The investigation revealed that Chase was a gambling addict who owed Joseph about $42,000. So, lets find out what happened then, shall we? He found no signs of a break-in, except for a partially open window, which he used to get into the house. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Live Blog: The McStay Family Murder Trial | Law & Crime On February 4, 2010,Summer McStay, her husbandJoseph, and their young sonsGianni andJoseph Jr.disappeared from San Diego, California. 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. Autopsy Photos. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. June 10, 2019 Merritt is found guilty of murdering the McStay family. One of those suspects, Charles Chase Merritt, was convicted of the murders in 2019 and remains on death row in California. Lots of peoples names came up, and lots of different theories came up, executive producer Jacinda A Davis tells The Independent. Even more troubling, a QuickBooks customer service representative told investigators he remembered an unsettling call from a man claiming to be Joseph McStay who wanted to completely delete his account and all information on the account, but Hanke said the phone used to call the customer service line had belonged to Merritt, not Joseph. 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. Summers passport was expired and investigators could not find any records that she had applied for a new one. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. It wasnt until November 2013 that the case moved forward. Cell phone records placed Merritt in the desert where the bodies were ultimately discovered just two days after the family disappeared. 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 . Nicole Berte Murder: Where is Randy Lee Bode Now. The autopsy report details the pathologist's findings.. Merritt is charged with murdering the McStay family of four in February 2010 in San Diego County. On Thursday, February 4, the last day that the McStay family was heard from, Joseph attended regular work meetings. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Josephs brother found no sign of the family, so he left a note for the person feeding the dogs and asked them to call him, as he was concerned about his family. At that time, no one knew what happened to the family. Merritt had previously worked with Joseph McStay, who owned and ran the Earth Inspired Products decorative fountain company. 0. Charles "Chase" Merritt, left, reacts after being found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder of the McStay family, in San Bernardino Superior Court in San Bernardino on June 10. According to reports, denying his involvement in the murders, Merritt told the court. For years, that was the prevailing belief among law enforcement. She adds that she still thinks one of the other suspects was involved in the brutal kilings. They had a loving circle of friends and family, enjoyed taking trips and watching their young sons grow and learn. 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. However, the rest of the family thought it was unusual for them to just leave so abruptly. To learn more about the case, tune into Monday's episode of "American Greed" at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CNBC. Jun 15, 2015 Merritt has said there is no direct evidence linking him to the crime scene.. 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. This led to speculation that the family may have willingly fled the country. 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. 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. Each is holding the hand of a child. The deaths have been ruled a homicide. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Merritt would also make a bold claim about his last contact with Joseph. At the time, Joseph owned an online company named Earth Inspired Products that sold decorative water fountains. The family of four had just moved into their Southern California home when they vanished on the night of Feb. 4, 2010. The discovery of the McStay family's remains in November 2013 brought an end to more than three years of speculation regarding what happened to them. The McStay family of Fallbrook were last heard from or seen on Feb. 4, 2010. The murders were as gruesome as they were shocking. Everything to Know About the Murdaugh Family Murders, Including Alex's Conviction, The McStay Mystery: A Family's Tragic End, Man Killed Business Associate, Wife and Kids Before Burying Their Remains in Calif. Desert, Detective Testifies in Court He Found No Evidence McStay Family Was Killed Inside Their Home. San Bernardino judge allows "generic" McStay family photo to be used at The missing persons flier for the McStay family. In an email Thursday, sheriffs Lt. Sarkis Ohannessian declined to comment, citing the ongoing criminal case. Summer McStay may have been raped before she was killed, buried in Sheriffs investigators arrested Charles Chase Merritt, 60, of Homeland, in November 2014. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Detectives said Merritt had grown up in the area and was familiar with the terrain. Similarly, on February 6, his phone pinged off of towers in Victorville, placing him at the burial site. 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. But there was an astonishing number of other people whod had significant run-ins with the McStays, according to the new series. 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. 