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. In 2019, Charles "Chase" Merritt was accused of killing Joseph McStay's family during his trial for the murders. Skip Ancestry navigation Main Menu Home Selena autopsy photo. Surveillance footage from the border from a few hours prior seemed to show a family of four crossing the border. 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. The family did not appear to have any plans to be gone that day. The bones found in shallow graves in Southern California's Mojave Desert belong to a San Diego-area family of four missing since 2010 and likely murdered, authorities said. January 21, 2020 Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Joseph McStay, 40. A new documentary series re-examines the trial and evidence in a 'comprehensive' look at the case, writes Sheila Flynn The details of Walker's death are equally lurid and disturbing. The shocking find led to even more mysteries and revealed a surprising number of suspects who seemingly had motives to go after the family, according to a new series premiering this weekend on Investigation Discovery. The authorities initially believed this was the McStay family because of a few other things that came to light. 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. The murders were as gruesome as they were shocking. Around about February 4, 2010, the McStay family, Joseph, 40; his wife, Summer, 43; and their two sons, Gianni, 4, and Joey Jr., 3, disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, Ca. Two Shallow Graves on ID is examining the tragic murders of the McStay family, who were butchered by business associate Charles Chase Merritt, and buried in the desert near Victorville, California, in 2010. They were living at Fallbrook and simply listed as missing. I never settled on anybody. Witnesses also testified that Merritt cashed checks written from Joseph McStay's business account days after McStay and his family vanished. On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) -- 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. Merritt insists on his innocence in the face of the prosecution's evidence, raising the question: Did Merritt murder the McStay family? A whole family vanished on February 4, 2010 from their home in Fallbrook, CA.. From my discussions with him, thats all he does, is work on his case.. The paint was still fresh on the walls, the corners bordered by blue painter . Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. In 2018, the trial was postponed again so that his current defense attorney could do more investigating, Merritt remained jailed without bail. The cops also learned that his cellphone had been pinged in the area where the family was buried. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. The four-year-old Gianni had suffered a shocking seven blows to the head. While Joseph went to a work meeting, Summer spoke to her sister over the phone and planned to visit later. Read More:Nicole Berte Murder: Where is Randy Lee Bode Now? Smiley Public Library program will focus on womens dress during the Civil War, BLU Education Foundation helps Black, Latino students prepare for careers, Dine 909: New restaurants coming to San Bernardino, Upland and Redlands, Plow the roads, mountain residents say, as San Bernardino County vows to do better, Snow collapses roof of Goodwin and Sons, Crestlines only grocery store, 55-hour closures on 210 Freeway in Redlands and San Bernardino postponed again, Obernolte: Newsom must declare state of emergency for San Bernardino Mountains, San Bernardino mountain residents frustrated after volunteer helicopter efforts are restricted, We are coming, San Bernardino County officials tell trapped mountain residents, Conditions for snowed-in Crestline mobile home park pretty bleak, Shake Shack sets date for Victoria Gardens grand opening, Monday, March 13, 3 apparent gas explosions in San Bernardino mountain homes worry local residents, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. 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. Merritt is accused of killing his former business associate, Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer, and their two small children on Feb. 4, 2010. Two days later, the remains were identified as the McStay family. Do you, This was definitely in IL because we are friends with, Hi. Arrest in slaying of . Prosecutors claim he killed business partner Joseph McStay, McStay's 43-year-old wife Summer, and the couple's sons--4 year-old Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph Jr. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Eddie Bachman tells American Greed. That kind of cued into us as a red flag there because I dont know how any one person could be certain and say that he was the last person that saw his best friend alive if he wasnt in fact the last person who saw him alive.. Jan 2, 2018 By all accounts, Joseph McStay, age 40, and his wife Summer, age 43, were happy and living the American dream.. The investigation revealed that Chase was a gambling addict who owed Joseph about $42,000. 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. None of these theories have been confirmed. Because of the lack of furniture and the state of the home amidst renovations, it was difficult to determine whether or not there had been a struggle. 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. A carton of eggs lay on the counter, and two bowls of popcorn were located in the living room. The McStay case started . 4:25. They had a loving circle of friends and family, enjoyed taking trips and watching their young sons grow and learn. The McStay family of four was living a happy life, and had recently moved to a new house, which they were renovating and turning into their dream home. At the time, Joseph owned an online company named Earth Inspired Products that sold decorative water fountains. This gave him a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home, so he could spend more time with his family. Inside, they found a relatively normal scene: there were a number of new toys, the childrens car seats were in their positions, and the front seats were adjusted to Summer and Josephs relative sizes. This led to speculation that the family may have willingly fled the country. Investigation Discovery aired a docuseries focused on the McStay family murders in late May. Lots of peoples names came up, and lots of different theories came up, executive producer Jacinda A Davis tells The Independent. Dylan Eason and Isaiah Churchwell were convicted of murdering Cynthia William "Patrick" Alexander remains in prison for murder. Part of the mystery was solved in November 2013 when a motorcyclist stumbled upon two shallow graves in the desert near Victorville and unearthed human remains. It was sort of one sort of absurdity after the other, Kevin Fitzpatrick, an executive producer of Two Shallow Graves, tells The Independent. May she rest in eternal peace. As the investigation continued, it also emerged that the last call from Mr McStays phone had been to Merritt whose cell phone pinged near a tower in the desert in the vicinity of the shallow graves. Investigators also discovered that the same car had been towed on February 8 for a parking violation near the Mexican border. 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. McStay Memorial Erected In . At that point, the investigation shifted from searching for missing persons to investigating a possible murder. Today, he is still imprisoned on death row at Quentin State Prison, where he has been held since the day he was arrested. With trial footage, and with getting access to Merrit and to the prosecution and to the defense attorneys, I think we were able to creat a much more intimate picture for an audience that gives you the whole story, Mr Fitzpatrick says. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Hes a scumbag;hes a creep;he doesnt deserve to walk the earth or take a breath, Patrick tellsAmerican Greed. He killed somebody that trusted in him and gave him a chance when a lot of other people knew he was a crook and then he kills my grandsons, brutally. Thats unusual.. Please be respectful of the memorial and do not leave any trash when you visit. There is reportedly a DNA match that links Merritt to the McStay vehicle, which was found in San Ysidro near the U.S.-Mexico border. Research genealogy for Elizabeth McStay of Draycott, Derbyshire, England, as well as other members of the McStay family, on Ancestry. How did four people end up here in the middle of nowhere, over 100 miles from where they live? he asked. Both are convinced of Merritts guilt, but even they shake their heads and raise eyebrows at some of the other unexpected threads to the case. Your login session has expired. 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. But the killer remained a mystery until investigators uncovered a disturbing clue they said pointed them toward Joseph McStays close friend and business associate, Charles Chase Merritt. According to reports, denying his involvement in the murders, Merritt told the court. Merritt would also make a bold claim about his last contact with Joseph. 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. The autopsy revealed all four victims died from blunt force trauma to their heads. So when the family seemingly disappeared four months later without telling any relatives, friends or business associates, and their car turned up four days later at the Mexican border, many people who knew them feared the worst. February 4, 2010, was the last day anyone could contact a member of the McStay family. 'It was blow after blow after blow to a child's skull,' the prosecutor said. 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. Josephs business partner, Chase, claimed to have met him for a lunch meeting on the afternoon of February 4, 2010.