At around 7:47 pm, part of the family car was captured on a neighbors surveillance camera, but there was no sign of the family after that. He has covered San Bernardino County since 2009. Nov. 17, 2013 -- The 2010 disappearance of the McStay family, whose skeletal remains were discovered in shallow graves in the California desert last week, led a former North Carolina radio host to . He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. Though it is possible that Summer was using a different name, there are no records of passports under any of her other names. McStay Family Murder Investigation: Search Warrants Unsealed, Reveal Details Of Fallbrook House. A motorcyclist found human remains in a desert near Victorville, California. The McStay Family Disappearance and Murder. Whether or not Merritt receives the death penalty has yet to be decided. There were no signs of foul play or any forced entry. Morbid Tourism does not recommend visiting the area after dark, as it can be dangerous at times. However, in November 2013, an off-track motorcyclist discovered a tiny human skull in an isolated Californian desert, ultimately leading to uncovering the McStays' remains in two shallow graves. I did not do this.. Reportedly, on January 21, 2020, Merritt was convicted of his crime and issued a sentence of life in prison and the death penalty. Merritt was a fabricator, who Joseph had turned to to expand the custom side of his business. Case 8, Dorothy Scott Arrest in slaying of . On the same day as they are broadcast, episodes will be available on discovery+. The murder suspect, Charles "Chase" Merritt, was present in court, wearing a gray shirt and pattern tie that was delivered to him by his family. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. February 4, 2010, was the last day anyone could contact a member of the McStay family. Merritt's girlfriend gives him an alibi, but the prosecution attempts to discredit her . There was Mrs McStays ex-boyfriend, who sent her an email just months before the familys disappearance telling the mother-of-two hed love her for ever. He lived nearby and had been arrested for threatning a neighbour and her daughter. Two Shallow Graves delves into a case that garnered national news headlines, eventually culminating in the killer being brought to justice close to a decade later. At that point, the investigation shifted from searching for missing persons to investigating a possible murder. 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 . Merritt told detectives that during their last lunch meeting, Joseph had given him physical copies of checks to pay for some of the projects they were working on. Merritt, who faces the death penalty if convicted, has pleaded not guilty to the crimes. Photographer Behind Iconic Princess Diana Funeral Photos Reflects on Intimate Moments From Service. 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, .. San Bernardino County sheriffs investigators believe Summer McStay, who along with her husband Joseph and two young sons was fatally beaten with a sledgehammer and buried in a shallow grave near Victorville, may have been raped before she was killed, according to a court document. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. While Joseph went to a work meeting, Summer spoke to her sister over the phone and planned to visit later. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. You can also watch "The McStay Family Mystery" on Oxygen's "Killer Motive.". 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. Around about February 4, 2010, the McStay family, Joseph, 40; his wife, Summer, 43; and their . Charles Merritt, former business partner of Joseph McStay, has just been found guilty of killing the entire McStay family with a sledgehammer and burying their bodies in the desert. However, the rest of the family thought it was unusual for them to just leave so abruptly. A Family Vanishes: With Stacy Keach. It certainly isn't justice, not for Murray or for her family. And they should be. Randi Kaye discusses her investigation into the murder of the McStay family, including her interview with "Chase" Merritt But there was an astonishing number of other people whod had significant run-ins with the McStays, according to the new series. A man riding his dirt bike in the area discovered some of the remains and contacted police. Joseph and Summer McStay had two sons Gianni and Joseph Jr. Read Less Posted: Jan 23, 2015 / 12:29 PM PST In addition, investigators also discovered that Summer had changed her name multiple times throughout her life. 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 . 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. Merritt is accused of killing his former business associate, Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer, and their two small children on Feb. 4, 2010. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. 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. Autopsy Photos. Prosecutors claim that the McStays were murdered by Merritt for financial gain. This information was alarming enough for Josephs brother to call the police and report the family missing, as it was uncharacteristic of them to leave the dogs without food. Mr McStays friend, Gina Watson, and father, Patrick who called Merritt a ruthless mass murderer in court and told him to burn in hell are among the subjects interviewed in the series. So, lets find out what happened then, shall we? Merritt, in the series, contends: They didnt have any direct evidence to support that I did these crimes. Pic credit: San Diego County Police. 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. The mystery was largely treated as a missing-persons case until this month, after a motorcyclist riding through the desert above Victorville, Calif., came across a weathered skull and called police. Reports state that Susan, Joseph's mother, was visibly upset and described him as a "despicable, evil monster," adding that knowing how the family was murdered had made her life a nightmare. Theres a carton of eggs on the table as if maybe Summer or Joseph were about to make some food or something and the dogs, they had two dogs, they were just left there.. An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and it appeared they were tortured before they were killed. Is anyone feeling that the mom has strong narcissistic vibes, I worked on both cases. What to Know. Investigators believe Summer was raped at the time as her pants were in the grave near her head, and her panties were in the pants as (if) they were pulled off together, according to the motion. SAN DIEGO (CBS 8) - He wrote a book on the McStay case, but an investigative author is expressing shock over the tragic new twist in the case. Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. BREAKING: A jury found Charles 'Chase' Merritt GUILTY of first-degree murder in the bludgeoning deaths of the McStay family, Joseph (40), Summer (43), Gianni (4), Joseph Jr. (3). A 3-pound sledgehammer was found with the bodies, which was believed to be the murder weapon. Investigation Discovery's 'Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of murdering Joseph McStay and his family. How To Paint Citadel Miniatures Download Pdf NEW! Defence attorney Raj Maline in the series describes this suspect as a walking, talking red flag but Merritts team was barred in court from bringing up him or the other suspects without concrete evidence linking them to the crimes. From my discussions with him, thats all he does, is work on his case.. Princess Diana flashes a cheeky grin in rare bikini photos. The McStay family, consisting of Joseph, 40, his wife Summer, 43, and their two sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, were reported missing in 2010. None of these theories have been confirmed. 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. One of the most infamous murder cases in the Inland area will be a focus of the second season premiere of the Oxygen show "Killer Motive" Saturday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. Charles Ray Merritt, 61, stands trial for the murder of a couple and their two sons in San Bernardino County, California. 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. Its not all as simple as it seems; I think thats the point of the show, Mr Fitzpatrick tells The Independent. The family and friends of the McStays did not expect them to be at the Mexican border. 4:25. Surveillance footage from the border from a few hours prior seemed to show a family of four crossing the border. 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. Merritt's DNA was found on the steering wheel and gearshift, even though Merritt told detectives he had never driven that vehicle. 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 . He found rotting food and Mrs McStays prescription sunglasses; there was no sign of foul play. The family consisted of Joseph McStay, 40, the father and co-owner of a company that built custom, high . Cell phone records indicate that he drove home after the meeting, and he continued to make calls into the evening. The missing persons flier for the McStay family. In 2019, Charles "Chase" Merritt was accused of killing Joseph McStay's family during his trial for the murders. The McStay case started . According to cell tower data, on February 4, 2010, his phone was near the McStay family home. There wasnt a sign or sound from them for nearly four years until an off-road motorcyclist came upon two shallow graves in the Mojave Desert, tragically revealing the bodies of the couple and their children.