I did not do this.. Sheriffs investigators arrested Charles Chase Merritt, 60, of Homeland, in November 2014. Wright decided to hire Bobby and Willie Guillory to kill the couple in an attempt to claim their life insurance. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. The deaths have been ruled a homicide. Jan 2, 2018 By all accounts, Joseph McStay, age 40, and his wife Summer, age 43, were happy and living the American dream.. However, there was raw food left out, which seemed to indicate the family left in a hurry or had the intention to come back soon after. Merritt is documented as writing checks totaling $21,000 on McStays business account, after McStay went missing. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department has yet to release a . Inside The Gruesome McStay Family Murder Case. Judge Michael A. Smith determined there Summer will be forever missed by her family and many friends. A 3-pound sledgehammer was found with the bodies, which was believed to be the murder weapon. Another two points would put us in good . Reportedly, on January 21, 2020, Merritt was convicted of his crime and issued a sentence of life in prison and the death penalty. What to Know. 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. The police concluded that Merritt killed the family for financial gain; the killer had a severe gambling problem, and after the murders, he managed to gain some control of Josephs business accounts. Family members of the victims were emotional in court during the preliminary hearing Monday. Please logout and login again. The murders were as gruesome as they were shocking. The motive was greed and the murders were brutal. On February 9, when family and business partners hadnt heard from Joseph in five days, they sent a co-worker to the house to see if the familys beloved dogs were there. There was a couple bowls of I believe popcorn that it looked like the boys were eating, possibly watching TV. At that time, no one knew what happened to the family. The memorial is located about 200 feet west of Quary road and requires visitors to leave their car at Quary Road and walk east to the actual location. Furthermore, Josephs mother stated that the car had his asthma medication, and he never went anywhere without it. The sledge hammer is the likely murder weapon. 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. 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. Nicole Berte Murder: Where is Randy Lee Bode Now. Apr 20, 2020 Joan's husband, Hal Rogers, stayed behind to care for the family's dairy farm.. Joan, Michelle and Christe Rogers.. Photo Source: Crime 1.7k votes, 195 comments.. From the LA Times: "A jury Monday found a man guilty of bludgeoning a family of four and burying their bodies in shallow , Charles Ray Merritt has been sentenced to death for the murders of McStay family members, .. Just a monster.". Complete Murderpedia Autopsy Photos online with US Legal Forms.. .. Descargar Dmelect Gratis. Merritts trial has been delayed multiple times due to Merritt attempting to represent himself and repeatedly firing his attorneys, he has gone through five between November 2013 to February 2016. When Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two young sons disappeared from the family's Fallbrook, California home in February 2010, it was as if they'd simply vanished into thin air. 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 . Read More:Nicole Berte Murder: Where is Randy Lee Bode Now? 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. 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.". Case 7, McStay. Charles "Chase" Merritt, who has been convicted of killing the 4-member McStay family of Fallbrook and burying their remains in the San Bernardino County desert back in 2010, carries papers to . 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. 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. 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. In 2020, Merritt was sentenced to death following a conviction on four murder counts. 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. Then a biker in the Mojave Desert finds their bodies in shallow graves. 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. You can also watch "The McStay Family Mystery" on Oxygen's "Killer Motive.". 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. But there was an astonishing number of other people whod had significant run-ins with the McStays, according to the new series. A Family Vanishes: With Stacy Keach. I think its a story where people want answers, and this project is another step in trying to give people answers to what really happened.. The paint was still fresh on the walls, the corners bordered by blue painter . Your login session has expired. In the end, Merritt was represented by a defense attorney . I would follow all of these paths, but I never followed just one to the exclusion of the others., She says: To be honest, I was not disappointed when they arrested Chase [Merritt] but scared that perhaps [investigators] didnt look into the whole thing enough because of the fact that we found so much compelling stuff in these other peoples files.. And then there was another associate from Mr McStays work, the computer whiz who maintained the company website a man whod sent messages to MrMcStay essentially threatening to destroy the site and ruin the business. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The missing persons flier for the McStay family. The family of four had just moved into their Southern California home when they vanished on the night of Feb. 4, 2010. He was convicted in June 2019, however, and sentenced to death the following January. 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. Investigators believed that the family was willingly walking across the border, with no indication that they were in any distress. One of those suspects, Charles Chase Merritt, was convicted of the murders in 2019 and remains on death row in California. 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. Victim(s): Joseph McStay, Summer McStay, Joseph McStay Jr, Gianni McStay, . Randi Kaye discusses her investigation into the murder of the McStay family, including her interview with "Chase" Merritt 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. Buried in the Desert: Was a Family Friend Their Killer? 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.. He found rotting food and Mrs McStays prescription sunglasses; there was no sign of foul play. Merritt constantly denied he had anything to do with the crime. Autopsy Photos. Merritt has said there is no direct evidence linking him to the crime scene. 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. Case 8, Dorothy Scott The man convicted of killing a California family of four and burying them in the Mojave Desert nearly 10 years ago has been sentenced to death, San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael A . Even though Merritt was at one point representing himself, that is no longer the case. Cell phone records placed Merritt in the desert where the bodies were ultimately discovered just two days after the family disappeared. 