A 3-pound sledgehammer was found with the bodies, which was believed to be the murder weapon. 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. A motion filed in San Bernardino Superior Court on Nov. 20 on behalf of McStay family murder suspect Charles Chase Merritt by his attorney, James McGee, argued against the use of family photos and/or videos of the McStay family at trial, stating it could engender sympathy from the jury for the victims and prejudice the jury against Merritt. Charles Ray Merritt, 61, stands trial for the murder of a couple and their two sons in San Bernardino County, California. Although both instances raised investigators' suspicions, another glaring clue would ultimately put Merritt at the center of the investigation. Their car was located a few days later, near San Diego, close to the Mexican border. His trial hadn't even begun until January 2019 after he reportedly fired multiple attorneys as he tried to represent himself. Inside The Gruesome McStay Family Murder Case. June 10, 2019 Merritt is found guilty of murdering the McStay family. He boasted it had a loft/game room & big yard for kids to go crazy, referring to their rambunctious preschoolers, Gianni and Joe Jr. Love it.. 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. The father of murder victim Joseph McStay and his family is upset with the way the San Diego County Sheriff's Department handled the case. Charles 'Chase' Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer and the couple's children The McStay family vanished from their San Diego . Our priority is picking up the points as soon as we can. The familys remains were later unearthed by sheriffs crime scene investigators and forensic anthropologists. The authorities also found Chases DNA on the steering wheel and the gearshift handle of the McStay family car; he had claimed earlier to have never driven that vehicle. The entire case left investigators and loved ones completely puzzled. Publicly Merrittwho had several prior convictions on his recordclaimed to be Josephs best friend. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner Walker's body was discovered in a "pugilistic stance," meaning the 40-year-old actor died with his arms up, instinctively trying to shield his head and face from impact. The District Attorneys Office, according to McGee, has opposed the motion about the familys photos and videos, which will be argued Friday before Judge Michael A. Smith. Pic credit: San Diego County Police. Josephs brother found no sign of the family, so he left a note for the person feeding the dogs and asked them to call him, as he was concerned about his family. Merritt had previously worked with Joseph McStay, who owned and ran the Earth Inspired Products decorative fountain company. Initial investigation revealed that the family car was found at around 11 pm on February 8, 2010, in a parking lot close to the US-Mexico border in San Ysidro, California. and a close friend of the family falls under suspicion. The grave sites were the main discussion in court. The discovery of the McStay family's remains in November 2013 brought an end to more than three years of speculation regarding what happened to them. Their house didnt show any signs of a struggle, but it was clear they had left in a hurry; there was food left out on the counter, and their beloved pet dogs were left behind. A whole family vanished on February 4, 2010 from their home in Fallbrook, CA.. Jun 15, 2015 Merritt has said there is no direct evidence linking him to the crime scene.. Summer had stated that she felt that Mexico was too unsafe and that she would never go willingly. The seven-episode Two Shallow Graves premieres Sunday on Investigation Discovery and will be available to stream on discovery+. In the end, Merritt was represented by a defense attorney . Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. There were at least four impacts to the skull of Joseph McStay, and at least seven impacts to 4-year-old Gianni. Investigation Discovery's 'Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, the man who [] He was a business partner of Joseph McStay. This led to speculation that the family may have willingly fled the country. memorial page for Virginia Lisa "Summer" Aranda McStay (27 Dec 1966-4 Feb 2010), Find a Grave Memorial ID 120355781, citing El Toro . They were actually written several days after the family disappeared and backdated to make it appear as though theyd been issued before the family vanished. Prosecutors contend greed is the motive for the murders. Lord Hanuman Angry Animated Wallpapers Hd posted by Sarah Anderson a28a80e3cc. