Six victim impact statements were heard before Merritt got a chance to speak at the continued sentencing hearing Tuesday. 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. 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. Authorities think they've caught the killer, who is awaiting trial, and the family. [2] In April 2013, the San Diego Sheriff's Department announced that they believed that the McStays traveled to Mexico voluntarily.[18]. "You had a choice. Blake was followed in testimony by her son and Joseph McStays brother, Michael McStay who said Joseph gave him $2,000 to start his fire sprinkler system business. I don't think so, and I truly hope not. [7] 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. 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 . Homicide investigators search the family's home on Avocado Vista Lane and found no sign of a struggle. I just dont remember very much because I fell to the office floor. Investigators believed the murder weapon was a 3-pound sledgehammer, which was found in the grave containing the remains of Summer and her son. I'm so bummed out after realising my diagnosis made a few years ago is legitimate. Merritt is accused of killing his former business associate, Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer, and their two small children on Feb. 4, 2010. What about the little guys? Joseph McStay has operated Earth Inspired Products, a waterfall and garden accessories business in San Clemente, since 1996, according. "Death was the appropriate verdict for those three offenses," the judge said. 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. 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. 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. The McStays have deep Orange County ties, Cirignani 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. She also touched on the media attention and pressures her family has coped with for years, including questions from strangers. Sheriffs officials announced that the remains of the four people found buried in the desert belong to the McStay family, a Fallbrook family missing since 2010. Related research topic ideas. Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay, took his turn. Judge just said clearly its not timely. #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/qLzXb6wJlM. All rights reserved. The attorney argued a motion to reduce Merritt's sentence in the killings of Summer McStay and the children to life in prison without the possibility of parole rather than the death penalty previously recommended by the jury that convicted Merritt. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. Jurors in San Bernardino. 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. Authorities said they traced his cellphone to the gravesite area. 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. Note:A previous version of this story misidentified the prosecutor who questioned Michael McStay. At the time, Joseph owned an online company named Earth Inspired Products that sold decorative water fountains. The McStay family of Fallbrook was last heard from or seen on Feb. 4, 2010. 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.. 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. Investigators also have e-mails indicating the couple asked. "corrupt" . (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. Why? Imes asked, and Michael broke down on the witness stand. 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. At center is Erin McStay, Michaels wife. ', Merritt showed no emotion as she said she felt like she'd been hit by a boulder when she was told the bodies were found: 'It's just a nightmare.'. 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. 14:31 EST 05 Jan 2014. 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. He maintained his innocence, saying something has always been "amiss" in this case. How could you beat two precious little babies? 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. During the last stretch of Friday's marathon day in court, only one person was able to deliver a victim impact statement: Patrick McStay, Joseph McStay's father. A grainy video captured at a nearby border crossing deepened the mystery. Joseph was his older brother, by three years, two months, three days, he toldSan Bernardino County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Britt Imes. [17] Because their car was found so close to the Mexican border, police reviewed surveillance footage of the pedestrian gate into Mexico. And then the family that was killed by their own friend?'" The judge has been speaking for the last hour - and still going, reviewing in slow, excruciating detail certain facts of the case. He was in a really bad way. California has not executed anyone on death row since 2006 as current Gov. It was a mystery and he started to consider everything and anything. Joseph McStay's mother, Susan Blake, followed. [4] On June 10, 2019, a jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. Don't worry, your fate will be way less tragic than that of the family you murdered. [32] On June 24, the jury recommended that Merritt be sentenced to death. She would shout at him in the privacy of their own home, but then put on a front like he was the most important person in the world when they were in public. #nbc7 https://t.co/muZXjqJBFT. How can you take that all in?, Susan Blake, right, mother of Joseph McStay, reaches over and holds the hand of her other son Michael McStay, left, at a press conference at the San Bernardino Sheriff Headquarters, Friday, November 15, 2013. Then a few people started putting the idea in his head that maybe Summer was behind it. 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 . Il ne rpond pas au . Merritt was arrested the following year. How could you beat two precious little babies? 