[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. I would have never raised my hand for a woman or child. Crying for Mommy and Daddy? He didnt know what was wrong with him and he was desperate. Last month marked the 3rd anniversary since a family of four mysteriously vanished from their Southern California home. 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. He was sentenced to death and life in prison. 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. 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. A grainy video captured at a nearby border crossing deepened the mystery. Joseph's cellphone pinged a tower in Fallbrook. Inconclusive: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, Frustrating: The McStays friends and family insisted they would never go to Mexico with their children, but there was no other explanation, Heartbreaking: On November 11, 2013, an off-road motorcyclist came across the family's human remains in San Bernardino County's Mojave Desert. My brother was I looked up to my brother. The bodies were identified asJoseph, Summer, Joseph Mateo, and Gianani McStay. Doctors couldnt diagnose the energy-sapping condition and according to his close friend, Chase Merritt, he started to suspect that his fiery wife may have something to do with it. I did not know any of that part, Blake said. The McStay family disappeared from their San Diego County home in 2010. "Not natural causes; there was intent here.". I did not do this thing.. Summers sister: My sister walked with a passion and purpose. [3] Merritt was charged with four counts of murder, and the district attorney sought the death penalty. "So unnatural. 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. "The gruesome and brutal details of the crime that you committed are his family," she said to Merritt. The mother of Joseph McStay wept on the witness stand Tuesday as she recounted the moment in November 2013 when she learned the remains of her son, his wife, and their boys aged 3 and 4,. 'It's like they went poof,' Susan recalled. [14], The circumstances surrounding the family's disappearance and the lack of clues about their whereabouts triggered speculation by amateur sleuths. [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. But the details of this case go back decades and has many twists and turns. [30] On May 4, the case was scheduled to go to trial in July 2018. Joseph McStay's mother Susan Blake addresses the court during the sentencing of Charles Chase Merritt on Jan. 21, 2020. An acquaintance of Merritt's told a San Diego reporter, "I think police should look at him and anyone associated with him. They slept in the same bed, but were never intimate. A small public memorial was held Wednesday afternoon in honor of the McStay family, a couple and their two young sons whose bodies were discovered last week in the Mojave Desert. Charles "Chase" Merritt appears at his sentencing hearing in San Bernardino, California, on Jan. 21, 2020. 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. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. Two days later, two sets of remains were officially identified as those of Joseph and Summer McStay. After Joseph, along with his wife and kids, suddenly went missing in February 2010, the authorities didn't have many leads. He was in the hospital for a couple of weeks, and on the (February) 4, he was talking to my mother and he had to pull over when he was driving home because he felt vertigo type symptoms.'. "We don't run this circus. The bodies of the McStay family were found buried in the Mojave desert in 2013, three years after the family vanished from their home in San Diego County. when an off-road motorcyclist came across them in the Mojave Desert, New weekly farmers market opens in Cardiff, Dierks Bentleys Gravel & Gold tour coming to San, Vehicle pursuit prompts lane closures on SR-76, SD animal sanctuary rescues cougar orphanedin car, 2 critically injured in head-on collision, Teenage bicyclist hurt in hit-and-run crash, Experts explain concerns, benefits from CA storms, Best deals of Presidents Day weekend 2023, Forgot about Valentines Day? 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.,. Princess Diana's nieces Lady Eliza and Amelia share Do not sell or share my personal information. 'You had a choice. The 30 Best Shows on Netflix for Kids. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. [4], On June 10, 2019, a San Bernardino County jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. "It marked my kids.". 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. Trademark and Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. Joseph McStay; his wife, Summer; and their two children, Gianni and Joseph Mateo, have not been heard from since the night of Thursday, February 4, 2010. Oscar Cainer tells all, How to dress like a grown up: Trust me, loose fit can be flattering, says Shane Watson, Anti-agers no one but you needs to know about,Inge Van Lotringen tells all. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. [7] Summer was born Virginia Lisa Aranda, and had also been known as Summer Martelli. I just spoke to the prosecuting attorney in the Merritt case. During her morning testimony, Blake also described heated arguments between Merritt and Dan Kavanaugh, both business partners in McStays decorative fountain business. The case initially puzzled. I even went to the hospital with him to try and see what was wrong; we thought maybe it was stress.'. Were just the clowns, - Britt Imes. '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. How could you beat two precious little babies? I see its written, yes, she answered, confirming it was her signature. As court resumed, the judge said Maline had made yet another motion: to disqualify this judge from ruling on the remaining motion to reduce Merritt's sentence. 'He told me he was in a hurry because he had a lunch meeting,' the dad told Killer Motive host Troy Roberts. Patrick said, "I truly believe she loved my son. On February 23, 2010, detectives notified Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, to be on the lookout for the family heading to Mexico. 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. They also linked him to a call seeking to close Joseph McStay's online bookkeeping account. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts. (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. Michael McStay's wife spoke next, talking about the pain her family and husband live with every single day. Alex Murdaugh Is Guilty! Charles "Chase" Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of his former business associate, Joseph McStay, 40. The judge has been speaking for the last hour - and still going, reviewing in slow, excruciating detail certain facts of the case. Note:A previous version of this story misidentified the prosecutor who questioned Michael McStay. Six victim impact statements were heard before Merritt got a chance to speak at the continued sentencing hearing Tuesday. Merritt said the people responsible for the slayings are still free. Who killed the McStay family? 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. The skeletal remains of the McStay family were found near Victorville in 2013 and Merritt was arrested a year later. Then a few people started putting the idea in his head that maybe Summer was behind it. Charles Chase Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStays wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year-old sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr. "[25], On November 5, 2014, detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department arrested Merritt in connection with the deaths of the McStay family after discovering that his DNA had been recovered from their car. 2023.03.03 04:09 oz2usa I'm so bummed out after realising my diagnosis made a few years ago is legitimate. "Ultimately, I hope to be a father and when I am, I will hold my children close," he continued. 'This despicable, evil monster. This world was robbed of four beautiful souls. The hearing, which consumed more than 10 hours, concluded with several emotional statements from McStay's mother, brother, in-laws and surviving son, as well as from Merritt himself, who . In the book, he speculated that Summer might have committed the murders. 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. [4] On June 10, 2019, a jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. Chase Merritt sobs and says I did not do this thing. [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. 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.. [1] At 8:28 pm, a call was placed from Joseph's cell phone to his business associate, Charles "Chase" Merritt, which went to voicemail. - The mysterious disappearance of Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two sons in February 2010 raised a lot of questions. Susan said they would stop in little towns that had just a gas station and a grocery store to post flyers. The trial in the downtown San Bernardino Justice Center is before Judge Michael A. Smith. Officers arrived at the home and requested a search warrant, executed on February 19, 2010. Ultimately, officials determined it was not the McStay family in that video. A judge denied a motion to reduce Charles Merritt's sentencing from the death penalty to life in prison wihtout parole in the killings of Summer McStay, Gianni McStay and Joseph McStay Jr. Michael McStay talks about how much he misses his brother Joseph McStay at Merritt's sentencing. 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 next week, deputies released a video of a group of people similar to the McStay family entering Mexico hand in hand through the pedestrian gate around 7 p.m. on February 8, 2010, the same day their vehicle was towed. Indian lodge motel in joseph oregon. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. Their remains were eventually discovered in the Mojave Desert near Victorville, California, about 100 miles from their home. Jurors in San Bernardino. And while he does not believe Summer was directly involved, he will dedicate a significant amount of the book to her behavior and the couples relationship. I was just trying to keep the customers or whoever was calling calm and hopefully to keep the business going. She also touched on the media attention and pressures her family has coped with for years, including questions from strangers. Patrick McStay was there, too, along with other members of the McStay family, including Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay. She really didnt like anyone being around Joseph and the family other than herself and a very small, selective group of people. He has been the entertainment editor, a features writer, a business writer and is now a courts and breaking news reporter. In late November 2009, the family moved to Fallbrook, California, for a fresh start in a peaceful and friendly neighborhood. But despite that public front, I know, prior to their disappearance they had not had sex in more than a year. Two Shallow Graves takes a look at the murders of the McStay family: Joseph, Summer and their two young boys, followed by the shocking trial . 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. Merritt later told police that he ignored the voicemail because he was watching a movie. Joseph and Summer McStay were found buried in shallow desert graves along with their two young sons nearly four years after they vanished from their suburban California home (San Bernardino. Joseph was his older brother, by three years, two months, three days, he toldSan Bernardino County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Britt Imes. And that those sounds haunt you, Chase, he said. All of the motions were denied. Smith ordered Merritt transferred to San Quentin State Prison until an execution date is scheduled. After three years of suspicion, the family's bones were discovered in a desert over a hundred miles from their house. We used to speak to each other 10 or 12 times almost every day and we would talk about absolutely everything. 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. Il avait t le premier dplorer la disparition de Joseph McStay et sa famille , en fvrier 2010. "You had a choice. On February 19, California police notified Interpol to be on the lookout for the family. Merritt also says Summer had a terrible temper and would often snap at her husband over completely insignificant things. Merritt was supposed to be sentenced last Friday, Jan. 17, but dramatic twists, turns, and delays prevented that from happening as planned. 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. I just dropped me to my knees I will never go back to that spot, she told San Bernardino County Deputy District AttorneyMelissa Rodriguez. His mother was not available to speak to MailOnline about Merritt's latest revelations. Chase Merritt, 62, is facing a potential death sentence, or life in prison. The McStays have deep Orange County ties, Cirignani said. I believe that [Joseph] trusted Chase and believed in Chase. Just a monster. - Susan Blake, Joseph McStays mother. "I loved Joseph. Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. You just do what you can for your son, and your family, she said. Merritt was transferred to San Quentin State Prison until an execution date is scheduled. Authorities said they traced his cellphone to the gravesite area. In July 2015, Merritt's defense attorney filed a request to have the case dismissed because of the wording used by the prosecution when the charges were filed. "I did not do this thing. Blake said, speaking to Merritt. 'We went all the way down to Cabo because at first they said there were sightings, and then we just took the car and went north. The book will be released later this year. Mystery at the Border: With Christopher Crutchfield Walker, Joseph McStay, Summer McStay, Gianni McStay. Obviously there wasnt money coming in, cause I was paying for money going out., So to your knowledge, Maline said, there is no money coming in, or you didnt learn of any money coming in.. 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. [35], Last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:11, "Business partner arrested in McStay family slaying, desert burial", "Trial underway for man accused of killing 4 from San Diego", "Charles Merritt Sentenced to Death for Killing McStay Family, Burying Their Bodies in Mojave Desert", "Authorities distribute 'endangered missing' flier pertaining to missing McStay family", "Buried bodies identified as members of missing McStay family", "Man last phoned by McStay father says he took polygraph test", "Author of McStay book criticized by victim's family", "After discovery, mystery of McStay family's disappearance deepens", "Investigators say Missing McStay family left voluntarily", "McStay Family Update: FBI Joins Search for Missing Family", "Search for Missing Fallbrook family continues", "McStay family Mystery: Who is Chase Merritt", "Tentative trial date set for McStay family murder suspect 'Chase' Merritt", "Backlash over book's new theory on McStay murders", "Merritt attorneys want McStay case dismissed", "McStay family murder suspect Charles 'Chase' Merritt fires attorneys", "McStay family murder suspect Charles 'Chase' Merritt wants new attorneys", "San Bernardino judge allows McStay family murder suspect to have more case files in his cell", "Lawyers for defendant in McStay family murder case want some evidence tossed", "San Bernardino judge delays ruling in bid to exclude key evidence in McStay family murder case", Charles Merritt Found Guilty Of Slaying McStay Family, "Jury recommends death penalty for man who killed McStay family", "Southern California man sentenced to death for killing family of 4", "ID's Two Shallow Graves: How did Charles "Chase" Merritt know the McStay family and where is he now? [2] In April 2013, the San Diego Sheriff's Department announced that they believed that the McStays traveled to Mexico voluntarily.[18]. "It didn't just mark me that day," Michael McStay said. Defense attorney Rajan Maline produced a check to Merritt for $3,300 that was issued in April 2010 and signed by Blake, not on her personnel account, but on an account for Earthinspiredproducts.com. [5], 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). "I hope you burn in Hell," he told the man convicted of killing his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. He played a portion of "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum in court, saying he was making good on a promise he made to Summer McStay many years ago. Arguing, and Dan just wasnt going to budge, she said. Joseph McStay, de 40 aos, su mujer, Summer, de 43, y sus hijos Gianni, de 4, y Joseph Jr., de 3, desaparecieron de su casa en Fallbrook, California, el 4 de febrero de 2010 DESAPARICIN The disappearance of the McStay family - Joseph, 41, Summer, 43, Gianni, 4, and Joey Jr., 3 - occurred in 2013, when they vanished without a trace from their California home. She would fawn over him and call him, her Joseppi. I dont remember bouncing a check, she said. "It's not just a Netflix documentary to us. 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 The mother of Joseph McStay wept on the witness stand Tuesday as she recounted the moment in November 2013 when she learned the remains of her son, his wife, and their boys aged 3 and 4, missing for more than three years, had been found buried in the High Desert near Victorville. De Atley is a Cal State Long Beach graduate with a double major in journalism and political science. June 10, 2019 Merritt is found guilty of murdering the McStay family. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. 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. Testimony in the trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday. During that period, she got an early-morning call from someone in Saudi Arabia, demanding his fountain, she recalled. 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. [29] Merritt's attorney filed a motion in San Bernardino Superior Court on April 7, 2018, arguing that Joseph's business and accounting records were hearsay evidence and therefore inadmissible. Radio host Rick Baker published a book, No Goodbyes: The Mysterious Disappearance of the McStay Family. 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. 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.". Watch live on social media with @fox5sandiego pic.twitter.com/jm1tgT66R2, Jeff McAdam (@JeffMcAdamTV) January 21, 2020, The victims family members, meanwhile, dismissed Merritt as, in the words of McStays mother, Susan Blake, a despicable, evil monster.. [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. He said: Summer was a very self-centered, self-obsessed person with an awful temper. The family disappeared without a trace in February 2010. Arent you tired? Why? Imes asked, and Michael broke down on the witness stand. A year later,Charles 'Chase' Merritt, who was a partner in Joseph's water-fountain business, was arrested for bludgeoning the married couple and their children to death inside their home in Fallbrook because he owed them $30,000. On Monday, more than four years since his arrest in connection with the slayings, the family's accused killer, Charles "Chase" Merritt, is scheduled to go on trial on murder charges in San.

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