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. Everything to Know About the Murdaugh Family Murders, Including Alex's Conviction, The McStay Mystery: A Family's Tragic End, Man Killed Business Associate, Wife and Kids Before Burying Their Remains in Calif. Desert, Detective Testifies in Court He Found No Evidence McStay Family Was Killed Inside Their Home. 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 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. How did four people end up here in the middle of nowhere, over 100 miles from where they live? he asked. In 'Captive Audience', the Stayner Family Opens Up About Navigating an Impossible Reality in the Spotlight, Patrick McStay Has a Theory About Why His Family Was Murdered. Investigation Discovery aired a docuseries focused on the McStay family murders in late May. At the time, Joseph owned an online company named Earth Inspired Products that sold decorative water fountains. None of these theories have been confirmed. Merritt used the money to fuel his gambling addiction at nearby casinos, in which he lost thousands of dollars. The story of the McStay family is one that has baffled San Diego investigators for years.. Home; . The defense now moves to exclude certain expected testimony and evidence from the prosecutions case in chief on the grounds that this evidence is not relevant, and that the onlypurposes of the expected evidence are to sensationalize the alleged crimes and inflame the passions of the jury against Mr. Merritt, according to the Nov. 20 motion. But hed also tell Kay during his television interview that he had definitely been the last person to see Joseph. McGees law partner, Rajan Maline, is also representing Merritt in the case. 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. Jaroslav Jerry Hanel had tormented the Diamond Head neighborhood of Honolulu, HI, for years, but one day, he completely snapped and murdered landlord, Lois Cain, shot two responding police officers, and set fire to the neighborhood. The caller lacked the necessary passcodeto delete the account and the customer service representative was unable to carry out his requestleaving the damaging information for investigators to discover later. A motorcyclist found human remains in a desert near Victorville, California. One of those suspects, Charles Chase Merritt, was convicted of the murders in 2019 and remains on death row in California. While there was little evidence and various theories floated around, nobody really precisely knew what happened to Joseph, his wife, and their two sons until years later. 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. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Read Less Posted: Jan 23, 2015 / 12:29 PM PST When questioned about his choice of language by investigators, Merritt said he had no idea why he'd done that. 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. 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 . 16 Rare Photos of Princess Diana. There was a huge sigh of relief. In Fallbrook, CA, their home was fifty miles north of San Diego and twenty miles inland from the Pacific coast. The autopsy report details the pathologist's findings.. Merritt is charged with murdering the McStay family of four in February 2010 in San Diego County. Joseph and Summer McStay had two sons Gianni and Joseph Jr. Merritt, who faces the death penalty if convicted, has pleaded not guilty to the crimes. Investigators found one of the birth certificates left behind in the home. However, the rest of the family thought it was unusual for them to just leave so abruptly. Prosecutors claim that the McStays were murdered by Merritt for financial gain. To learn more about the case, tune into Monday's episode of "American Greed" at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CNBC. 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. Charles Meritt did the welding, creating some of the metal work, the fountains, and Joseph was the businessman behind it all, and from all accounts, he was flourishing, Shin tells American Greed.. Photo: McStay Family/ZUMA. About three days before the disappearance, Joseph emailed Chase regarding the money and was close to firing him. For years, that was the prevailing belief among law enforcement. The cops also learned that his cellphone had been pinged in the area where the family was buried. Please be respectful of the memorial and do not leave any trash when you visit. The autopsy revealed all four victims died from blunt force trauma to their heads. Create your own unique website with customizable templates. 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. When Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two young sons disappeared from the familys Fallbrook, California home in February 2010, it was as if theyd simply vanished into thin air. Merritts trial finally began on January 7, 2019 and on June 10, 2019, a San Bernardino County jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. The grave sites were the main discussion in court. What to Know. The four-year-old Gianni had suffered a shocking seven blows to the head. 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. Summer had stated that she felt that Mexico was too unsafe and that she would never go willingly. Case 8, Dorothy Scott The seven-episode Two Shallow Graves premieres Sunday on Investigation Discovery and will be available to stream on discovery+. The familys remains were later unearthed by sheriffs crime scene investigators and forensic anthropologists. Pic credit: San Diego County Police. Investigators also discovered that the same car had been towed on February 8 for a parking violation near the Mexican border. There was the new husband of Mr McStays ex-wife, a man with a history of violence whod allegedly threatened to muzzle Mrs McStay and beat up her husband. Though it is possible that Summer was using a different name, there are no records of passports under any of her other names. Merritt not only had motive to carry out the grisly slayings, it seemed that he also had the opportunity. A few months before the McStay family disappeared from their Fallbrook home on Feb. 4, 2010, Summer McStay filed a Child Protective Services complaint against McFadden, according to Joseph McStay's father, Patrick McStay." McFadden has a pretty violent criminal history, and that coupled with Joseph wanting custody of his son, leads Patrick to . Detectives said when they interviewed Merritt about the missing family, he referred to them in the past tense, saying Joseph McStay "was my best friend.". In 2019, Charles "Chase" Merritt was accused of killing Joseph McStay's family during his trial for the murders. In an interview with detectives just two weeks after the family was last seen, Merritt talked about his friend in the past tense. She was predeceased by : her parents, Manuel Sousa and Nicolina Sousa (Melo); and her siblings . In 2014, he completed a fellowship at Loyola Law School's Journalist Law School program. Man Convicted Of Killing Couple, Their 2 Sons, 10 Years After Familys Skeletal Remains Found In Desert. That was when Charles Merritts story started falling apart and really gave us the motive, Hanke said. Everything. Merritt insists on his innocence in the face of the prosecution's evidence, raising the question: Did Merritt murder the McStay family? It would take years for investigators to discover the family's grisly fate. NBC article. 