June 10, 2019 Merritt is found guilty of murdering the McStay family. [3] Merritt was charged with four counts of murder, and the district attorney sought the death penalty. [7] Summer was born Virginia Lisa Aranda, and had also been known as Summer Martelli. I have been in complete denial about having schizophrenia for the last few years. Crying for mommy and daddy? Le 9 fvrier 2010, il avait envoy un courrier lectronique au pre de Joseph McStay, alertant de la disparition de son associ : Je n'ai pas de nouvelles de Joe. Charles "Chase" Merritt, who was convicted of murdering the McStay family of four of Fallbrook, speaks to the judge before his sentencing at San Bernardino Superior Court in San Bernardino on. His face was stoic. He called Merritt a "ruthless mass murderer.". But even then rumors of dubious dealings with Mexican cartels bubbled away. His son, Joseph, his daughter-in-law, Summer, and their two little boys, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 vanished. His mother was not available to speak to MailOnline about Merritt's latest revelations. Just a monster. Two Shallow Graves takes a look at the murders of the McStay family: Joseph, Summer and their two young boys, followed by the shocking trial . For years, police speculated they. Ultimately, officials determined it was not the McStay family in that video. He went to the doctor a number of times, but they just didnt know what was wrong with him. Joseph McStay and his wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr., were a fun-loving, happy family who'd recently settled into a comfortable life in Fallbrook, California. Disappeared examines the case of the McStay family who vanished from their Southern California home and may have headed into Mexico. How the Princess of Wales recreated her 2006 outfit from Prince William's Sandhurst graduation Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! . The bodies of the McStay family were found buried in the Mojave desert in 2013, three years after the family vanished from their home in San Diego County. They make up a small part of Merritts new book, which is due to be released later this year. She said it was not until six months later that she could bear to go out to the site, marked by four crosses. The next week, 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, the same day their vehicle was towed. Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife, Summer, 43, disappeared along with their two children, Gianna, 4, and Joseph, 3, from their their serene San Diego-area community more than a month ago. Prosecutors told jurors Merritt killed the family after learning McStay was cutting him out of his business making and selling custom water fountains. ___ 12 a.m. Watch live on social media with @fox5sandiego pic.twitter.com/jm1tgT66R2, Jeff McAdam (@JeffMcAdamTV) January 21, 2020, The victims family members, meanwhile, dismissed Merritt as, in the words of McStays mother, Susan Blake, a despicable, evil monster.. Maline asked Blake about the point of that argument, again struggling against Rodriguezs objections: Chase is telling (Kavanaugh) that he is a liar, that he is getting the money and not giving it to him, he managed to outline to the witness. Voice shaking, it was Merrit's turn to speak to the courtroom and to the McStay family's loved ones. [15] Baker began following the case in 2013 after interviewing Michael McStay on his program. On February 15, Michael phoned the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSD) and reported that his brother and his family were missing. Unconfirmed family sightings were reported in Mexico and elsewhere, perpetuating hopes that they were safe and had left voluntarily. Huh? The skeletal remains of the McStay family were found near Victorville in 2013 and Merritt was arrested a year later. 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. Blake said, speaking to Merritt. I'm so bummed out after realising my diagnosis made a few years ago is legitimate. The thing that is bringing you this solace, is ending my life. Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife, Summer, 43, went missing along with their two children, Gianna, 4, and Joseph, 3. Tony Shin reports for NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2019. "Our family has already received a life sentence. He boasted it had a "loft/game room & big. How could you beat two precious little babies? " Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took. He was given the death penalty for killing Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. Now, Merritt is on San Quentin Death Row. She said the day detectives told her they had found her family's bodies, it felt as if she'd been hit by a boulder. Soon, the family's car was found at a strip mall in south San Diego County near the U.S.-Mexico border. Then, he slammed the podium loudly with his hands.Come on, Chase! Blake said Merritt and Kavanugh got into arguments in two meetings during the spring of 2010. [34], On May 22, 2022, the case was looked at again on the Investigation Discovery docuseries Two Shallow Graves. Mrs Blake described Josephs symptoms as something similar to vertigo and said he complained of feeling 'woozy'. He used to spend hours at a time talking on his mobile phone and it got to the stage where he was convinced he had a brain tumor. "I hope you burn in Hell," he told the man convicted of killing his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. And when we were out she would call him constantly. At the time, Joseph owned an online company named Earth Inspired Products that sold decorative water fountains. His words were a precursor to the deep pain the rest of the McStay family's loved ones would share Tuesday in court. Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. 'It's like they went poof,' Susan recalled. How to trick yourself slim: Top nutritionist reveals her tips including shrinking your cutlery, sniffing Meghan's (very expensive) date night look! 'Some rough places, but you have had somebody stab me, it doesn't matter,' she noted. [5], 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). She had once told him she wanted that song played at her funeral. In late November 2009, the family moved to Fallbrook, California, for a fresh start in a peaceful and friendly neighborhood. His attorney also says Merritt himself will want to speak. The evidence finally placing Merritt at the scene of the crime was his cellphone data, prosecutors said. She also touched on the media attention and pressures her family has coped with for years, including questions from strangers. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Prosecutors are seeking the death. ', 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.'