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[3] The trial began on January 7, 2019, in San Bernardino. The attorney argued a motion to reduce Merritt's sentence in the killings of Summer McStay and the children to life in prison without the possibility of parole rather than the death penalty previously recommended by the jury that convicted Merritt. Charles "Chase" Merritt, 62, was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, 40, McStay's wife, Summer, 43, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr.,. Merritt was arrested the following year. "I loved Joseph. Two days later, two sets of remains were officially identified as those of Joseph and Summer McStay. she said. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. Voice shaking, it was Merrit's turn to speak to the courtroom and to the McStay family's loved ones. Patrick said, "I truly believe she loved my son. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. De Atley is a Cal State Long Beach graduate with a double major in journalism and political science. [10], Over the next several days, relatives of the McStays unsuccessfully tried to contact the family. A deep pause followed as Michael McStay tried to collect himself. I just spoke to the prosecuting attorney in the Merritt case. And now, victim impact statements before formal sentencing. Testimony in the trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday. What about the little guys? [2], On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph McStay's business partner, and intended to charge him with the murders. [1][2] Their disappearance was widely reported by the national news media. Arent you tired, man? he asked. 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. [4] On June 10, 2019, a jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. I did not know any of that part, Blake said. He was married to Summer McStay for seven years. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. The family had moved to Fallbrook, 45 miles north of San Diego, in November 2009 fromSan Clemente. [15] Baker began following the case in 2013 after interviewing Michael McStay on his program. Prosecutors contend greed is the motive for the murders. Never again will we hear their voices. #mcstay #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/CGQmypfaZb. Just a monster., After a delay, the convicted killer of the McStay family of Fallbrook will be sentenced today. The McStay family disappeared from their Fallbrook home in San Diego's North County in 2010. Authorities think they've caught the killer, who is awaiting trial, and the family. "It didn't just mark me that day," Michael McStay said. When their remains were unearthed, investigators also found a rusty sledgehammer that they said was used to kill the family. [28], In January 2018, a trial-setting conference was scheduled for February 23. - The mysterious disappearance of Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two sons in February 2010 raised a lot of questions. Mystery of McStay money: Family found dead could barely afford rent. Blake said Merritt and Kavanugh got into arguments in two meetings during the spring of 2010. I just dropped me to my knees I will never go back to that spot, she told San Bernardino County Deputy District AttorneyMelissa Rodriguez. She was obsessed with the idea of being Italian and that was her name for him. 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. He was sentenced to death and life in prison. Crying for mommy and daddy? His attorney also says Merritt himself will want to speak. List of journal articles on the topic 'Kirkland House (Cambridge, Mass.)'. 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. [33] The court upheld the jury's recommendation, and Merritt was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. Victorville, California CNN . He had this problem right up until the day he went missing. "Not natural causes; there was intent here.". On Friday, he. #nbc7 #mcstay He told Merrit, I want to psychological mess you up. https://t.co/0xbSXeb9kX. Investigators said they also traced Merritts cellphone to the area where the bodies were buried in the days after the family disappeared and to a call seeking to close McStays online bookkeeping account. An acquaintance of Merritt's told a San Diego reporter, "I think police should look at him and anyone associated with him. The 58-year-old Merritt is. After three years of suspicion, the family's bones were discovered in a desert over a hundred miles from their house. Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. Joseph managed a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. Michael McStay remembered the day detectives told him and his family that the bodies of his brother, sister-in-law, and nephews had been discovered in the desert. The mother of Joseph McStay provided emotional testimony on the second day of the McStay murder trial. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. On the surface, while tragic, it may not seem all that crazy. Merritt is charged with killing his business associate Joseph McStay; McStay's wife, Summer; and their 3- and 4-year-old sons. Maline asked Blake about the point of that argument, again struggling against Rodriguezs objections: Chase is telling (Kavanaugh) that he is a liar, that he is getting the money and not giving it to him, he managed to outline to the witness. He just gave me the quote of the day on the continuing delays. As recently as April, the FBI believed the family went to Mexico voluntarily. Investigators and the public also focused on Merritt, the last known person to have had contact with Joseph and the first to notice his disappearance. 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. Crying for Mommy and Daddy? I dont remember bouncing a check, she said. 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. [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. