-series that delves into the details of the case.The premiere . The San Diego Sheriffs Department even posted footage of a family that resembled the McStays walking across the border to Mexico. The family's disappearance had puzzled investigators, who said there . 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 . An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and it appeared they were tortured before they were killed. Source: wikipedia | CBS News |. The McStay family murders occurred on or near February 4, 2010, after the family disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, United States; their bodies were found in the desert near Victorville, California, on November 13, 2013. 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. When questioned about his choice of language by investigators, Merritt said he had no idea why he'd done that. How do you do that?. There were no signs of foul play or any forced entry. and a close friend of the family falls under suspicion. 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. 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. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. mcstay family autopsy, mcstay family autopsy photos, mcstay family murders autopsy, how did the mcstay family died, did they ever find the mcstay family, why was the . There were also incisions in her bra that lead investigators to believe it was cut off, the motion states. Kevin and I work a lot in true crime and talk to a lot of people whove been convicted, and Merritt knows his case inside and out every single detail in a way that Ive never experienced before.. It took some time for people to become concerned; the family sometimes took small vacations, so it was more than a week before Mr McStays brother, Michael, stopped by the house to see if it held answers to where they might be. It would have been impossible for the McStays to travel into Mexico with insufficient documents. Additionally, a family friend was helping paint the house, and left with the intention of returning on Saturday, February 6, to finish the job. The remains were identified as the McStay familys and were buried in two shallow graves. 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. The remains were identified as the McStay family's and were buried in two shallow graves. In an interview with detectives just two weeks after the family was last seen, Merritt talked about his friend in the past tense. 16 Rare Photos of Princess Diana. 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. Hes a scumbag;hes a creep;he doesnt deserve to walk the earth or take a breath, Patrick tellsAmerican Greed. He killed somebody that trusted in him and gave him a chance when a lot of other people knew he was a crook and then he kills my grandsons, brutally. Read Less Posted: Jan 23, 2015 / 12:29 PM PST He could face the death penalty as a result. 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. 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. Woman is wearing light colore. 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. 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. He has covered San Bernardino County since 2009. Read More:Nicole Berte Murder: Where is Randy Lee Bode Now? The District Attorneys Office, according to McGee, has opposed the motion about the familys photos and videos, which will be argued Friday before Judge Michael A. Smith. . Michaels worst fears were realized. Victim(s): Joseph McStay, Summer McStay, Joseph McStay Jr, Gianni McStay, . He had a criminal record and, it turned out, had been skimming money from the enterprise. She adds that she still thinks one of the other suspects was involved in the brutal kilings. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The man accused of killing the McStays, a family of four who disappeared in 2010 and whose remains were found in 2013 in the .

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