(File photo by Kurt Miller, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG), In this file photo Susan Blake, mother of Joseph McStay, breaks down while speaking at a press conference at the San Bernardino Sheriff Headquarters on Friday, Nov. 7, 2014. He was sentenced to the death penalty for the slayings of Joseph McStay's wife, Summer McStay, 43, and the couple's two sons, Gianni McStay, 4, and Joseph McStay, Jr., 3. 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 . Le 9 fvrier 2010, il avait envoy un courrier lectronique au pre de Joseph McStay, alertant de la disparition de son associ : Je n'ai pas de nouvelles de Joe. Two days later, two sets of remains were officially identified as those of Joseph and Summer McStay. Indian lodge motel in joseph oregon | | I'm so bummed out after She had once told him she wanted that song played at her funeral. Joseph McStay - Biography - IMDb He was in a really bad way. Ultimately, officials determined it was not the McStay family in that video. #nbc7 https://t.co/5tmfTOuzsD. Patrick McStay was there, too, along with other members of the McStay family, including Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay. 'It's like they went poof,' Susan recalled. While Merritt does not think Summer was directly involved, he has revealed she treated Joseph horrendously in the years before they went missing. Trademark and Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. Joseph McStay owned a custom fountain business and worked with Merritt. Who killed the McStay family? | CNN [32] On June 24, the jury recommended that Merritt be sentenced to death. According to state records, Merritt had felony convictions for burglary and receiving stolen property. Merritt sentenced to death for McStay family murders 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. ", 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. "It's not just a Netflix documentary to us. But he would not even entertain the idea of cheating on her. He always said, "I have messed up one family before, I will not be unfaithful and ruin another one". I dont remember bouncing a check, she said. Memorial erected for McStay family that was found dead in Victorville The bodies were identified asJoseph, Summer, Joseph Mateo, and Gianani McStay. Hes considering motion of insufficient evidence to support verdict. #McStay family visibly frustrated. Seven months later, on November 11, 2013, an off-road motorcyclist came across human remains in San Bernardino County's Mojave Desert. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. 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. Summer's sister stated that her passport was expired. I don't think so, and I truly hope not. 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. I even went to the hospital with him to try and see what was wrong; we thought maybe it was stress.'. 'I'm gonna get out the information and try to find them.'. 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. They told how the McStays Joseph, Summer and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 were bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer and buried in shallow graves in the high desert outside. Just a monster. - Susan Blake, Joseph McStays mother. The McStays, their two boys Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished in 2010, leaving food on the table and a massive mystery. [17] Because their car was found so close to the Mexican border, police reviewed surveillance footage of the pedestrian gate into Mexico. 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. (Will Lester . Merritt is charged with killing his business associate Joseph McStay; McStay's wife, Summer; and their 3- and 4-year-old sons. McStay family went missing nearly three years ago Surveillance video shows four people of similar size crossing into Mexico Relatives dispute author's claim that wife was involved in. Merritt was due to speak next. All rights reserved, Jury Recommends Death Penalty for Business Associate Convicted of Killing McStay Family, Business Partner Found Guilty in McStay Family Killings, Check Your Pockets: These Coins Can Be Worth Up To $24,000, Glendale Neighborhood Frustrated After an Illegal Hostel Moves In, NASA Images Show Southern California Mountains Before and After Winter Storm, Tax Deadlines Extended to October for Most Californians Due to Storms. What lack of sleep REALLY does to your face: Expert reveals the warning signs your skin is suffering, My Daily Horoscope: What does March 2nd hold for MY star sign? Joseph McStay has operated Earth Inspired Products, a waterfall and garden accessories business in San Clemente, since 1996, according. Where is Joseph McStay's Business Associate 'Dan - SpikyTV We are scarred for life., Its been almost 10 years and the pain hasnt subsided, she added. A lot of his close friends did not trust her and thought she treated him very badly. We used to speak to each other 10 or 12 times almost every day and we would talk about absolutely everything. He used to spend hours at a time talking on his mobile phone and it got to the stage where he was convinced he had a brain tumor. Working through prosecutor Rodriguezs objections, Maline asked Blake, Do remember if it bounced?. [24] When asked if he thought Merritt was a suspect, Joseph's father Patrick said, "I have to have faith in Chase because I have to have faith in my son. The home had no signs of forced entry. Merritt said the people responsible for the slayings are still free. The trial in the downtown San Bernardino Justice Center is before Judge Michael A. Smith. #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/usvvTgHitl. "I loved Joseph. 