Just a monster., After a delay, the convicted killer of the McStay family of Fallbrook will be sentenced today. "We don't run this circus. "No more surfing; no more anything., Michael McStay said the court should never forget what this case is really about: "Those four innocent people and the lives they never got to live.". 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. Indian lodge motel in joseph oregon. Prosecutors eventually discovered that about the time the family vanished thousands of dollars in checks allegedly from McStay to Merritt had been written and cashed. A lot of his close friends did not trust her and thought she treated him very badly. McStay family went missing nearly three years ago Surveillance video shows four people of similar size crossing into Mexico Relatives dispute author's claim that wife was involved in. Why? Imes asked, and Michael broke down on the witness stand. Disappeared examines the case of the McStay family who vanished from their Southern California home and may have headed into Mexico. [7] Charles Chase Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStays wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year-old sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr. By Charles "Chase" Merritt interrupted his attorney Friday during legal proceedings. Where were they? During that period, she got an early-morning call from someone in Saudi Arabia, demanding his fountain, she recalled. We're just the clowns," Imes said. And when we were out she would call him constantly. Tony Shin reports for NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2019. How to trick yourself slim: Top nutritionist reveals her tips including shrinking your cutlery, sniffing Meghan's (very expensive) date night look! 'You had a choice. Trademark and Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. "Hes an excellent surfer and soccer player. This included Susan Blake, Joseph McStay's mother. Sentencing still has not happened. Joseph McStay, 43-year-old Summer McStay and their two sons, Gianni, 4, and Joey, 3, vanished without a trace in February 2010 shortly after moving to Fallbrook from Orange County. Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, TN residents say Jack Daniel's distillery spews black mold, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' [34], On May 22, 2022, the case was looked at again on the Investigation Discovery docuseries Two Shallow Graves. "Death was the appropriate verdict for those three offenses," the judge said. I would never raise my hand to a woman or a child.". [10], Over the next several days, relatives of the McStays unsuccessfully tried to contact the family. [4] On June 10, 2019, a jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. Jurors in San Bernardino. The shame and despair of being physically attacked by your own child. "It marked my kids.". Gov. She said the two tangled over how to keep the business afloat. In 2010, Joseph McStay (age 40) and his wife Summer (age 43) lived in Fallbrook, California, with their sons Gianni (age 4) and Joseph Jr. (age 3). Michael McStay's wife spoke next, talking about the pain her family and husband live with every single day. There were no signs of forced entry or any foul play, which baffled investigators and suggested the family left on their own accord. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline Merritt who worked with Joseph in his fountain business - said: I was extremely close to Joseph. Merritt who was once a person of interest in the familys 2010 disappearance claims some of Josephs friends started telling him to be careful around Summer, 43. "[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. [16], After their disappearance, it was speculated that the McStays left voluntarily since investigators found searches on the family's computers for "What documents do children need for traveling to Mexico?" Were just the clowns, - Britt Imes. He would often come up and visit me and we would go out for dinner with my wife at the time, but Summer never came. 'I'm gonna get out the information and try to find them.'. 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The details are shocking and nauseating to sit through.". Joseph was his older brother, by three years, two months, three days, he toldSan Bernardino County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Britt Imes. NBC 7's Jackie Crea has more. , updated She talked about how the slayings of her son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons have destroyed her family. On Tuesday, the judge said the sentencing stands: Merritt gets life in prison for the killing of Joseph McStay, and the death penalty for the slayings of Summer McStay, Gianni McStay, and Joseph McStay Jr. Charles Merritt was sentenced to death for killing the McStay family. #nbc7 https://t.co/muZXjqJBFT. His words were a precursor to the deep pain the rest of the McStay family's loved ones would share Tuesday in court. (Will Lester . The surviving McStay family members held an emotional memorial for. A jury recommended the death penalty for Merritt for the murders of Summer McStay and the children, and life without the possibility of parole in the killing of Joseph McStay. And