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.. Radio host Rick Baker published a book, No Goodbyes: The Mysterious Disappearance of the McStay Family. You just do what you can for your son, and your family, she said. And when we were out she would call him constantly. 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. During that period, she got an early-morning call from someone in Saudi Arabia, demanding his fountain, she recalled. Were just the clowns, - Britt Imes. #nbc7 #mcstay He told Merrit, I want to psychological mess you up. https://t.co/0xbSXeb9kX. [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. If you were trying to save the business, Ms. Blake, what steps did you take to learn about the funds that were coming into the business and going out of the business, Maline asked, surviving an objection from Rodriguez. Never again will we hear their voices. #mcstay #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/CGQmypfaZb. Summer McStay's ex-husband spoke next. [13] Dean stated in her blog she had just finished producing a radio show for San Diego station KNSJ when she received the call, and that she asked whether she could tell her followers what he had told her. She said it was not until six months later that she could bear to go out to the site, marked by four crosses. Ending my life for a crime that I did not commit," Merritt said. The McStays, their two boys Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished in 2010, leaving food on the table and a massive mystery. The details are shocking and nauseating to sit through.". Mystery of McStay money: Family found dead could barely afford rent. Around five months before his disappearance he started suffering terrible problems with his equilibrium and his stomach. Joseph was 40 years old while his wife Summer was 43 making them a rather young family. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites [14], The circumstances surrounding the family's disappearance and the lack of clues about their whereabouts triggered speculation by amateur sleuths. But speaking on CNN in 2010 he said: 'My understanding was in the last year hed been having these vertigo type symptoms. '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. "It marked my kids.". That family that went missing? She would fawn over him and call him, her Joseppi. The bodies of two members of a family that went missing in 2010 have been identified. Everything with her seemed to be done for gain.. Patrick McStay, Joseph's father, was informed of the discovery and phoned missing person advocate Jerrie Dean to tell her what he knew. 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. But the details of this case go back decades and has many twists and turns. He said: Summer was a very self-centered, self-obsessed person with an awful temper. It cant be, Susan Blake testified after she regained herself. "So unnatural. Im heading to San Bernardino and will keep you updated. Disappeared examines the case of the McStay family who vanished from their Southern California home and may have headed into Mexico. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Published: 23:50 GMT, 22 January 2021 | Updated: 23:58 GMT, 22 January 2021. 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. Do you remember writing that check? he asked. He was arrested last year. "I hope you burn in Hell," he told the man convicted of killing his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. I just dropped me to my knees I will never go back to that spot, she told San Bernardino County Deputy District AttorneyMelissa Rodriguez. Mike crawled through a window and discovered food rotting in the kitchen, and Summer's prescription sunglasses were also left on the table. 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. NBC 7 was once again inside the courtroom Tuesday. Why were they gone? Merritt looked at Blake as she spoke. And they told me they were also gone. 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. He just gave me the quote of the day on the continuing delays. How to trick yourself slim: Top nutritionist reveals her tips including shrinking your cutlery, sniffing Meghan's (very expensive) date night look! January 21, 2020 Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Joseph McStay, 40. California has not executed anyone since 2006. Summer's sister stated that her passport was expired. She was obsessed with the idea of being Italian and that was her name for him. She talked about how the slayings of her son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons have destroyed her family. Do I think Chase is involved? He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. 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.. They slept in the same bed, but were never intimate. 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. Indiana Man Charged After Son In Diapers Points Gun At . Situated in northern San Diego County, the community is known as "The Friendly Village." Sadly, disaster would soon strike the tranquil town. He has been the entertainment editor, a features writer, a business writer and is now a courts and breaking news reporter. 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 called the investigation into his son's disappearance . 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). By February 2016, he had gone through five attorneys. He conducted dozens of interviews on the case (traveling to Mexico, Belize, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic), followed leads, and reported sightings of the family. It was believed to have been parked there between 5:30 and 7:00 that evening. Joseph's father, Patrick McStay, told the Los Angeles Times in 2011. Their bodies were not found until 2013, when an off-road motorcyclist came across them in the Mojave Desert. Obviously that was a real problem for Joseph and he used to talk to me about it regularly. A deep pause followed as Michael McStay tried to collect himself. 