The case initially puzzled. California has not executed anyone since 2006. Chase, you are a low-life baby killer, Blake said as Merritt stared at her impassively. The car's location from February 4 to February 8 remains unknown. But the details of this case go back decades and has many twists and turns. They said that he wrote checks totaling more than $21,000 on Joseph's business account in the days after the family was killed and then went on a gambling spree at nearby casinos, where he lost thousands of dollars. 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. Everything with her seemed to be done for gain.. Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. Just a monster. And they told me they were also gone. 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. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. ", Chase Merritt watching and listening. Joseph was his older brother, by three years, two months, three days, he toldSan Bernardino County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Britt Imes. I'm so bummed out after realising my diagnosis made a few years ago is legitimate. Arent you tired? What about the little guys? "corrupt" . How to trick yourself slim: Top nutritionist reveals her tips including shrinking your cutlery, sniffing Meghan's (very expensive) date night look! 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. Chase you are a low life coward and a baby killer. 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. His face was stoic. #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/nZp6QeV6sQ, I dont know that I can ever explain the impact this man has had on my family, she said. ', Gruesome: The McStays' skeletal remains were unearthed along with a three-pound rusted sledgehammer believed to be the murder weapon, Crime: Charles 'Chase' Merritt, who was a partner in Joseph's water-fountain business, was arrested for the murders in 2014 and found guilty in 2019 (pictured), Criminal: In January 2020, Merritt was sentenced to death for bludgeoning the couple and their children to death inside their home because he owed them $30,000. How scared were they, Chase? How the Princess of Wales recreated her 2006 outfit from Prince William's Sandhurst graduation Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! After three years of suspicion, the family's bones were discovered in a desert over a hundred miles from their house. Six victim impact statements were heard before Merritt got a chance to speak at the continued sentencing hearing Tuesday. I would have never raised my hand for a woman or child. The McStays' disappearance from their serene San Diego-area community of Bonsall has since prompted an investigation by police who still have no idea what happened. 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. 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. Joseph loved to eat out anyway, but I know he made a real effort to eat away from his house after that.. Officers arrived at the home and requested a search warrant, executed on February 19, 2010. "Closer still because I know what it's like to lose people I love.". she said. Patrick McStay, Joseph McStay's father told CBS 8 in San Diego that authorities informed him two of the bodies found in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert on Monday were that of his son and his son's wife, Summer. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. It cant be, Susan Blake testified after she regained herself. [27] Merritt's trial was delayed as he had repeatedly fired his attorneys or attempted to represent himself. And if the truth be told, despite everything, he was still infatuated with Summer. He was sentenced to death and life in prison. Summers sister: My sister walked with a passion and purpose. On Friday, he. Ultimately, officials determined it was not the McStay family in that video. Merritt was supposed to be sentenced last Friday, Jan. 17, but dramatic twists, turns, and delays prevented that from happening as planned. Dont worry, your fate will be way less tragic than of the family you murdered.. Mike crawled through a window and discovered food rotting in the kitchen, and Summer's prescription sunglasses were also left on the table. But speaking on CNN in 2010 he said: 'My understanding was in the last year hed been having these vertigo type symptoms. They took none of their belongings, left $100,000 in the bank and even abandoned their beloved dogs. Merritt is charged with killing his business associate Joseph McStay; McStay's wife, Summer; and their 3- and 4-year-old sons. The McStay family murders occurred on or near February 4, 2010, after the family disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, United States; their bodies were found in the desert near Victorville, California, on November 13, 2013. Joseph's father, Patrick McStay, told the Los Angeles Times in 2011. Doves were . Don't worry, your fate will be way less tragic than that of the family you murdered. 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.. In further sensational claims, Merrits new book Afraid of the Light will detail how the couple were having major problems in their relationship and had not had sex for more than a year before they went missing. In the McStay family murders, Judge listens to arguments that sentence should be reduced from death penalty to life in prison without parole. So unnatural," he said. But despite that public front, I know, prior to their disappearance they had not had sex in more than a year. 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.,. Never again will we hear their voices. #mcstay #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/CGQmypfaZb. 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. Joseph and Summer McStay had two sons Gianni and Joseph Jr. Merritt has pleaded not guilty to the murders of McStay; McStay's wife, Summer, 43; 4-year-old son Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph Jr. During the lull, NBC 7 spoke with prosecuting attorney Britt Imes about the continuing delays. 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.. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. At that time, no one knew what happened to the family. By February 2016, he had gone through five attorneys. 'Some rough places, but you have had somebody stab me, it doesn't matter,' she noted. 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. The newly unsealed documents indicate Joseph McStay lent Chase Merritt money to cover a gambling debt before McStay and his family disappeared in February 2010. He was the last known person to see Joseph alive, during an hour-and-a-half long meeting in Rancho Cucamonga, California just hours before the family vanished into thin air. Joseph was 40 years old while his wife Summer was 43 making them a rather young family. The surviving McStay family members held an emotional memorial for. Investigators believe that Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons, 4-year-old Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph, were bludgeoned to death in their home in the San Diego County community of Fallbrook on Feb. 4, 2010, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said Friday. [2][12], On November 11, 2013, a dirt biker found four sets of human remains buried in two shallow graves in the desert near Victorville, California. Summer had also ordered a Spanish-language education program a few months prior to their disappearance. 