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. Gunfire at 7-Eleven stores killed a clerk in Brea and a 24-year-old man in Santa Ana and injured three others in La Habra and Riverside early Monday, July 11, authorities said. The judge has been speaking for the last hour - and still going, reviewing in slow, excruciating detail certain facts of the case. Ending my life for a crime that I did not commit," Merritt said. Joseph's father, Patrick McStay, told the Los Angeles Times in 2011. [10], Over the next several days, relatives of the McStays unsuccessfully tried to contact the family. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. [16], After their disappearance, it was speculated that the McStays left voluntarily since investigators found searches on the family's computers for "What documents do children need for traveling to Mexico?" Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. Father of Joseph McStay, whose remains and wife's were found this week after 2010 disappearance, calls San Diego Sheriff's Dept. His words were a precursor to the deep pain the rest of the McStay family's loved ones would share Tuesday in court. And that those sounds haunt you, Chase, he said. Patrick McStay has waited for this day, when he finally gets to speak in court, gets to speak for his slain son Joseph McStay, daughter-in-law Summer and two young grandsons. A neighbor's security camera was triggered at 7:47PM when the McStays . That family that went missing? Description. Charles Merritt was found guilty of murdering a family of four, and now the jury is recommending the death penalty. Merritt is accused of killing his former business associate, Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer, and their two small children on Feb. 4, 2010. Every time you hear a sound in prison or in a movie similar to the sounds you made that day when you murdered this family, I hope it rings loud in your ears. His son, Joseph, his daughter-in-law, Summer, and their two little boys, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 vanished. Merritt was convicted in June 2019 of the murders of his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer, and their 4- and 3-year-old sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr. (Irfan. Charles Chase Merritt, l'associ du pre de famille retrouv mort avec femme et . 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. Gov. Chase you are a low life coward and a baby killer. His attorney was arguing motions before Merritt was set to be sentenced. 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. McStay murders: A man is on death row for the brutal killings of a Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. Their bodies were not found until 2013, when an off-road motorcyclist came across them in the Mojave Desert. Three years later, no sign of missing family | CNN Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, PrettyLittleThing - Offers on women's clothing, Get inspired by the newest styles and offers, Click through for ASOS promo codes this Autumn, Spend less with Missguided's exclusive codes, Treat yourself to offers on make-up and accessories, Check out the latest Wayfair sale to save on furniture. Here are some last-minute, Best last-minute Valentines Day gifts for him, These are places to live on the West Coast, Scooter rider killed in crash near border identified, SD Co. Sheriff: 2022 inmate death now ruled a homicide, A new pirate-themed speakeasy has washed ashore in, This SD campground is among the best in America, CA extends tax deadline to Oct. 16 for disaster areas, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The back of the check said endorsement cancelled, he pointed out. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. He said: Summer was a very self-centered, self-obsessed person with an awful temper. McStay Family Murders: How Did They Die? Who Killed Them? No one can explain how a seemingly normal suburban family who only moved into their new home in Fallbrook, California, three months earlier, could be living a regular life one day and then vanish the next. 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Man convicted of killing McStay family sentenced to death Inside the Gruesome McStay Family Murder Case - Peoplemag 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. #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/Ojp02cg2cJ. I know the thought of leaving her crossed his mind, probably quite a lot, but he would never actually go through with it., The comments below have not been moderated, 'Insane' man who lived with his dead mother and stepfather for three days after murdering them recaptured one day after escaping from mental institution, Alabama pastor suspected of stabbing wife to death in July arrested as he tried to board flight to Germany, 'Jail food is cold, the water's bad and my cell doesn't have a microwave': Drug lord suspect writes to complain about prison conditions as he awaits trial, 'Can you imagine telling your four kids he's gone, then he turns up alive? , updated 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. At center is Erin McStay, Michaels wife. Crying for Mommy and Daddy? Charles "Chase" Merritt interrupted his attorney Friday during legal proceedings. 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.. Mother of McStay family murder victim: 'We'll never ever be the same Just a monster.". Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010. Crying for mommy and daddy? The evidence finally placing Merritt at the scene of the crime was his cellphone data, prosecutors said. Princess Diana's nieces Lady Eliza and Amelia share Do not sell or share my personal information. But what happened to Joseph McStay, 40, his 43-year-old wife, Summer, and sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3? SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. 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. Arent you tired, man? he asked. The comments below have not been moderated. Never again will we hear their voices. #mcstay #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/CGQmypfaZb. The bodies of Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife Summer, 43, along with their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, were found in a shallow grave in the desert north of Victorville in 2013. 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. He had this problem right up until the day he went missing. Then a few people started putting the idea in his head that maybe Summer was behind it. The impression I get is that Summer would use her sexuality to get attention and get what she wanted. 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 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. Do you remember writing that check? he asked. Three Weeks Later, Still No Sign of California's McStay Family May 23, 2022 Investigation Discovery's ' Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of murdering Joseph McStay and his family. Sentencing set Friday for man convicted of killing McStay family [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. Merritt was supposed to be sentenced last Friday, Jan. 17, but dramatic twists, turns, and delays prevented that from happening as planned. 09:19 EST 04 Jan 2014 Prosecutors say he bludgeoned them with a sledgehammer. He was given the death penalty for killing Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. Now, Merritt is on San Quentin Death Row. When the bodies were found, he offered a refund to those who purchased his book before November 2013. The details are shocking and nauseating to sit through.". Unsealed warrants: Chase Merritt owed Joseph McStay $30k The mother of Joseph McStay provided emotional testimony on the second day of the McStay murder trial. When their remains were unearthed, investigators also found a rusty sledgehammer that they said was used to kill the family. During her morning testimony, Blake also described heated arguments between Merritt and Dan Kavanaugh, both business partners in McStays decorative fountain business. June 10, 2019 Merritt is found guilty of murdering the McStay family. 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. '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. Lo que hay que saber sobre el caso de los asesinatos de la familia McStay Investigators testified they believed the victims were tortured before they were killed. Why? Imes asked, and Michael broke down on the witness stand. DNA samples were collected from the McSays' family, friends, and associates, but investigators couldn't get a search warrant to access their financial records because there was no evidence of a crime at the time. Sheriffs investigators believeSummer McStay may have been rapedbefore she was killed. But despite that public front, I know, prior to their disappearance they had not had sex in more than a year. Where Are Patrick and Michael McStay Now? - The Cinemaholic Huh? 2023.03.03 04:09 oz2usa I'm so bummed out after realising my diagnosis made a few years ago is legitimate. Maline spent several hours speaking before the judge. [3] Merritt was charged with four counts of murder, and the district attorney sought the death penalty. [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. Merritt and Kavanaugh both worked with McStays online business, Earth Inspired Products, which offered outdoor water fountains to customers. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Prosecutors are seeking the death. 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.. 'You Are a Baby Killer': Calif. Man Sentenced to Death for Killing #nbc7 https://t.co/muZXjqJBFT. 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. . She was obsessed with the idea of being Italian and that was her name for him. 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 . 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. 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. It cant be, Susan Blake testified after she regained herself. she said. 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. Nine years after the McStay family disappeared, their accused killer "It is my deepest desire in my own life not to spread pain and suffering," said a. Indiana Man Charged After Son In Diapers Points Gun At . 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. California man sentenced to death in killings of McStay family members The McStays have deep Orange County ties, Cirignani said. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Merritt who was once a person of interest in the familys 2010 disappearance claims some of Josephs friends started telling him to be careful around Summer, 43. 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,. The show features new suspects, witnesses, evidence, and theories regarding the case, as well as the trial from both the defendant's and prosecutor's points of view.