Furthermore, Josephs mother stated that the car had his asthma medication, and he never went anywhere without it. The remains were identified as the McStay familys and were buried in two shallow graves. CNN. McGees law partner, Rajan Maline, is also representing Merritt in the case. Two Shallow Graves airs Sunday from 9/8c on Investigation Discovery. The skeletal remains of Joseph McStay were found with a cutoff extension cord wrapped around the neck, and the rest of the body wrapped in a white towel, all of it secured by a tie-down strap. 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. McStay Family Murders: Who Killed Them? 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. The defendant faces four counts of murder and the possibility of the death penalty if convicted. When the family went missing, the pair began their own investigation, describing in the new series how they combed through the McStays emails and followed up any lead they could find. The police concluded that Merritt killed the family for financial gain; the killer had a severe gambling problem, and after the murders, he managed to gain some control of Josephs business accounts. Buried in the Desert: Was a Family Friend Their Killer? 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. Selena autopsy photo. The cause of death was blunt force trauma to the head. Two days later, the remains were identified as the McStay family. The sizes of the people appear to match the McStay family. On November 11, 2013, the remains of two adults and two children were recovered in the California desert. Your login session has expired. Lots of peoples names came up, and lots of different theories came up, executive producer Jacinda A Davis tells The Independent. The accused was found guilty of the charges against him. May she rest in eternal peace. On February 10, 2010, Josephs business partner, Charles Chase Merritt, asked the authorities to check on the family, but an officer felt nothing was amiss. Charles "Chase" Merritt, left, reacts after being found guilty of four counts of first-degree murder of the McStay family, in San Bernardino Superior Court in San Bernardino on June 10. 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. The McStay Family Memorial is located in a very rural desert area directly north of the I-15 Stoddart Wells/Quary Rd exit. Their house didnt show any signs of a struggle, but it was clear they had left in a hurry; there was food left out on the counter, and their beloved pet dogs were left behind. The family had moved into the house three months earlier, and was in the process of unpacking and doing renovations. Read Less Posted: Jan 23, 2015 / 12:29 PM PST There is reportedly a DNA match that links Merritt to the McStay May 27, 2021 The McStay family murders occurred on or near February 4, 2010, after the family disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, Mcstay family autopsy photos Merritt is on trial for the murder of the McStay family from Fallbrook tried to cover his tracks after the murders. memorial page for Virginia Lisa "Summer" Aranda McStay (27 Dec 1966-4 Feb 2010), Find a Grave Memorial ID 120355781, citing El Toro . 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 recognized that the children and Summer were the people in the video, but Josephs mother believed that if the man in the video were Joseph, his hair would have been much bushier. In April 2013, the San Diego Sheriffs Department turned the case over to the FBI, which was more equipped to investigate cases that involve other countries. I think its probably true; he has read everything, hes currently working on a book about his case and hes constantly working on it in some way. However, the rest of the family thought it was unusual for them to just leave so abruptly. Investigators believed that the family was willingly walking across the border, with no indication that they were in any distress. The mysterious murders of the McStay family. Reportedly, on January 21, 2020, Merritt was convicted of his crime and issued a sentence of life in prison and the death penalty. The seven-episode Two Shallow Graves premieres Sunday on Investigation Discovery and will be available to stream on discovery+. What Happened to the McStays, Who Vanished 3 Years Before They Were Found Buried in the Desert? The remains were identified as the McStay family's and were buried in two shallow graves. The familys remains were later unearthed by sheriffs crime scene investigators and forensic anthropologists. Kevin McStay (Mayo): "There's a lot of teams that will beat each other before this League is over. The four-year-old Gianni had suffered a shocking seven blows to the head. In 2020, Merritt was sentenced to death following a conviction on four murder counts. Merritt insists on his innocence in the face of the prosecution's evidence, raising the question: Did Merritt murder the McStay family? That was the last time they would ever speak; no one heard from the McStays after 4 February 2010. 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. 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. Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. Research genealogy for Vivian McStay of Gordonville, Grayson Texas, USA, as well as other members of the McStay family, on Ancestry. Syd Field Four Screenplays Pdf 11 !!HOT!! Merritt had previously worked with Joseph McStay, who owned and ran the Earth Inspired Products decorative fountain company. According to the Los Angeles County Coroner Walker's body was discovered in a "pugilistic stance," meaning the 40-year-old actor died with his arms up, instinctively trying to shield his head and face from impact. Detectives testified during Merrittspreliminary hearingin June 2015 that Merritt was a gambling man who had written multiple checks totaling more than $21,000 on Joseph McStays QuickBooks account in the weeks after the McStay family was last seen on Feb. 4, 2010. There was a couple bowls of I believe popcorn that it looked like the boys were eating, possibly watching TV. The video shows a male adult and a child walking in front of a female adult with another child. There was finally some closure for the family, Imes says. 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. Cell phone records placed Merritt in the desert where the bodies were ultimately discovered just two days after the family disappeared. A hearing on McGees motion is scheduled Friday in San Bernardino Superior Court. Inside The Gruesome McStay Family Murder Case. 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. 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. Their children, Gianni and Joseph Jr., were 4 and 3, respectively. He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. Investigators also discovered that the same car had been towed on February 8 for a parking violation near the Mexican border. It would take years for investigators to discover the family's grisly fate. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - The man accused of killing the McStays, a family of four who disappeared in 2010 and whose remains were found in 2013 in the . 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. I never knew who did it, Ms Watson says in Two Shallow Graves. Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010. In late November 2009, the family moved to Fallbrook, California, for a fresh start in a peaceful and friendly neighborhood. Randi Kaye discusses her investigation into the murder of the McStay family, including her interview with "Chase" Merritt Chase went on TVand talked about his relationship with Joseph and one of the key statements that he made was something to the effect of he was definitely the last person who saw Joseph alive, San Bernardino County Sheriffs Sgt. 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. Joe Nelson is an award-winning investigative reporter who has worked for The Sun since November 1999. Ive heard people say that before and it not be true. He was a business partner of Joseph McStay. NBC article. Lets make no mistake about it, Mr. Merritt is innocent, Maline tells American Greed.. I did not do this.. Two Shallow Graves is a seven-part docu-series that delves into the details of the case.The premiere . 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But jurors disagreed and Merritt was convicted and later sentenced to death for the slayings in January 2020. But privately, investigatorsnoticed Merritt had displayed some concerning behavior after the family disappeared. The grave sites were the main discussion in court. Case 8, Dorothy Scott USA Spot News. The McStay family of Fallbrook were last heard from or seen on Feb. 4, 2010. Complete Murderpedia Autopsy Photos online with US Legal Forms.. .. Descargar Dmelect Gratis. A California businessman has been sentenced to death for brutally murdering a family of four and then dumping their bodies in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert. The family and friends of the McStays did not expect them to be at the Mexican border. 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. Two days later, the remains were identified as the McStay family. In addition, investigators also discovered that Summer had changed her name multiple times throughout her life. Wright decided to hire Bobby and Willie Guillory to kill the couple in an attempt to claim their life insurance. In an interview with detectives just two weeks after the family was last seen, Merritt talked about his friend in the past tense. mcstay family autopsy, mcstay family autopsy photos, mcstay family murders autopsy, how did the mcstay family died, did they ever find the mcstay family, why was the . The family consisted of Joseph McStay, 40, the father and co-owner of a company that built custom, high . Skip Ancestry navigation Main Menu Home Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The authorities initially believed this was the McStay family because of a few other things that came to light. Volunteers set up the original memorial site in 2013. They had recently moved to a home Jan 21, 2020 Charles Merritt was sentenced to death for killing the McStay family.. A jury recommended the death penalty for Merritt for the murders of Summer Jan 22, 2020 Charles Merritt has been sentenced to death for killing the entire McStay family in a bizarre California case that went unsolved for years. His trial hadn't even begun until January 2019 after he reportedly fired multiple attorneys as he tried to represent himself. On Thursday, February 4, the last day that the McStay family was heard from, Joseph attended regular work meetings. Investigators searched for passport records of the family, and discovered that Joseph had a valid passport that had not been used before or after the disappearance. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. And then there was another associate from Mr McStays work, the computer whiz who maintained the company website a man whod sent messages to MrMcStay essentially threatening to destroy the site and ruin the business. Gas prices rise for 31st consecutive day in LA County, Carjacking victim comes face to face with suspect during wild chase, How Paul Murdaugh helped solve his own murder.