Judge just said clearly its not timely. #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/qLzXb6wJlM. The McStays have deep Orange County ties, Cirignani said. Authorities said they traced his cellphone to the gravesite area. California has not executed anyone since 2006. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. #nbc7 https://t.co/muZXjqJBFT. Huh? He played a portion of "Spirit in the Sky" by Norman Greenbaum in court, saying he was making good on a promise he made to Summer McStay many years ago. The mother of Joseph McStay provided emotional testimony on the second day of the McStay murder trial. May 23, 2022 Investigation Discovery's ' Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of murdering Joseph McStay and his family. This world was robbed of four beautiful souls. Joseph and Summer McStay were found buried in shallow desert graves along with their two young sons nearly four years after they vanished from their suburban California home (San Bernardino. In the summer of 2021, shocking news rocked the state of South Carolina. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. And now, victim impact statements before formal sentencing. Last month marked the 3rd anniversary since a family of four mysteriously vanished from their Southern California home. How scared were they, Chase? They said that he wrote checks totaling more than $21,000 on Joseph's business account in the days after the family was killed and then went on a gambling spree at nearby casinos, where he lost thousands of dollars. He was such a great guy and he got his share of female attention. Arent you tired, man? he asked. Theres nothing more valuable on this Earth than time and that was stolen from them; that was stolen from us," he said. And that those sounds haunt you, Chase, he said. Voice shaking, it was Merrit's turn to speak to the courtroom and to the McStay family's loved ones. During her morning testimony, Blake also described heated arguments between Merritt and Dan Kavanaugh, both business partners in McStays decorative fountain business. Our last name is mentioned. "Death was the appropriate verdict for those three offenses," the judge said. ', Merritt showed no emotion as she said she felt like she'd been hit by a boulder when she was told the bodies were found: 'It's just a nightmare.'. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Prosecutors are seeking the death. Note:A previous version of this story misidentified the prosecutor who questioned Michael McStay. Investigators testified they believed the victims were tortured before they were killed. Sentencing still has not happened. Merritt was transferred to San Quentin State Prison until an execution date is scheduled. Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010. In July 2015, Merritt's defense attorney filed a request to have the case dismissed because of the wording used by the prosecution when the charges were filed. "It's not just a Netflix documentary to us. The home had no signs of forced entry. The car's location from February 4 to February 8 remains unknown. Vanished: Mike also discovered Summer's prescription sunglasses on the kitchen counter, Looking back: Summer is pictured wearing her prescription sunglasses prior to the family's disappearance, Case to crack:There were no signs of forced entry or any foul play, which baffled investigators and suggested the family left on their own accord, First clue: Their neighbor's surveillance camera had captured what appeared to be the family's Isuzu trooper leaving the cul de sac at 7:47 p.m. on the night they went missing. At one point he said to me, "Maybe I should start eating out more and stop eating her food". Here are some last-minute, Best last-minute Valentines Day gifts for him, These are places to live on the West Coast, Scooter rider killed in crash near border identified, SD Co. Sheriff: 2022 inmate death now ruled a homicide, A new pirate-themed speakeasy has washed ashore in, This SD campground is among the best in America, CA extends tax deadline to Oct. 16 for disaster areas, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. [1] At 8:28 pm, a call was placed from Joseph's cell phone to his business associate, Charles "Chase" Merritt, which went to voicemail. "I want to psychologically mess you up," he said to Merritt. It is my deepest desire in my own life not to spread pain and suffering, said a soft-spoken Jonah McStay. The family's computer had recent internet searches for: 'What documents do children need for traveling to Mexico?' Just a monster. - Susan Blake, Joseph McStays mother. They told how the McStays Joseph, Summer and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 were bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer and buried in shallow graves in the high desert outside. The McStay family of Fallbrook was last heard from or seen on Feb. 4, 2010. How they stalked the stalker: A gripping new true crime 'It did get weird': Couple who are in the middle of divorce Woman finds out her husband was cheating on her after he was made an equally emotional statement ahead of the sentencing being handed down, telling the court how the killings had scarred their lives. What lack of sleep REALLY does to your face: Expert reveals the warning signs your skin is suffering, My Daily Horoscope: What does March 2nd hold for MY star sign? Speaking exclusively to MailOnline Merritt who worked with Joseph in his fountain business - said: I was extremely close to Joseph. We're just the clowns.". So unnatural," he said. Doves were . Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. He conducted dozens of interviews on the case (traveling to Mexico, Belize, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic), followed leads, and reported sightings of the family. 'It's like they went poof,' Susan recalled. By February 2016, he had gone through five attorneys. He was sentenced to the death penalty for the slayings of Joseph McStay's wife, Summer McStay, 43, and the couple's two sons, Gianni McStay, 4, and Joseph McStay, Jr., 3. She had once told him she wanted that song played at her funeral. Susan explained that her son and daughter-in-law would often go on 'little mini-trips' with their kids in California, so they weren't alarmed at first. He asked for funds to keep the business going, and at that time I would do anything to help my son probably not in my right mind anyway at that time, she said. She really didnt like anyone being around Joseph and the family other than herself and a very small, selective group of people. Trademark and Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. When the bodies were found, he offered a refund to those who purchased his book before November 2013. He will focus on a number of key incidents and characters and try to paint a picture of what really happened in the lead up to that fateful day. The judge has been speaking for the last hour - and still going, reviewing in slow, excruciating detail certain facts of the case. He said healing will be a lifelong thing for his family, but he knows they can do it together. They got their first clue when they learned a neighbor's surveillance camera had captured what appeared to be the family'sIsuzu trooper leaving the cul de sac at 7:47 p.m. on the night they went missing. If I want to speak with him, I have to go to a gravesite," Michael McStay added. Scholarly publications with full text pdf download. Kavanaugh has denied any involvement in the familys disappearance and slayings. He has been the entertainment editor, a features writer, a business writer and is now a courts and breaking news reporter. He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. "[22], In January 2014, Merritt said that he might write a book about the family, alleging that Summer had anger issues and that Joseph had been ill for some time with a mysterious ailment. Don't worry, your fate will be way less tragic than that of the family you murdered. They slept in the same bed, but were never intimate. Three years later, the remains of the family were discovered in a shallow grave in a remote desert in Southern California. I was just trying to keep the customers or whoever was calling calm and hopefully to keep the business going. They took none of their belongings, left $100,000 in the bank and even abandoned their beloved dogs. He then spoke to his friend several more times on his mobile over the course of the afternoon and actually missed a call from him at 8.28pm, which was the last time Joseph used his phone. According to prosecutors, greed was the motive for the killings and Merritt killed the McStays because he had been embezzling thousands of dollars from Joseph McStay's business. " Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took. Queen Letizia of Spain is polished in a recycled Reiss skirt as she joins King Felipe VI at Repli-Kate! Summer had also ordered a Spanish-language education program a few months prior to their disappearance. #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/xNxV3CqRtr. Instead, they said, authorities zeroed in on an innocent man. There were no signs of forced entry or any foul play, which baffled investigators and suggested the family left on their own accord. [35], Last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:11, "Business partner arrested in McStay family slaying, desert burial", "Trial underway for man accused of killing 4 from San Diego", "Charles Merritt Sentenced to Death for Killing McStay Family, Burying Their Bodies in Mojave Desert", "Authorities distribute 'endangered missing' flier pertaining to missing McStay family", "Buried bodies identified as members of missing McStay family", "Man last phoned by McStay father says he took polygraph test", "Author of McStay book criticized by victim's family", "After discovery, mystery of McStay family's disappearance deepens", "Investigators say Missing McStay family left voluntarily", "McStay Family Update: FBI Joins Search for Missing Family", "Search for Missing Fallbrook family continues", "McStay family Mystery: Who is Chase Merritt", "Tentative trial date set for McStay family murder suspect 'Chase' Merritt", "Backlash over book's new theory on McStay murders", "Merritt attorneys want McStay case dismissed", "McStay family murder suspect Charles 'Chase' Merritt fires attorneys", "McStay family murder suspect Charles 'Chase' Merritt wants new attorneys", "San Bernardino judge allows McStay family murder suspect to have more case files in his cell", "Lawyers for defendant in McStay family murder case want some evidence tossed", "San Bernardino judge delays ruling in bid to exclude key evidence in McStay family murder case", Charles Merritt Found Guilty Of Slaying McStay Family, "Jury recommends death penalty for man who killed McStay family", "Southern California man sentenced to death for killing family of 4", "ID's Two Shallow Graves: How did Charles "Chase" Merritt know the McStay family and where is he now?
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