So unnatural," he said. 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.
Nine years after the McStay family disappeared, their accused killer Officers arrived at the home and requested a search warrant, executed on February 19, 2010. The skeletal remains of the McStay family were found near Victorville in 2013 and Merritt was arrested a year later. I don't think so, and I truly hope not. Vanished: Mike also discovered Summer's prescription sunglasses on the kitchen counter, Looking back: Summer is pictured wearing her prescription sunglasses prior to the family's disappearance, Case to crack:There were no signs of forced entry or any foul play, which baffled investigators and suggested the family left on their own accord, First clue: Their neighbor's surveillance camera had captured what appeared to be the family's Isuzu trooper leaving the cul de sac at 7:47 p.m. on the night they went missing.
The Latest: ID of family's killer contested in murder trial 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.
Who killed the McStay family? | CNN His attorney also says Merritt himself will want to speak.
Defense: Other partner killed McStays, buried them in desert 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. Blake said, speaking to Merritt. At one point he said to me, "Maybe I should start eating out more and stop eating her food". ", 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. In the summer of 2021, shocking news rocked the state of South Carolina. called the investigation into his son's disappearance . How scared were they, Chase? The two children were very young a three-year-old and a four-year-old. Last month marked the 3rd anniversary since a family of four mysteriously vanished from their Southern California home. California has not executed anyone on death row since 2006 as current Gov. "[25], On November 5, 2014, detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department arrested Merritt in connection with the deaths of the McStay family after discovering that his DNA had been recovered from their car. Mystery of McStay money: Family found dead could barely afford rent. Related research topic ideas. [1][2] Their disappearance was widely reported by the national news media. Unconfirmed family sightings were reported in Mexico and elsewhere, perpetuating hopes that they were safe and had left voluntarily. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Maline spent several hours speaking before the judge. After three years of searching, the San Diego Sheriff's Department investigators concluded in April 2013 that the McStay family had gone to Mexico voluntarily. This included Susan Blake, Joseph McStay's mother. 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. 09:19 EST 04 Jan 2014 And when four skeletal remains were found in shallow graves in the remote Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, it put an end to any belief the McStays had started a new life in the sunshine. Inconclusive:After three years of searching, the San Diego Sheriff's Department investigators concluded in April 2013 that the McStay family had gone to Mexico voluntarily, Frustrating: The McStays friends and family insisted they would never go to Mexico with their children, but there was no other explanation, Heartbreaking: On November 11, 2013, an off-road motorcyclist came across the family's human remains in San Bernardino County's Mojave Desert. I did not know any of that part, Blake said. [9] In the surveillance recording, the vehicle's occupants could not be seen. Testimony in the trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday. Then a few people started putting the idea in his head that maybe Summer was behind it. I see its written, yes, she answered, confirming it was her signature.
After 4 Years Of Investigation, Authorities Say McStay - HuffPost (File photo by Kurt Miller, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG). Six victim impact statements were heard before Merritt got a chance to speak at the continued sentencing hearing Tuesday. 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. On the surface, while tragic, it may not seem all that crazy. 'And then as the days went by, you start thinking, "Okay, something's not right here." His son, Joseph, his daughter-in-law, Summer, and their two little boys - Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 . As a precaution, investigators took DNA samples from the car, but there was still no evidence of foul play. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved.
McStay family murder: 4-year-old was struck 7 times on head Merritt was due to speak next. [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. Did you always look up to him Imes asked. The clip appeared to show a family of four crossing the border into Mexico -- a family that looked like they could have been the McStays.
McStay murders: A man is on death row for the brutal killings of a She said they clashed in front of her as they argued how to keep the business going. [2][7] The deaths were ruled a homicide and San Bernardino County authorities said they believed the family died of blunt force trauma inside their home, but declined to discuss specifics of the deaths or a motive. He then spoke to his friend several more times on his mobile over the course of the afternoon and actually missed a call from him at 8.28pm, which was the last time Joseph used his phone. [8], On February 4, 2010, at 7:47pm, a neighbor's surveillance system captured the bottom eighteen inches of a vehicle, thought at the time to be the McStay family's 1996 Isuzu Trooper. 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. I know you dont believe me and thats what kills me. Prosecutors say he bludgeoned them with a sledgehammer. 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.
Journal articles: 'Kirkland House (Cambridge, Mass.)' - Grafiati California currently has a moratorium on death row executions. Michael McStay remembered the day detectives told him and his family that the bodies of his brother, sister-in-law, and nephews had been discovered in the desert. A deep pause followed as Michael McStay tried to collect himself. On Friday, he. Alex Murdaugh Is Guilty! Jackie Collins taught me everything I know. The case has sparked endless speculation, with both the police and amateur sleuths coming up with countless theories, some plausible, some wild and outrageous. Ultimately, officials determined it was not the McStay family in that video. 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. For years, police speculated they. Gavin Newsom has placed a moratorium on executions while he's in office. 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 I just spoke to the prosecuting attorney in the Merritt case. 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 extreme violence and savagery of the nature of the killings -- particularly of two small children -- far outweigh the totality of all of the mitigating evidence," the judge added. Instead, they said, authorities zeroed in on an innocent man. He maintained his innocence, saying something has always been "amiss" in this case. Joseph McStay, 43-year-old Summer McStay and their two sons, Gianni, 4, and Joey, 3, vanished without a trace in February 2010 shortly after moving to Fallbrook from Orange County. "The constant questions when we are out. The sentencing was supposed to begin at 8:30 a.m. but was delayed by about an hour because Merritt, for unknown reasons, wasn't transported to the courthouse.