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. A 3-pound sledgehammer was found with the bodies . Two Shallow Graves will shed fresh insight into Merritt's disputed murder trial by gaining unprecedented access to both Merritt's defense and prosecution teams. The remains were identified as the McStay familys and were buried in two shallow graves. McStay Memorial Erected In . In addition, neither of the children had passports. McStay family murder: 4-year-old was struck 7 times on head Merritt, who faces the death penalty if convicted, has pleaded not guilty to the crimes. 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. There was a couple bowls of I believe popcorn that it looked like the boys were eating, possibly watching TV. On February 10, 2010, Josephs business partner, Charles Chase Merritt, asked the authorities to check on the family, but an officer felt nothing was amiss. 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. Around about February 4, 2010, the McStay family, Joseph, 40; his wife, Summer, 43; and their . 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. Initial investigation revealed that the family car was found at around 11 pm on February 8, 2010, in a parking lot close to the US-Mexico border in San Ysidro, California. McStay family murder investigation: Court records unsealed Today, he is still imprisoned at San Quentin State Prison and on death row. Chase Merritt found guilty of murdering McStay family, burying bodies Merritt told investigators that on Feb. 4, 2010, the day the family disappeared, Merritt and McStay met for lunch at a Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga for a business meeting. Randi Kaye discusses her investigation into the murder of the McStay family, including her interview with "Chase" Merritt In 2019, Charles "Chase" Merritt was accused of killing Joseph McStay's family during his trial for the murders. 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. McStay Family Murders Case Timeline: What To Know | Crime News In 2018, the trial was postponed again so that his current defense attorney could do more investigating, Merritt remained jailed without bail. Everything. Witnesses say those checks were backdated to the last day the family was seen. The McStay Family Disappearance and Murder. At 30 seconds into the video, note the man and woman entering from lower left of screen. The family consisted of Joseph McStay, 40, the father and co-owner of a company that built custom, high . McStay murders: A man is on death row for the brutal killings of a 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. 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 . That changed in November 2013, when the bodies were found in the desert along with a sledgehammer believed to be the 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. Home; . On Jan. 21, 2020, Merritt was sentenced to life in prison and given the death penalty. 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. He tried to deflect the cops by claiming that Summer suffered from anger issues and that Joseph had failing health. In 2020, Merritt was sentenced to death following a conviction on four murder counts. Judge Michael A. Smith determined there Investigators also discovered that the same car had been towed on February 8 for a parking violation near the Mexican border. Josephs business partner, Chase, claimed to have met him for a lunch meeting on the afternoon of February 4, 2010. Skip to main content. 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. 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. 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. Merritt used the money to fuel his gambling addiction at nearby casinos, in which he lost thousands of dollars. McStay Family Mystery Sent Radio Host on International Hunt Another two points would put us in good . But the killer remained a mystery until investigators uncovered a disturbing clue they said pointed them toward Joseph McStays close friend and business associate, Charles Chase Merritt. 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. What Happened to the McStays, Who Vanished 3 Years Before They Were Found Buried in the Desert? Two Shallow Graves airs Sunday from 9/8c on Investigation Discovery. 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.. There were no signs of foul play, but the fact that they had left the car and toys four days after leaving home, so close to the Mexican border was bizarre. But jurors disagreed and Merritt was convicted and later sentenced to death for the slayings in January 2020. 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. Merritt's girlfriend gives him an alibi, but the prosecution attempts to discredit her . Charles Chase Merritt Sentencing for 2010 Disappearance and Murder of The family had been savagely beaten to death. Our priority is picking up the points as soon as we can. Merritt insists on his innocence in the face of the prosecution's evidence, raising the question: Did Merritt murder the McStay family? 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 . 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. Lee Harvey Oswald autopsy photo. Morbid Tourism does not recommend visiting the area after dark, as it can be dangerous at times. Border Surveillance Video (Possibly the McStay Family) - San Diego Merritt is accused of killing his former business associate, Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer, and their two small children on Feb. 4, 2010. District Attorneys Office spokesman Christopher Lee declined to comment Thursday, saying it would be inappropriate given the ongoing criminal case. Warrants reveal details of McStay family murder investigation Investigation Discovery's 'Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of murdering Joseph McStay and his family. Jan 2, 2018 By all accounts, Joseph McStay, age 40, and his wife Summer, age 43, were happy and living the American dream.. 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. 