the fountain designer told MailOnline how Joseph once said to him, Maybe I should start eating out more and stop eating her food. So why was being grilled about her books on Mastermind so Why should I be asked to tip when I shop online? June 10, 2019 Merritt is found guilty of murdering the McStay family. Defense attorney Rajan Maline produced a check to Merritt for $3,300 that was issued in April 2010 and signed by Blake, not on her personnel account, but on an account for Earthinspiredproducts.com. In the summer of 2021, shocking news rocked the state of South Carolina. [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. [3] Merritt was charged with four counts of murder, and the district attorney sought the death penalty. Ending my life for a crime that I did not commit," Merritt said. "The gruesome and brutal details of the crime that you committed are his family," she said to Merritt. (File photo by Kurt Miller, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG), In this file photo Susan Blake, mother of Joseph McStay, wipes her eyes at a press conference at the San Bernardino Sheriff Headquarters on Friday, November 15, 2013. And then the family that was killed by their own friend?'" The McStay family of Fallbrook was last heard from or seen on Feb. 4, 2010. On Friday, he. On February 19, California police notified Interpol to be on the lookout for the family. 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? May 23, 2022 Investigation Discovery's ' Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of murdering Joseph McStay and his family. In 2010, Joseph McStay (age 40), and his wife Summer (age 43), lived in Fallbrook, California, with their sons Gianni (age 4) and Joseph Jr. (age 3). Published: 23:50 GMT, 22 January 2021 | Updated: 23:58 GMT, 22 January 2021. He just gave me the quote of the day on the continuing delays. [13] Dean stated in her blog she had just finished producing a radio show for San Diego station KNSJ when she received the call, and that she asked whether she could tell her followers what he had told her. Investigators said they also traced Merritts cellphone to the area where the bodies were buried in the days after the family disappeared and to a call seeking to close McStays online bookkeeping account. Susan said they would stop in little towns that had just a gas station and a grocery store to post flyers. Patrick McStay has waited for this day, when he finally gets to speak in court, gets to speak for his slain son Joseph McStay, daughter-in-law Summer and two young grandsons. Soon, the family's car was found at a strip mall in south San Diego County near the U.S.-Mexico border. At center is Erin McStay, Michaels wife. He had this problem right up until the day he went missing. A license plate search for the vehicle led to the discovery that the McStay's SUV had been towed from a parking lot near San Ysidro, California, right near the U.S.-Mexico border, Gone: The family was considered missing, and detectives notified Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, to be on the lookout for headin to Mexico, Can't tell: Deputies released a video of a group of people similar to the McStay family entering Mexico hand in hand through the pedestrian gate around 7 p.m. on February 8, 2010, Devastating: Joseph's parents headed to Mexico to hang flyers and search for them but never found anything. The back of the check said endorsement cancelled, he pointed out. I was just trying to keep the customers or whoever was calling calm and hopefully to keep the business going. ', 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.'. Oscar Cainer tells all, How to dress like a grown up: Trust me, loose fit can be flattering, says Shane Watson, Anti-agers no one but you needs to know about,Inge Van Lotringen tells all. Although a search of the house found no evidence of a struggle or foul play, there were indications of a hasty departure: a carton of eggs had been left on the counter, and two child-size bowls of popcorn sat on a sofa. Neither was Joseph's brother, Michael. The family disappeared without a trace in February 2010. Blake said, speaking to Merritt. Judge just said clearly its not timely. #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/qLzXb6wJlM. ___ 12 a.m. I honestly believed my psychiatrist . Will Payne Summer McStay's ex-husband spoke next. 'When I last talked to my son, on February 4, he said he still didnt feel good,' said Blake, adding that she had provided the Sheriffs Dept with information on Josephs health problems. NBC 7's Jackie Crea has more. Inconclusive:After three years of searching, the San Diego Sheriff's Department investigators concluded in April 2013 that the McStay family had gone to Mexico voluntarily, Frustrating: The McStays friends and family insisted they would never go to Mexico with their children, but there was no other explanation, Heartbreaking: On November 11, 2013, an off-road motorcyclist came across the family's human remains in San Bernardino County's Mojave Desert. Upon his arrival, he noticed that Joseph's 1996 Isuzu Trooper was missing, but their dogs were in the backyard. A small public memorial was held Wednesday afternoon in honor of the McStay family, a couple and their two