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Otherwise, the family looked identical to the McStays. The investigation into the disappearance of the McStay family in February 2010 and the subsequent disappearance of money from the company's bank account led investigators to believe Merritt was responsible. Is anyone feeling that the mom has strong narcissistic vibes, I worked on both cases. Read Less Posted: Jan 23, 2015 / 12:29 PM PST But hed also tell Kay during his television interview that he had definitely been the last person to see Joseph. There was no evidence to determine where the family went or why they had left. They had a loving circle of friends and family, enjoyed taking trips and watching their young sons grow and learn. Investigators would discover evidence that showed someone had taken control of Josephs checking account right before and right after he disappeared, writing a total of nine checks to either Merritt or those who he owed money to totaling nearly $15,000. When family members were called in to help identify the people on the video, they had mixed reactions. It would take years for investigators to discover the family's grisly fate. When Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two young sons disappeared from the family's Fallbrook, California home in February 2010, it was as if they'd simply vanished into thin air. However, a breakthrough in the case came in November 2014 when the cops found Merritts DNA on the steering wheel of McStays car. 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. And they should be. The car never returned to the home. The McStay family murders occurred on or about February 4, 2010, after the family disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, United States. Later that night, he received a phone call from animal control, which was planning to take the dogs because they had been left outside without food for over a week. Charles "Chase" Merritt was sentenced to death Tuesday for killing the McStay family of Fallbrook. . This gave him a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home, so he could spend more time with his family. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Merritts trial has been delayed multiple times due to Merritt attempting to represent himself and repeatedly firing his attorneys, he has gone through five between November 2013 to February 2016. A funeral service will be held on Sunday, March 5th 2023 at 2:00 PM at the . A man riding his dirt bike in the area discovered some of the remains and contacted police. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. The family did not appear to have any plans to be gone that day. Her disappearance was widely reported in the national news media. For years the familys mysterious disappearance would continue to baffle investigators until a motorcyclistriding the trails in the Mojave Desert on Nov. 13, 2013 made a gruesome discovery. I did not do this.. There was a couple bowls of I believe popcorn that it looked like the boys were eating, possibly watching TV. People. McStay Murder Suspect Chase Merritt Has Heart Condition, Lawyer Says . The autopsy revealed all four victims died from blunt force trauma to their heads. uncovered the bodies of all four McStay family members, he was arrested by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office. In addition, security cameras for the parking lot from which the car was towed confirmed that the car had not arrived there until the afternoon of February 8, so there was four days of which the family was unaccounted for. And then there was another associate from Mr McStays work, the computer whiz who maintained the company website a man whod sent messages to MrMcStay essentially threatening to destroy the site and ruin the business. The four-year-old Gianni had suffered a shocking seven blows to the head. The McStay family of Fallbrook were last heard from or seen on Feb. 4, 2010. The missing persons flier for the McStay family. In 2014, he completed a fellowship at Loyola Law School's Journalist Law School program. Morbid Tourism does not recommend visiting the area after dark, as it can be dangerous at times. Autopsy Photos. Source: wikipedia | CBS News |. Buried in the Desert: Was a Family Friend Their Killer? Witnesses also testified that Merritt cashed checks written from Joseph McStay's business account days after McStay and his family vanished. Reports state that it was via Joseph's flourishing decorative fountain business and Earth Inspired Products that the two first became acquainted. Everything. After Joseph, along with his wife and kids, suddenly went missing in February 2010, the authorities didn't have many leads. It was sort of one sort of absurdity after the other, Kevin Fitzpatrick, an executive producer of Two Shallow Graves, tells The Independent. Reportedly, on January 21, 2020, Merritt was convicted of his crime and issued a sentence of life in prison and the death penalty. While Joseph went to a work meeting, Summer spoke to her sister over the phone and planned to visit later. At that point, the investigation shifted from searching for missing persons to investigating a possible murder. While Summer stayed home to take care of the children, she planned to go to work soon. To learn more about the case, tune into Monday's episode of "American Greed" at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CNBC. Searches about travelling to Mexico were also uncovered on the familys computer, bolstering a theory that theyd gone on a trip. Syd Field Four Screenplays Pdf 11 !!HOT!! Nelson is a graduate of California State University Fullerton. This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this . There was finally some closure for the family, Imes says.
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