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. 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. After frustrating delays in proceedings in a Southern California courtroom last week, an emotional sentencing hearing resumed Tuesday for the man convicted in the mysterious killings of the McStay family, including two boys, ages 3 and 4. He maintains his innocence. . For years, police speculated they. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Our lives were intertwined both on a business and a personal level. (Will Lester . The book will be released later this year. 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. The father's parents, Patrick McStay and Susan Blake, have opened up about the murders on the second season of the Oxygen true-crime series Killer Motive, which premieres on January 23. 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. He was visibly shaken, fighting back tears. Merritt built fountains, while Kavanaughdesigned EIPs website and did search engine optimization. "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. Crying for mommy and daddy? 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. This world was robbed of four beautiful souls. 'You had a choice. 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. "[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. [27], Prosecutors allege that Merritt had a gambling problem and killed the McStay family for financial gain. 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 McStay family disappeared from their Fallbrook home in San Diego's North County in 2010. Day by day, month by month, the case grew colder. NBC 7's Jackie Crea has more. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated. Family members react to the arrest: Summer McStays brother-in-law, Joseph Russell, speaks and then Michael McStay, brother of Joseph McStay, speaks. She really didnt like anyone being around Joseph and the family other than herself and a very small, selective group of people. " Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took. This despicable, evil monster. "It's not just a Netflix documentary to us. On Feb. 15, the family was reported missing to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department. The family had been beaten to death with a three-pound sledgehammer found in one of the graves. Chase, you are a low-life baby killer, Blake said as Merritt stared at her impassively. Just a monster., After a delay, the convicted killer of the McStay family of Fallbrook will be sentenced today. Gavin Newsom has placed a moratorium on executions while he's in office. They were in the process of remodeling their four-bedroom, three-bathroom home when they went missing. Charles Chase Merritt, l'associ du pre de famille retrouv mort avec femme et . Duchess dons $1,610 Carolina Herrera cape, $300 vegan leather Lovely in lilac! Merritt and Kavanaugh both worked with McStays online business, Earth Inspired Products, which offered outdoor water fountains to customers. [10], Over the next several days, relatives of the McStays unsuccessfully tried to contact the family. The shame and despair of being physically attacked by your own child. Joseph's cellphone pinged a tower in Fallbrook. "I loved Joseph. 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.,. [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?" Soon, the family's car was found at a strip mall in south San Diego County near the U.S.-Mexico border. Their dogs. She had asked to get the money back, she said, But I never saw any., Blake had told an investigator that Merritt told her he completed a job for a customer in Saudi Arabia and was paid $17,000. As a precaution, investigators took DNA samples from the car, but there was still no evidence of foul play. Description. Charles Merritt was found guilty of murdering a family of four, and now the jury is recommending the death penalty. Ultimately, officials determined it was not the McStay family in that video. ', 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. "No more surfing; no more anything., Michael McStay said the court should never forget what this case is really about: "Those four innocent people and the lives they never got to live.". [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. As court resumed, the judge said Maline had made yet another motion: to disqualify this judge from ruling on the remaining motion to reduce Merritt's sentence. He would spend days on end in bed. The skeletal remains of the McStay family were found near Victorville in 2013 and Merritt was arrested a year later. 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. He said healing will be a lifelong thing for his family, but he knows they can do it together. she said. Susanmade an equally emotional statement ahead of the sentencing being handed down, telling the court how the killings had scarred their lives. 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. Merritt was supposed to be sentenced last Friday, Jan. 17, but dramatic twists, turns, and delays prevented that from happening as planned. In a preview clip from the episode about the McStay family, Patrick recalled speaking to his son in the morning on the day they disappeared. 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. I would never hurt him in any way. That 8-hour day in court included lengthy motions arguments from Merritt's attorney, Rajan Maline, and even a moment when Merritt tried to interrupt proceedings and fire Maline. 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. I remember one woman in particular was all over him for a while. The parents of a man who disappeared with his wife and two young children have detailed how they searched for the family for years before it was discovered that their son's business partner brutally murdered them with a sledgehammer.
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