Witnesses say those checks were backdated to the last day the family was seen. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. 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. It was sort of one sort of absurdity after the other, Kevin Fitzpatrick, an executive producer of Two Shallow Graves, tells The Independent. Victim(s): Joseph McStay, Summer McStay, Joseph McStay Jr, Gianni McStay, . Be the first one to comment on this story. 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. 1:22. SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - He wrote a book on the McStay case, but an investigative author is expressing shock over the tragic new twist in the case. They were living at Fallbrook and simply listed as missing. 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. 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. Buried in the Desert: Was a Family Friend Their Killer? Reportedly, on January 21, 2020, Merritt was convicted of his crime and issued a sentence of life in prison and the death penalty. The authorities initially believed this was the McStay family because of a few other things that came to light. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. After a four-month trial, nine years after the McStay killings . 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. Around about February 4, 2010, the McStay family, Joseph, 40; his wife, Summer, 43; and their two sons, Gianni, 4, and Joey Jr., 3, disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, Ca. However, a breakthrough in the case came in November 2014 when the cops found Merritts DNA on the steering wheel of McStays car. 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. Source: wikipedia | CBS News |. Photos of McStay Family Murder . His trial hadn't even begun until January 2019 after he reportedly fired multiple attorneys as he tried to represent himself. A family photo shows Joseph McStay, his wife Summer and sons Gianni and Joseph. On a seemingly inconsequential day in early 2010, Mr McStay had a conversation with his father and told him he had a lunch meeting. While there were no signs of forced entry, it seemed like the McStays left in a hurry. The defendant faces four counts of murder and the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. 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 remains of Joseph Jr., 3, were so minimal that a cause of death could not be determined, San Bernardino . Because of the lack of furniture and the state of the home amidst renovations, it was difficult to determine whether or not there had been a struggle. One of those suspects, Charles Chase Merritt, was convicted of the murders in 2019 and remains on death row in California. Furthermore, Chase wrote several checks on the online business starting February 5; he then went to a few casinos to spend that money. There is reportedly a DNA match that links Merritt to the McStay vehicle, which was found in San Ysidro near the U.S.-Mexico border. He seemed caught off guard, like Oh, I didnt realize I was doing that, San Bernardino County District AttorneyBritt Imes tellsAmerican Greed.. How did four people end up here in the middle of nowhere, over 100 miles from where they live? he asked. On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . 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. 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. A 3-pound sledgehammer was found with the bodies . With trial footage, and with getting access to Merrit and to the prosecution and to the defense attorneys, I think we were able to creat a much more intimate picture for an audience that gives you the whole story, Mr Fitzpatrick says. This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this . McStay Memorial Erected In . 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 . People. In addition, neither of the children had passports. 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. Joseph's brother expressed his sorrow, saying. Joseph and Summer McStay vanished from their . Similarly, on February 6, his phone pinged off of towers in Victorville, placing him at the burial site. The sledge hammer is the likely murder weapon. 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. However, the rest of the family thought it was unusual for them to just leave so abruptly. 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. On Jan. 21, 2020, Merritt was sentenced to life in prison and given the death penalty. CNN. I think that, when this show airs, so many people know the case Theres going to be a lot of debate. Arrest in slaying of . Photo: McStay Family/ZUMA. 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. This gave him a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home, so he could spend more time with his family. 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. But jurors disagreed and Merritt was convicted and later sentenced to death for the slayings in January 2020. The four-year-old Gianni had suffered a shocking seven blows to the head. 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. An attorney eventually represented Merritt, and the jury decided in favor of the victims. Summer will be forever missed by her family and many friends. Surveillance footage from the border from a few hours prior seemed to show a family of four crossing the border. uncovered the bodies of all four McStay family members, he was arrested by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office. Judge Michael A. Smith determined there Please be respectful of the memorial and do not leave any trash when you . The McStays I never settled on anybody. 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. The McStay Family Memorial is located in a very rural desert area directly north of the I-15 Stoddart Wells/Quary Rd exit. 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. 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 . The McStays looked like the All-American family living the dream. Randi Kaye discusses her investigation into the murder of the McStay family, including her interview with "Chase" Merritt 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.. Merritt used the money to fuel his gambling addiction at nearby casinos, in which he lost thousands of dollars. Defense attorney Rajan Maline has continued to proclaimhis clients innocence, arguing there's no physical evidence linking Merritt to themurder scene. Therefore, since the identities of the victims need not andcannot be confirmed by visual inspection or photograph, any photographs of the victims are not relevant to prove or refute a disputed fact.. How do you do that?. 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. On February 15, the family reported them missing, and the authorities searched the house. But several family members did not believe that the man in the video was Joseph. Two Shallow Graves airs Sunday from 9/8c on Investigation Discovery. Who Killed The McStay Family? 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. 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. The remains were identified as the McStay familys and were buried in two shallow graves. Josephs father Patrick McStay, however, continues to be haunted by Merritts dark deeds. Photographer Behind Iconic Princess Diana Funeral Photos Reflects on Intimate Moments From Service. They had a loving circle of friends and family, enjoyed taking trips and watching their young sons grow and learn. In late November 2009, the family moved to Fallbrook, California, for a fresh start in a peaceful and friendly neighborhood. 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. On February 4, 2010,Summer McStay, her husbandJoseph, and their young sonsGianni andJoseph Jr.disappeared from San Diego, California. 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. Merritt was arrested for the family's killings the following year, when his DNA was discovered inside the family vehicle, dumped near the border, and fake company checks traced back to him. 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 . 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. 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. Two Shallow Graves on ID is examining the tragic murders of the McStay family, who were butchered by business associate Charles Chase Merritt, and buried in the desert near Victorville, California, in 2010. 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. and a close friend of the family falls under suspicion. They recognized that the children and Summer were the people in the video, but Josephs mother believed that if the man in the video were Joseph, his hair would have been much bushier. Prosecutors said he bludgeoned the family to death with a sledgehammer. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph McStay's business partner, and intended to charge him with the murders. Kevin McStay (Mayo): "There's a lot of teams that will beat each other before this League is over. The murders were as gruesome as they were shocking. The McStay Family Memorial is located in a very rural desert area directly north of the I-15 Stoddart Wells/Quary Rd exit. January 30, 2015 / 2:32 PM / CBS News. 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. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and it appeared they were tortured before they were killed.