young sons whose bodies were discovered last week in the Mojave Desert. Don't worry, your fate will be way less tragic than that of the family you murdered. Before the sentencing was handed down, six of the McStay family's loved ones delivered tearful, spine-tingling impact statements in court, staring straight at the face of the killer who took the lives of their family. After three years of suspicion, the family's bones were discovered in a desert over a hundred miles from their house. The bodies of two members of a family that went missing in 2010 have been identified. You cannot get back time. The clip appeared to show a family of four crossing the border into Mexico -- a family that looked like they could have been the McStays. #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/Ojp02cg2cJ. "corrupt" . Merritt is charged with killing his business associate Joseph McStay; McStay's wife, Summer; and their 3- and 4-year-old sons. [3] The trial began on January 7, 2019, in San Bernardino. It was a mystery and he started to consider everything and anything. It was to me, at the time, very scary, so I literally walked out and said If my son loses his business, so be it, I need to find my family and I left., Under questioning by Rodriguez, Blake described the argument as filled with A lot of, lot of cussing, screaming at each other Chase wanted to wring his neck.. Mrs Blake described Josephs symptoms as something similar to vertigo and said he complained of feeling 'woozy'. The car's location from February 4 to February 8 remains unknown. The fountain designer has always been seen as a key player in the mystery as he was one of Josephs closest friends and his most trusted business associate. Joseph McStay owned a custom fountain business and worked with Merritt. I just spoke to the prosecuting attorney in the Merritt case. Gavin Newsom has placed a moratorium on executions while he's in office. Joseph and Summer McStay had two sons Gianni and Joseph Jr. I would have never raised my hand for a woman or child. [27] Merritt's trial was delayed as he had repeatedly fired his attorneys or attempted to represent himself. [32] On June 24, the jury recommended that Merritt be sentenced to death. Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife, Summer, 43, went missing along with their two children, Gianna, 4, and Joseph, 3. A year later,Charles 'Chase' Merritt, who was a partner in Joseph's water-fountain business, was arrested for bludgeoning the married couple and their children to death inside their home in Fallbrook because he owed them $30,000. Then, he slammed the podium loudly with his hands.Come on, Chase! 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. Investigators and the public also focused on Merritt, the last known person to have had contact with Joseph and the first to notice his disappearance. All of the motions were denied. Michael did not find any family at home, and their two dogs were in the backyard. Were they scared, Chase? [27], Prosecutors allege that Merritt had a gambling problem and killed the McStay family for financial gain. She would shout at him in the privacy of their own home, but then put on a front like he was the most important person in the world when they were in public. Arguing, and Dan just wasnt going to budge, she said. Then a few people started putting the idea in his head that maybe Summer was behind it. Merritt said the people responsible for the slayings are still free. In late November 2009, the family moved to Fallbrook, California, for a fresh start in a peaceful and friendly neighborhood. This despicable, evil monster. The book will be released later this year. How scared were they, Chase? She was obsessed with the idea of being Italian and that was her name for him. A judge denied a motion to reduce Charles Merritt's sentencing from the death penalty to life in prison wihtout parole in the killings of Summer McStay, Gianni McStay and Joseph McStay Jr. Michael McStay talks about how much he misses his brother Joseph McStay at Merritt's sentencing. Just stop all the appeals, all the shenanigans. I remember one woman in particular was all over him for a while. The 30 Best Shows on Netflix for Kids. The family had been beaten to death with a three-pound sledgehammer found in one of the graves. The trial in the downtown San Bernardino Justice Center is before Judge Michael A. Smith. Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished from their home inFallbrook, California, on February 4, 2010. "Not natural causes; there was intent here.". The attorney stopped Merritt, saying, "You can't.". Charles "Chase" Merritt appears at his sentencing hearing in San Bernardino, California, on Jan. 21, 2020. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. We used to speak to each other 10 or 12 times almost every day and we would talk about absolutely everything. Note:A previous version of this story misidentified the prosecutor who questioned Michael McStay. [17] Other critics of the theory noted that the McStays had more than $100,000 in bank accounts, with no withdrawal of funds in preparation for a trip, and their accounts were untouched after their disappearance.

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