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. He maintained his innocence, saying something has always been "amiss" in this case. The bodies of two members of a family that went missing in 2010 have been identified. "So unnatural. Patrick McStay, Joseph McStay's father told CBS 8 in San Diego that authorities informed him two of the bodies found in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert on Monday were that of his son and his son's wife, Summer. Will Payne [2][11], During their investigation, the police learned that around 11:00 pm on February 8, the family's Trooper had been towed from a strip mall parking lot in San Ysidro, San Diego, near the Mexican border. After three years of searching, the San Diego Sheriff's Department investigators concluded in April 2013 that the McStay family had gone to Mexico voluntarily. Chase Merritt, 62, is facing a potential death sentence, or life in prison. (Will Lester . Michael McStay's wife spoke next, talking about the pain her family and husband live with every single day. The evidence finally placing Merritt at the scene of the crime was his cellphone data, prosecutors said. 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. 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. While Merritt does not think Summer was directly involved, he has revealed she treated Joseph horrendously in the years before they went missing. But what happened to Joseph McStay, 40, his 43-year-old wife, Summer, and sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3? 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. Do you remember writing that check? he asked. "I want to psychologically mess you up," he said to Merritt. 'You had a choice. Despite all the time I spent with Joseph, I had no kind of relationship with her. They also linked him to a call seeking to close Joseph McStay's online bookkeeping account. 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. 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. The newly unsealed documents indicate Joseph McStay lent Chase Merritt money to cover a gambling debt before McStay and his family disappeared in February 2010. January 21, 2020 Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Joseph McStay, 40. [2] In April 2013, the San Diego Sheriff's Department announced that they believed that the McStays traveled to Mexico voluntarily.[18]. ", Missing McStay family killed, buried in desert, sheriff says, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=McStay_family_murders&oldid=1138842709, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:11. Investigators testified they believed the victims were tortured before they were killed. How they stalked the stalker: A gripping new true crime 'It did get weird': Couple who are in the middle of divorce Woman finds out her husband was cheating on her after he was made an equally emotional statement ahead of the sentencing being handed down, telling the court how the killings had scarred their lives. I believe that [Joseph] trusted Chase and believed in Chase. But the details of this case go back decades and has many twists and turns. Just a monster. By "Hes an excellent surfer and soccer player. "We don't run this circus. Working through prosecutor Rodriguezs objections, Maline asked Blake, Do remember if it bounced?. Before the sentencing was handed down, six of the McStay family's loved ones delivered tearful, spine-tingling impact statements in court, staring straight at the face of the killer who took the lives of their family. I did not do this thing.. The car's location from February 4 to February 8 remains unknown. During that period, she got an early-morning call from someone in Saudi Arabia, demanding his fountain, she recalled. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The comments below have not been moderated. Although a search of the house found no evidence of a struggle or foul play, there were indications of a hasty departure: a carton of eggs had been left on the counter, and two child-size bowls of popcorn sat on a sofa. I would never hurt him in any way. Here are the seven best ways to wear them this spring. The case initially puzzled. He was given the death penalty for killing Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. Now, Merritt is on San Quentin Death Row. [20] Although it is possible for a U.S. citizen to enter Mexico without a passport, one is required to reenter the United States. 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. But speaking on CNN in 2010 he said: 'My understanding was in the last year hed been having these vertigo type symptoms. "You had a choice. The back of the check said endorsement cancelled, he pointed out. Seven months later, on November 11, 2013, an off-road motorcyclist came across human remains in San Bernardino County's Mojave Desert. A decade after the family went missing, their killer was sentenced to death in January 202. Chase you are a low life coward and a baby killer. Description. Unconfirmed family sightings were reported in Mexico and elsewhere, perpetuating hopes that they were safe and had left voluntarily. Video recorded the evening of February 8, released on March 5, showed a family of four resembling the McStays crossing the border. 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. 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. 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. Charles "Chase" Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of his former business associate, Joseph McStay, 40. It was believed to have been parked there between 5:30 and 7:00 that evening. Joseph McStay, 43-year-old Summer McStay and their two sons, Gianni, 4, and Joey, 3, vanished without a trace in February 2010 shortly after moving to Fallbrook from Orange County. 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. Huh? 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. How could you beat two precious little babies? #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/xNxV3CqRtr. How scared were they, Chase? But he would not even entertain the idea of cheating on her. By Jill Sederstrom The McStay Family Goes Missing Now Playing Preview The McStay Family Goes Missing 2:14 Preview McStay Family Car Found Near Mexican Border 2:24 Duchess dons $1,610 Carolina Herrera cape, $300 vegan leather Lovely in lilac! She had once told him she wanted that song played at her funeral. I loved Joseph. #mcstay #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/gDh8XuxqiV, Merritt said he has the "utmost disdain" for the investigators and prosecutors who "put them all in this courtroom" and for the people who, in his words, "manipulated the evidence.". Merritt said the people responsible for the slayings are still free. Joseph McStay and his wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr., were a fun-loving, happy family who'd recently settled into a comfortable life in Fallbrook, California. 