Theres nothing more valuable on this Earth than time and that was stolen from them; that was stolen from us," he said. You cannot get back time. "You had a choice. Now Merritt who actually took a voluntary lie detector test at the time of their disappearance and was the last person to see Joseph alive has decided to write a tell all book, in an effort to clear up the mystery. How scared were they, Chase? Chase, you are a low-life baby killer, Blake said as Merritt stared at her impassively.
'You Are a Baby Killer': Calif. Man Sentenced to Death for Killing I would never hurt him in any way. In 2010, Joseph McStay (age 40) and his wife Summer (age 43) lived in Fallbrook, California, with their sons Gianni (age 4) and Joseph Jr. (age 3). Princess Diana's nieces Lady Eliza and Amelia share Do not sell or share my personal information.
What Clue Revealed McStay Family's Killer As Charles Merritt? | True The car's location from February 4 to February 8 remains unknown. A decade after the family went missing, their killer was sentenced to death in January 202. 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. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. . It would take years for investigators to discover the family's grisly fate. Despite all the problems they had and how explosive Summer was, I dont know if he ever truly believed she was capable of that, but it was definitely something he considered. Voice shaking, it was Merrit's turn to speak to the courtroom and to the McStay family's loved ones. I loved Joseph. #mcstay #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/gDh8XuxqiV, Merritt said he has the "utmost disdain" for the investigators and prosecutors who "put them all in this courtroom" and for the people who, in his words, "manipulated the evidence.". 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.
Alex Murdaugh Is Guilty Of Murder! The Tragic Rise and Fall Of The Disappeared examines the case of the McStay family who vanished from their Southern California home and may have headed into Mexico. Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010.
The family's computer had recent internet searches for: 'What documents do children need for traveling to Mexico?'
Where Are Patrick and Michael McStay Now? - The Cinemaholic Just stop all the appeals, all the shenanigans. Charles Chase Merritt, l'associ du pre de famille retrouv mort avec femme et . List of journal articles on the topic 'Kirkland House (Cambridge, Mass.)'. 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. Smith ordered Merritt transferred to San Quentin State Prison until an execution date is scheduled. "It marked my kids.". Homicide investigators search the family's home on Avocado Vista Lane and found no sign of a struggle.
Unsealed warrants: Chase Merritt owed Joseph McStay $30k It was to me, at the time, very scary, so I literally walked out and said If my son loses his business, so be it, I need to find my family and I left., Under questioning by Rodriguez, Blake described the argument as filled with A lot of, lot of cussing, screaming at each other Chase wanted to wring his neck..
Missing McStay Family Members Found In Shallow Grave NBC 7 was once again inside the courtroom Tuesday. [4], On June 10, 2019, a San Bernardino County jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. At the time, Joseph owned an online company named Earth Inspired Products that sold decorative water fountains. On February 13, Joseph's brother Michael traveled to the McStay residence and climbed in and gained entry to the home upon finding an open window in the back. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges that he killed McStay, 40, a former business associate; his wife, Summer, 43, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, in their Fallbrook home on Feb. 4, 2010, then buried their bodies more than 100 miles away in two shallow graves in the Mojave Desert, north of Victorville and west of the 15 Freeway. But despite that public front, I know, prior to their disappearance they had not had sex in more than a year. Seven months later, on November 11, 2013, an off-road motorcyclist came across human remains in San Bernardino County's Mojave Desert. Their remains were eventually discovered in the Mojave Desert near Victorville, California, about 100 miles from their home. It was a mystery and he started to consider everything and anything. When the McStays car was found in San Ysidro on the Mexican border four days after they were last seen and security footage of a family of four an hour later heading into the Central American country surfaced, the idea they had left of their own accord gained momentum. Victorville, California CNN . How could you beat two precious little babies? Gov. 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. On Feb. 15, the family was reported missing to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department.
Parents of Joseph McStay open up about his family's murder He asked for funds to keep the business going, and at that time I would do anything to help my son probably not in my right mind anyway at that time, she said. Blake said Merritt and Kavanugh got into arguments in two meetings during the spring of 2010. He would try to ignore it at first, but she would call and call and eventually he would have to go off and deal with whatever drama there was. And if the truth be told, despite everything, he was still infatuated with Summer. The case initially puzzled. California has not executed anyone since 2006. At center is Erin McStay, Michaels wife. In July 2015, Merritt's defense attorney filed a request to have the case dismissed because of the wording used by the prosecution when the charges were filed. Joseph and Summer McStay had two sons Gianni and Joseph Jr. How could you beat two precious little babies? Investigators testified they believed the victims were tortured before they were killed. So why was being grilled about her books on Mastermind so Why should I be asked to tip when I shop online?
PEOPLE Explains: How the McStay Family Disappeared Into the - Yahoo! Missing Family May Have Been Spotted - NBC 7 San Diego De Atley is a Cal State Long Beach graduate with a double major in journalism and political science. I even went to the hospital with him to try and see what was wrong; we thought maybe it was stress.'. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. Joseph McStay's mother, Susan Blake, followed. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. Don't worry, your fate will be way less tragic than that of the family you murdered. After three years of suspicion, the family's bones were discovered in a desert over a hundred miles from their house. 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. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. 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. "We don't run this circus. Chase Merritt, 62, is facing a potential death sentence, or life in prison. 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. An acquaintance of Merritt's told a San Diego reporter, "I think police should look at him and anyone associated with him. Maline asked Blake about the point of that argument, again struggling against Rodriguezs objections: Chase is telling (Kavanaugh) that he is a liar, that he is getting the money and not giving it to him, he managed to outline to the witness.