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A motorcyclist found human remains in a desert near Victorville, California. Business associate found guilty of killing McStay family - CNN Woman is wearing light colore. Prosecutors say Merritt owed McStay more than $42,000. 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. 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. There were also incisions in her bra that lead investigators to believe it was cut off, the motion states. On June 10, 2019, a San Bernardino County jury found Charles 'Chase' Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family and recommended that he be sentenced to death. About three days later, Josephs brother, Mike, got into the house through an open window and saw that the pet dogs were still at home but no sign of the family. He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. McStay Murder Suspect Chase Merritt Has Heart Condition, Lawyer Says . The San Diego Sheriffs Department even posted footage of a family that resembled the McStays walking across the border to Mexico. The video shows a male adult and a child walking in front of a female adult with another child. Man Convicted Of Killing Couple, Their 2 Sons, 10 Years After Family's Two Shallow Graves: The McStay Family Murders - IMDb Dogmatika Justin Popovic Pdf Download, 2020 Wondershare Dr.Fone Toolkit For IOS And Android 10.7.2.324 Crack Application Ful, Mikis_theodorakis_zorba_the_greek_free BEST_mp3_, Karuvelam Pookkal (Creatures Of Darkness) 3gp Full Movie Download germmah, [PATCHED] Waves Mercury Bundle Mac Download Crack, MixDrop - Watch Insegnami_tu_Babbo valeainjus, Dreamweaver Cs3 ((LINK)) Free Download Full Version Mac. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. 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. Prosecutors contend, among other things, that the jury is entitled to put a face to the remains of the McStay family, and that the jury has a right to know of whom the witnesses are talking about, McGee noted in another motion the defenses response to the prosecutions opposition motion, filed on Thursday. 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. 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. Investigation Discovery's 'Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, the man who [] Publicly Merrittwho had several prior convictions on his recordclaimed to be Josephs best friend. In 2014, he completed a fellowship at Loyola Law School's Journalist Law School program. 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. On February 15, the family reported them missing, and the authorities searched the house. The McStays 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. So, lets find out what happened then, shall we? ID's Two Shallow Graves: How did Charles "Chase" Merritt know the But privately, investigatorsnoticed Merritt had displayed some concerning behavior after the family disappeared. Man convicted of killing McStay family sentenced to death Their disappearance was widely reported by the national news media. In January 2010, just days before the disappearance, the home computer was used to search for passport requirements for kids traveling to Mexico. 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 . They were actually written several days after the family disappeared and backdated to make it appear as though theyd been issued before the family vanished. In December 2009, Summer inquired about buying software to learn Spanish. There were no signs of foul play or any forced entry. The caller lacked the necessary passcodeto delete the account and the customer service representative was unable to carry out his requestleaving the damaging information for investigators to discover later. 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. 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. A motorcyclist found human remains in a desert near Victorville, California. Her disappearance was widely reported in the national news media. Investigators searched for passport records of the family, and discovered that Joseph had a valid passport that had not been used before or after the disappearance. GUILTY. People. Otherwise, the family looked identical to the McStays. PEOPLE Explains: How the McStay Family Disappeared Into the Desert but Who Killed Them? 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 has said there is no direct evidence linking him to the crime scene. Key prosecution evidence 'flopped' in McStay family murder case Witnesses also testified that Merritt cashed checks written from Joseph McStay's business account days after McStay and his family vanished. Two Shallow Graves: The McStay Family Murders: With Suzanne Armstrong, Tony Azzaro, Taylor Jarvis, Shawn Patrick Murphy. Prosecutors claim that the McStays were murdered by Merritt for . However, a new discovery on border surveillance video changed the course of the investigation. While Summer stayed home to take care of the children, she planned to go to work soon. Read More:Nicole Berte Murder: Where is Randy Lee Bode Now? Jaroslav Jerry Hanel had tormented the Diamond Head neighborhood of Honolulu, HI, for years, but one day, he completely snapped and murdered landlord, Lois Cain, shot two responding police officers, and set fire to the neighborhood. Summer had stated that she felt that Mexico was too unsafe and that she would never go willingly. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Maria Carvalho (Providence, Rhode Island), who passed away on March 3, 2023. Merritt, a business associate of Joseph McStay, was arrested in 2014. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph McStay's business partner, and intended to charge him with the murders.