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. Its not all as simple as it seems; I think thats the point of the show, Mr Fitzpatrick tells The Independent. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. May she rest in eternal peace. It's very difficult to review this case, as there, The FBi has been murdering people for years since their, Clearly its hard for some people to understand that although, What is taking so long? Merritt disputes the theory and argues, in the documentary, that hed been the one raising the alarm about the McStays disappearance, claiming he would have reported the four missing if the family hadnt. Joseph Sr ran a successful waterfall business in suburban California, spending every inch of spare time with his raven-haired wife, Summer, and their two young sons, Gianni, four, and Joey Jr, three. The entire case left investigators and loved ones completely puzzled. A new documentary series re-examines the trial and evidence in a 'comprehensive' look at the case, writes Sheila Flynn Family and friends are welcome to send flowers or leave their condolences on this memorial page and share them with the family. On Thursday, February 4, the last day that the McStay family was heard from, Joseph attended regular work meetings. I think its fair to say the show looks at other suspects, and its fair to say that, towards the end of the show, we will confront some of them.. Summers passport was expired and investigators could not find any records that she had applied for a new one. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! It took some time for people to become concerned; the family sometimes took small vacations, so it was more than a week before Mr McStays brother, Michael, stopped by the house to see if it held answers to where they might be. Merritt's girlfriend gives him an alibi, but the prosecution attempts to discredit her . So, lets find out what happened then, shall we? . 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. This gave him a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home, so he could spend more time with his family. Their bodies were found on November 13, 2013 in the desert near Victorville, California. It would have been impossible for the McStays to travel into Mexico with insufficient documents. A 3-pound Stanley-brand sledgehammer, the suspected murder weapon, was found in one of the graves, and the skeletal remains indicated the McStay family had suffered multiple bone fractures to the . Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. The gift by aselin debison free sheet music. Prosecutors contend, among other things, that the jury is entitled to put a face to the remains of the McStay family, and that the jury has a right to know of whom the witnesses are talking about, McGee noted in another motion the defenses response to the prosecutions opposition motion, filed on Thursday. A carton of eggs lay on the counter, and two bowls of popcorn were located in the living room. 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.. After Joseph, along with his wife and kids, suddenly went missing in February 2010, the authorities didn't have many leads. In 2020, Merritt was sentenced to death following a conviction on four murder counts. The McStay family - whose bodies were found in a shallow grave in the Californian desert almost four years after they mysteriously vanished - could barely afford to pay $210 a week on rent just . He adds: There are so many actual other people who could potentialy be suspects and so many people who had motive. 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. How To Paint Citadel Miniatures Download Pdf NEW! Prosecutors said he bludgeoned the family to death with a sledgehammer. On February 13, when the family hadnt been heard from in nine days, Josephs brother went to the house. On the same day as they are broadcast, episodes will be available on discovery+. Timeline of Gabby Petito Tragedy 1 Year After Killer Brian Laundrie's Body Was Found, Calif. Man Gets Death Penalty for Killing Business Partner, Victim's Wife, Kids Before Burying Bodies, Murder, Greed and the Mojave Desert: The Mystery Behind the McStay Family Murder. 0. On November 5, 2014, Chase Merritt, a business associate of McStay was arrested and charged with four counts of murder, after his DNA was discovered inside the McStay vehicle. 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. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. A whole family vanished on February 4, 2010 from their home in Fallbrook, CA.. Please be respectful of the memorial and do not leave any trash when you . And they should be. McStay Memorial Erected In . Josephs business partner, Chase, claimed to have met him for a lunch meeting on the afternoon of February 4, 2010. An attorney eventually represented Merritt, and the jury decided in favor of the victims. A motorcyclist found human remains in a desert near Victorville, California. Michael's worst fears were realized. Merritt constantly denied he had anything to do with the crime. Investigators found four people who resembled the McStays walking across the border at approximately 7:00 p.m. on February 8, less than two hours after parking the car in the nearby parking lot. Kevin and I work a lot in true crime and talk to a lot of people whove been convicted, and Merritt knows his case inside and out every single detail in a way that Ive never experienced before.. 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.. A 3-pound sledgehammer was found with the bodies . An autopsy revealed that the cause of death was blunt force trauma, and it appeared they were tortured before they were killed. In an email Thursday, sheriffs Lt. Sarkis Ohannessian declined to comment, citing the ongoing criminal case. 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. He has covered San Bernardino County since 2009. They spoke with him for months in 15-minute phone calls allowed by the prison and both were taken aback by his knowledge of the case. On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph . He found no signs of a break-in, except for a partially open window, which he used to get into the house. Complete Murderpedia Autopsy Photos online with US Legal Forms.. .. Descargar Dmelect Gratis. Otherwise, the family looked identical to the McStays. All rights reserved. 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 man riding his dirt bike in the area discovered some of the remains and contacted police. The family of four had just moved into their Southern California home when they vanished on the night of Feb. 4, 2010. 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. Family members of the victims . Volunteers set up the original memorial site in 2013. Merritt, a business associate of Joseph McStay, was arrested in 2014. But jurors disagreed and Merritt was convicted and later sentenced to death for the slayings in January 2020.