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. He seemed caught off guard, like Oh, I didnt realize I was doing that, San Bernardino County District AttorneyBritt Imes tellsAmerican Greed.. According to reports, three years after their disappearance, the family's remains were unearthed in two shallow graves in a remote area of the California desert. Prosecutors claim that the McStays were murdered by Merritt for . Merrit himself, the producers say, was nervous to participate since he could not control the narrative. 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 . They were dressed similarly to the McStays, and the children were wearing hats similar to ones they had been photographed in. 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. Photo: McStay Family/ZUMA. Read Less Posted: Jan 23, 2015 / 12:29 PM PST I think, normally when you [look at] a case, youre like, Oh, there could be one or two people involved., There were potentially more than one or two people involved when we started this. We need to find the killer., For more on the tragic case that has baffled authorities pick up this weeks issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Monday. At that point, the investigation shifted from searching for missing persons to investigating a possible murder. Merritt insists on his innocence in the face of the prosecution's evidence, raising the question: Did Merritt murder the McStay family? Their children, Gianni and Joseph Jr., were 4 and 3, respectively. A motorcyclist found human remains in a desert near Victorville, California. Merritt's DNA was found on the steering wheel and gearshift, even though Merritt told detectives he had never driven that vehicle. Gas prices rise for 31st consecutive day in LA County, Carjacking victim comes face to face with suspect during wild chase, How Paul Murdaugh helped solve his own murder. At the beginning, hes like, I know this case better than the attorneys, Mr Fitpatrick adds. Watch the horrifying tale of the McStay family murders and the controversial trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt in ID's Two Shallow Graves, set to air this May 22, 2022. The family did not appear to have any plans to be gone that day. Josephs father Patrick McStay, however, continues to be haunted by Merritts dark deeds. The four-year-old Gianni had suffered a shocking seven blows to the head. The following year, police arrested Merritt, whod worked with Mr McStay in his custom waterfall business. So, lets find out what happened then, shall we? Nelson is a graduate of California State University Fullerton. When the partner arrived at the home, he found both dogs outside, with food in their bowls, which led them to believe that the family had gone out of town and had somebody caring for the dogs. 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 . 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. Arrest in slaying of . Michael's worst fears were realized. He was joined by his defense team: three attorneys from the High Desert. In an email Thursday, sheriffs Lt. Sarkis Ohannessian declined to comment, citing the ongoing criminal case. 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. 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. It was February 4, 2010, when the small village of Fallbrook, in San Diego County, was shaken by the disappearance of a whole family. While Joseph went to a work meeting, Summer spoke to her sister over the phone and planned to visit later. A California businessman has been sentenced to death for brutally murdering a family of four and then dumping their bodies in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert. The authorities also found Chases DNA on the steering wheel and the gearshift handle of the McStay family car; he had claimed earlier to have never driven that vehicle. Investigators also uncovered an email from Joseph dated Feb. 1, just days before the family disappeared, stating that Merritt owed him nearly $43,000. Two days later, the remains were identified as the McStay family. 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 . San Bernardino County Det. 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. GUILTY. Please be respectful of the memorial and do not leave any trash when you visit. Detectives said Merritt had grown up in the area and was familiar with the terrain. May she rest in eternal peace. To add a new type of media, please go to the Admin Console. That was when Charles Merritts story started falling apart and really gave us the motive, Hanke said. The ID series features new interviews with Merritt who, unsurprisingly, remains adamant that he is innocent as well as trial footage, interviews with legal teams and the McStays loved ones. 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. The seven-episode Two Shallow Graves premieres Sunday on Investigation Discovery and will be available to stream on discovery+. But after the family's nanny arrived with the children in New York later estranged husband's property the day after mom went missing, report says. Investigators are questioning everybody, Michael McStay tells PEOPLE. Two Shallow Graves is a seven-part docu-series that delves into the details of the case.The premiere . 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. McStay Family Murder Investigation: Search Warrants Unsealed, Reveal Details Of Fallbrook House. When you look at the totality of the picture, you just came right back to its Charles Merritt, Imes tellsAmerican Greed.. With heavy hearts, we announce the death of Maria Carvalho (Providence, Rhode Island), who passed away on March 3, 2023. Michaels worst fears were realized. 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. 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). He tried to deflect the cops by claiming that Summer suffered from anger issues and that Joseph had failing health. Merritt would also make a bold claim about his last contact with Joseph. Similarly, on February 6, his phone pinged off of towers in Victorville, placing him at the burial site. Their house didnt show any signs of a struggle, but it was clear they had left in a hurry; there was food left out on the counter, and their beloved pet dogs were left behind. Everything. Skip Ancestry navigation Main Menu Home 16 Rare Photos of Princess Diana. They were living at Fallbrook and simply listed as missing. The investigation revealed that Chase was a gambling addict who owed Joseph about $42,000. The McStay family murders occurred on or about February 4, 2010, after the family disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, United States. Merritt is accused of killing his former business associate, Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer, and their two small children on Feb. 4, 2010. It was sort of one sort of absurdity after the other, Kevin Fitzpatrick, an executive producer of Two Shallow Graves, tells The Independent. 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.