'When I last talked to my son, on February 4, he said he still didnt feel good,' said Blake, adding that she had provided the Sheriffs Dept with information on Josephs health problems. He didnt know what was wrong with him and he was desperate. Patrick had the chance to directly address Merritt in court, calling him a 'ruthless mass murderer' and telling him, 'I hope you burn in hell. How can you take that all in?, Susan Blake, right, mother of Joseph McStay, reaches over and holds the hand of her other son Michael McStay, left, at a press conference at the San Bernardino Sheriff Headquarters, Friday, November 15, 2013. Investigators believed the murder weapon was a 3-pound sledgehammer, which was found in the grave containing the remains of Summer and her son. The clip appeared to show a family of four crossing the border into Mexico -- a family that looked like they could have been the McStays. I don't think so, and I truly hope not. California has not executed anyone since 2006. You start calling his cellphones, her cellphones,' she said. Merritt looked at Blake as she spoke. Our lives were intertwined both on a business and a personal level. [27], Prosecutors allege that Merritt had a gambling problem and killed the McStay family for financial gain. [34], On May 22, 2022, the case was looked at again on the Investigation Discovery docuseries Two Shallow Graves. 09:19 EST 04 Jan 2014 Don't worry, your fate will be way less tragic than that of the family you murdered. Merritt added: If Im honest, I have no idea why he put up with it. Upon his arrival, he noticed that Joseph's 1996 Isuzu Trooper was missing, but their dogs were in the backyard. 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. California has not executed anyone on death row since 2006 as current Gov. In 2010, Joseph McStay (age 40), and his wife Summer (age 43), lived in Fallbrook, California, with their sons Gianni (age 4) and Joseph Jr. (age 3). He had a son from a previous relationship, who he didnt get to see much of and he was terrified that would happen with his two boys if he left Summer. We dont run this circus. I would never raise my hand to a woman or a child.". (File photo by Kurt Miller, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG). How could you beat two precious little babies? Charles "Chase" Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStay's wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year-old sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr.. San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael Smith upheld the jurys recommendation of death following a two-day sentencing hearing that included a flurry of last-minute motions from Merritt and his lawyer, who accused prosecutors of misconduct, Merritts earlier attorneys of incompetence and, on Tuesday, tried to remove the judge himself from the case. [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. After frustrating delays in proceedings in a Southern California courtroom last week, an emotional sentencing hearing resumed Tuesday for the man convicted in the mysterious killings of the McStay family, including two boys, ages 3 and 4. Joseph McStay has operated Earth Inspired Products, a waterfall and garden accessories business in San Clemente, since 1996, according. The hearing, which consumed more than 10 hours, concluded with several emotional statements from McStays mother, brother, in-laws and surviving son, as well as from Merritt himself, who continued to maintain his innocence, I loved Joseph, he said, his voice shaking a times. Instead, they said, authorities zeroed in on an innocent man. 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. He went to the doctor a number of times, but they just didnt know what was wrong with him. Charles "Chase" Merritt interrupted his attorney Friday during legal proceedings. Jurors in San Bernardino. The surviving McStay family members held an emotional memorial for. [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. For years, police speculated they. The family had been beaten to death with a three-pound sledgehammer found in one of the graves. He was such a great guy and he got his share of female attention. Related research topic ideas. After 8-Hour Day in Court, Sentencing Delayed for Man Who Killed McStay Family. Blake said, speaking to Merritt. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. I honestly believed my psychiatrist . 'It's like they went poof,' Susan recalled. I would never have hurt him in any way. Son of Patrick McStay and Susan Blake. 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. He always said, "I have messed up one family before, I will not be unfaithful and ruin another one". 'I'm gonna get out the information and try to find them.'. 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. But despite that public front, I know, prior to their disappearance they had not had sex in more than a year. In the summer of 2021, shocking news rocked the state of South Carolina. Joseph loved to eat out anyway, but I know he made a real effort to eat away from his house after that.. "The gruesome and brutal details of the crime that you committed are his family," she said to Merritt. His mother Susan Blake gave an interview to Myvalleynews.com six weeks after her sons disappearance, where she said she was very concerned about his health. Judge just denied defense motion to reduce potential sentence to life in prison (Judge will also consider death). June 10, 2019 Merritt is found guilty of murdering the McStay family. [19] Relatives of the McStays doubted that they would travel to Mexico, saying that Joseph and Summer avoided the country because of the safety threat posed by recent drug wars. (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. [9] In the surveillance recording, the vehicle's occupants could not be seen. 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. I'm so bummed out after realising my diagnosis made a few years ago is legitimate. 'This despicable, evil monster. It was to me, at the time, very scary, so I literally walked out and said If my son loses his business, so be it, I need to find my family and I left., Under questioning by Rodriguez, Blake described the argument as filled with A lot of, lot of cussing, screaming at each other Chase wanted to wring his neck..