'They actually thought that was really them going over the border on the video,' said Susan, who was skeptical but still headed to Mexico to search for her family. [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? Joseph McStay and his wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr., were a fun-loving, happy family who'd recently settled into a comfortable life in Fallbrook, California. Crying for mommy and daddy? The McStays, their two boys Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished in 2010, leaving food on the table and a massive mystery. "I did not do this thing. Working through prosecutor Rodriguezs objections, Maline asked Blake, Do remember if it bounced?. She said the day detectives told her they had found her family's bodies, it felt as if she'd been hit by a boulder. When their remains were unearthed, investigators also found a rusty sledgehammer that they said was used to kill the family. 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. Their dogs. Mystery:Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished from their home in Fallbrook, California, on February 4, 2010, Tragedy: Joseph'sparents, Patrick McStay and Susan Blake, have opened up about the murders on the second season of the Oxygen true-crime series Killer Motive. Joseph McStay the father of the family of four found dead in the California desert after vanishing nearly four years ago had suspicions his wife was POISONING him in the days before their disappearance, according to an explosive new book. He was in a really bad way. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline Merritt who worked with Joseph in his fountain business - said: I was extremely close to Joseph. 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 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. 'And then as the days went by, you start thinking, "Okay, something's not right here." Blake said Merritt and Kavanugh got into arguments in two meetings during the spring of 2010. Voice shaking, it was Merrit's turn to speak to the courtroom and to the McStay family's loved ones. 'As a mother, you're going to do absolutely anything and everything you can to find them,' she explained. 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.. It was a mystery and he started to consider everything and anything. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Mystery at the Border: With Christopher Crutchfield Walker, Joseph McStay, Summer McStay, Gianni McStay. Who killed the McStay family? Summers ex husband made good on a promise the two made years ago and just played a portion of Norman Greenbaums Spirit in the Sky. "I want to psychologically mess you up," he said to Merritt. The book will be released later this year. The break came, defense attorneys said, when Merritt and McStay separately worked on a custom-fountain side of the business that did not include Kavanaugh. All rights reserved. Josephs illness was well documented and had left his entire family completely baffled. Two days later, two sets of remains were officially identified as those of Joseph and Summer McStay. Do I think Chase is involved? Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife, Summer, 43, disappeared along with their two children, Gianna, 4, and Joseph, 3, from their their serene San Diego-area community more than a month ago. ', Getting worried:Susan had her son Mike stop by the family's San Diego County home on February 13, 2010, nine days after her son was last heard from, Confusing: Upon Mike's arrival, he noticed that Joseph's 1996 Isuzu Trooper was missing, but their dogs were in the backyard, Abandoned: When Mike crawled through a window of the San Diego County home, he discovered food rotting in the kitchen. In the gallery sat Merritt's daughter and brother. [3] The trial began on January 7, 2019, in San Bernardino. ': Anguish of $21m fraudster banker's wife after he's found running POT FARM a year after faking his suicide, Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, TN residents say Jack Daniel's distillery spews black mold, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' [33] The court upheld the jury's recommendation, and Merritt was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. Merritt's attorneys said the two men were best friends and investigators overlooked another possible suspect in the killings. And then the family that was killed by their own friend?'" Merritts defense team has claimed Kavanaugh is a likely suspect in the McStay family case, but was overlooked by investigators despite what they described as a deteriorating relationship with Joseph McStay in the months before the familys disappearance. Mother of Joseph McStay describes moment she, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Mother of Joseph McStay describes moment she learned son, family were dead, San Bernardino mountain residents grow worried as they cant access medicine, supplies, LA man arrested, suspected ofcarjackinga vehicle in Corona and firing shots at police during pursuit, Teacher at high school in Menifee arrested, suspected of inappropriate relationship with student, Baby girl Winter of Lake Arrowhead is born amid raging blizzard, her son, his wife, and their boys aged 3 and 4, Dine 909: New restaurants coming to San Bernardino, Upland and Redlands, Snow collapses roof of Goodwin and Sons, Crestlines only grocery store, Plow the roads, mountain residents say, as San Bernardino County vows to do better, San Bernardino mountain residents frustrated after volunteer helicopter efforts are restricted, Obernolte: Newsom must declare state of emergency for San Bernardino Mountains, 55-hour closures on 210 Freeway in Redlands and San Bernardino postponed again, We are coming, San Bernardino County officials tell trapped mountain residents, Shake Shack sets date for Victoria Gardens grand opening, Monday, March 13, Desperate Crestline residents help one another while awaiting assistance from San Bernardino County, Conditions for snowed-in Crestline mobile home park pretty bleak, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. 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. "It is my deepest desire in my own life not to spread pain and suffering," said a. Joseph McStay's mother, Susan Blake, followed. Description. 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? Did you always look up to him Imes asked. The thing that is bringing you this solace, is ending my life. #nbc7 #mcstay He told Merrit, I want to psychological mess you up. https://t.co/0xbSXeb9kX. The 58-year-old Merritt is. [31] The trial finally began on January 7, 2019, in a San Bernardino court, with both sides making opening statements. 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. [20] Although it is possible for a U.S. citizen to enter Mexico without a passport, one is required to reenter the United States. "From Day One, I just had this gut feeling that I was never going to see them again," he said, swallowing tears. He has been the entertainment editor, a features writer, a business writer and is now a courts and breaking news reporter. Merritt and Kavanaugh both worked with McStays online business, Earth Inspired Products, which offered outdoor water fountains to customers. 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.