Crime News is your destination for true crime stories from around the world, breaking crime news, and information about Oxygen's original true crime shows and documentaries. There were no signs of foul play or any forced entry. 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. Although Merritt adamantly denied being at the location of the makeshift graves, he was arrested by the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Office on Nov. 5, 2014 and charged with four counts of murder. 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.. The original memorial consisting of 4 white crosses. The video, NBCSandiego reportedin 2010, is dated around 7 p.m. Feb. 8. It was impounded at the time as an abandoned vehicle. [26], According to the arrest warrant affidavits filed in the case, autopsies concluded that all four victims had been beaten to death with a blunt object. My fear is that Im looking for two adult shallow graves and my two nephews crosses, Josephs kid brother, Michael, told the Orange County Register a few weeks after the Feb. 4, 2010, disappearance. How did four people end up here in the middle of nowhere, over 100 miles from where they live? he asked. When questioned about his choice of language by investigators, Merritt said he had no idea why he'd done that. On February 9, when family and business partners hadnt heard from Joseph in five days, they sent a co-worker to the house to see if the familys beloved dogs were there. Morbid Tourism does not recommend visiting the area after dark, as it can be dangerous at times. After the family of four was reported missing, the authorities discovered surveillance footage from the US-Mexico border in San Ysidro, California. Merritt, who faces the death penalty if convicted, has pleaded not guilty to the crimes. A three-pound sledgehammer is also found at the site. Two days later, two sets of remains were officially identified as those of Joseph and Summer McStay. While no one has the answer, there are many leads, provided by people like Josephs father, Patrick McStay, who has complained for years that the San Diego Sheriffs Department was not treating the case seriously, and Rick Baker, who traveled the world researching his book, No Goodbyes: The Mysterious Disappearance of the McStay Family. Investigators immediately seized the car and searched it for evidence. Lastly, neither party to this case is arguing or disputing that it was in fact the McStays whom were the victims in this case, according to McGees motion. There was a couple bowls of I believe popcorn that it looked like the boys were eating, possibly watching TV. But privately, investigatorsnoticed Merritt had displayed some concerning behavior after the family disappeared. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. A jury recommended the death penalty for the man who killed a California family of four and buried them in the Mojave Desert nine years ago. He stands charged with first-degree murder in connection with the February 2010 bludgeoning deaths of Summer McStay, 43, her husband Joseph McStay,40, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3. that one huge mistake calls into question everything youve written. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. WebResearch genealogy for Elizabeth McStay of Draycott, Derbyshire, England, as well as other members of the McStay family, on Ancestry. But jurors disagreed and Merritt was convicted and later sentenced to death for the slayings in January 2020. by all accounts aloving family with no enemies,baffled investigators. Josephs father Patrick McStay, however, continues to be haunted by Merritts dark deeds. Merritt used the money to fuel his gambling addiction at nearby casinos, in which he lost thousands of dollars. Investigators made a break in the investigation when a neighbors security camera caught the McStays car leaving their home on the evening of February 4. https://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2020/01/21/charles-chase-merritt-san-quentin-death-row-murder/, Hello! Mom Claimed Daughter, 5, Vanished Overnight. [30] On May 4, the case was scheduled to go to trial in July 2018. But several family members did not believe that the man in the video was Joseph. Patrick McStay says the murder of a family of four was "all about money" By Elaine Aradillas. Autor de la entrada: Publicacin de la entrada: junio 16, 2022 Categora de la entrada: jobs hiring 16 year olds with no experience Comentarios , was found on the steering wheel and gear shift of the McStay vehicle abandoned near the Mexico border. 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. No mention was made by investigators or attorneys during Merritts preliminary hearing that investigators believe Summer McStay had been raped, nor has any evidence been presented publicly to indicate that, other than what McGee included in his motion. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. How scared were they, Chase? Summers prescription sunglasses are in the house as well, according to Killer Motive. Relatives are certain the family wouldnt go away without telling anyone. and Spanish language lessons. [29] Merritt's attorney filed a motion in San Bernardino Superior Court on April 7, 2018, arguing that Joseph's business and accounting records were hearsay evidence and therefore inadmissible. Investigators discovered that neither of the familys cars had traveled to Mexico in years, so they believed that the family had not driven into Mexico during the unaccounted for four days. Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Snowed in during the SoCal storm, this Lake Arrowhead resident traded in a car for cross-country skis, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, As many as 700,000 Illinois residents could lose Medicaid health coverage this year, Balloon ban made official in Laguna Beach, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Cell phone records as well as forged checks also linked him to the crime. Two shallow graves contained the remains of Joseph, his wife Summer, 4-year-old son Gianni and 3-year-old son Joe Jr. Investigators say they have a lot of work ahead to find the killers, and no predictions as to who they are or why they would kill a whole family. [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. District Attorneys Office spokesman Christopher Lee declined to comment Thursday, saying it would be inappropriate given the ongoing criminal case. WebIn 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. Earlier in the week before the family disappeared, Summer had made plans to visit her sister, who had recently had a baby. Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: McStay Family/ZUMA. An You can also watch "The McStay Family Mystery" on Oxygen's "Killer Motive.". WebFebruary 15, 2010 Family members report the McStays missing to the San Diego County sheriff's department. 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. According to investigators, DNA allegedly matching Merritts was found on the steering wheel of the McStays white Isuzu Trooper, which was abandoned near the Mexico border following the familys disappearance. He started as a crime reporter and went on to cover a variety of beats including courts and the cities of Colton, Highland and Grand Terrace. The familys disappearance was a shock to the investigators because there was shown no evidence of struggle at their Fallbrook home. February 13, 2010 Josephs brother, Michael, goes to his siblings house and enters it through an open window to search for the family. There was no evidence of forced entry or a struggle. Hood Soldier Vanessa Guillen, The Best True Crime Documentaries to Stream Now, Wisc. Look out for wildlife like rattlesnakes. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Before he was sentenced, Merritt tearfully proclaimed his innocence. Merritt not only had motive to carry out the grisly slayings, it seemed that he also had the opportunity. [23] Merritt, who reportedly was the last person Joseph called from his cell phone, also said that he had passed a polygraph test and did not know anything that could help solve the mystery of the family's disappearance. An acquaintance of Merritt's told a San Diego reporter, "I think police should look at him and anyone associated with him. "[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. McGee noted that investigators submitted a DNA analysis request form to the San Bernardino County Sheriffs Departments Forensic Biology Unit to help identify involved parties and verify involved parties. He also referenced an excerpt from page three of the form, which revealed something that has not been disclosed by investigators to date: they believe Summer McStay had been raped before she was killed. So we created Beyond Charts to put you on the right path. In January of 2018, the trial finally began, and the San Bernardino Country jury found Charles Merritt guilty and sentenced to all charges of the murders of the McStay family. Merritt told investigators that on Feb. 4, 2010, the day the family disappeared, Merritt and McStay met for lunch at a Chick-Fil-A restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga for a business meeting. Joe Nelson is an award-winning investigative reporter who has worked for The Sun since November 1999. Being spoiled by my rich friend makes me feel like a charity case, Anti-agers no one but you needs to know about,Inge Van Lotringen tells all, How to dress like a grown up: Trust me, loose fit can be flattering, says Shane Watson, The one thing I've learnt byBinky Felstead, My Daily Horoscope: What does 27th February bring for my star sign? Investigators also say they found emails indicating the family had been interested in obtaining passports to travel to Mexico, according to the outlet. The family had moved into the house three months earlier, and was in the process of unpacking and doing renovations. Investigators believed the murder weapon was a 3-pound sledgehammer, which was found in the grave containing the remains of Summer and her son. People. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. 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.. 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