. Duchess dons $1,610 Carolina Herrera cape, $300 vegan leather Lovely in lilac! Family members react to the arrest: Summer McStays brother-in-law, Joseph Russell, speaks and then Michael McStay, brother of Joseph McStay, speaks. This included Susan Blake, Joseph McStay's mother. Joseph and Summer McStay had two sons Gianni and Joseph Jr. Patrick McStay, Joseph's father, was informed of the discovery and phoned missing person advocate Jerrie Dean to tell her what he knew. An acquaintance of Merritt's told a San Diego reporter, "I think police should look at him and anyone associated with him. Susan had her son Mike stop by the family's San Diego County home on February 13, 2010, nine days after her son was last heard from. They took none of their belongings, left $100,000 in the bank and even abandoned their beloved dogs. 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. Crying for mommy and daddy?" Now Merritt who actually took a voluntary lie detector test at the time of their disappearance and was the last person to see Joseph alive has decided to write a tell all book, in an effort to clear up the mystery. 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. But the details of this case go back decades and has many twists and turns. 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. Sentencing still has not happened. The hearing, which consumed more than 10 hours, concluded with several emotional statements from McStays mother, brother, in-laws and surviving son, as well as from Merritt himself, who continued to maintain his innocence, I loved Joseph, he said, his voice shaking a times. If you were trying to save the business, Ms. Blake, what steps did you take to learn about the funds that were coming into the business and going out of the business, Maline asked, surviving an objection from Rodriguez. NBC 7's Jackie Crea has more. [30] On May 4, the case was scheduled to go to trial in July 2018. Just a monster. - Susan Blake, Joseph McStays mother. [31] The trial finally began on January 7, 2019, in a San Bernardino court, with both sides making opening statements. I did not know any of that part, Blake said. The shame and despair of being physically attacked by your own child. 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. As recently as April, the FBI believed the family went to Mexico voluntarily. But when Rodriguez questioned her Tuesday, Blake said, Thats what was said, but I dont know for sure.. The family had been beaten to death with a three-pound sledgehammer found in one of the graves. Just a monster., After a delay, the convicted killer of the McStay family of Fallbrook will be sentenced today. Investigators believed the murder weapon was a 3-pound sledgehammer, which was found in the grave containing the remains of Summer and her son. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. Related research topic ideas. Sheriffs officials announced that the remains of the four people found buried in the desert belong to the McStay family, a Fallbrook family missing since 2010. 'They actually thought that was really them going over the border on the video,' said Susan, who was skeptical but still headed to Mexico to search for her family. Hes considering motion of insufficient evidence to support verdict. #McStay family visibly frustrated. Maline spent several hours speaking before the judge. When the McStays car was found in San Ysidro on the Mexican border four days after they were last seen and security footage of a family of four an hour later heading into the Central American country surfaced, the idea they had left of their own accord gained momentum. [2][11], During their investigation, the police learned that around 11:00 pm on February 8, the family's Trooper had been towed from a strip mall parking lot in San Ysidro, San Diego, near the Mexican border. Michael McStay said watching his parents bury his brother was the most "unnatural" thing he could've ever witnessed. By Jill Sederstrom The McStay Family Goes Missing Now Playing Preview The McStay Family Goes Missing 2:14 Preview McStay Family Car Found Near Mexican Border 2:24 California man pleads not guilty to killing family of four Susan Blake (L), the mother of Joseph McStay, leaves the courtroom with her son Michael McStay after Charles "Chase" Merritt was. [7] And then the family that was killed by their own friend?'" (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. Our last name is mentioned. called the investigation into his son's disappearance . Despite all the problems they had and how explosive Summer was, I dont know if he ever truly believed she was capable of that, but it was definitely something he considered. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. Seven months later, on November 11, 2013, an off-road motorcyclist came across human remains in San Bernardino County's Mojave Desert. Merritt also says Summer had a terrible temper and would often snap at her husband over completely insignificant things. Testimony in the trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday. "It marked my kids.". I did not do this thing.. It is my deepest desire in my own life not to spread pain and suffering, said a soft-spoken Jonah McStay. Father of Joseph McStay, whose remains and wife's were found this week after 2010 disappearance, calls San Diego Sheriff's Dept. She had asked to get the money back, she said, But I never saw any., Blake had told an investigator that Merritt told her he completed a job for a customer in Saudi Arabia and was paid $17,000. It was a mystery and he started to consider everything and anything. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. I don't think so, and I truly hope not. 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. 09:19 EST 04 Jan 2014 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. That 8-hour day in court included lengthy motions arguments from Merritt's attorney, Rajan Maline, and even a moment when Merritt tried to interrupt proceedings and fire Maline. 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. We used to speak to each other 10 or 12 times almost every day and we would talk about absolutely everything. I know the thought of leaving her crossed his mind, probably quite a lot, but he would never actually go through with it., The comments below have not been moderated, 'Insane' man who lived with his dead mother and stepfather for three days after murdering them recaptured one day after escaping from mental institution, Alabama pastor suspected of stabbing wife to death in July arrested as he tried to board flight to Germany, 'Jail food is cold, the water's bad and my cell doesn't have a microwave': Drug lord suspect writes to complain about prison conditions as he awaits trial, 'Can you imagine telling your four kids he's gone, then he turns up alive? What about the little guys? Summer's sister stated that her passport was expired. Il ne rpond pas au . Joseph's cellphone pinged a tower in Fallbrook. (File photo by Peter Surowski, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG), In this file photo, Michael McStay, the brother of Joseph McStay and his mother Susan Blake enter the court through the throng of media before the start of the preliminary hearing on Monday, June 15, 2015 for Charles Merritt in the 2010 slayings of four McStay family members in Fallbrook. ', Getting worried:Susan had her son Mike stop by the family's San Diego County home on February 13, 2010, nine days after her son was last heard from, Confusing: Upon Mike's arrival, he noticed that Joseph's 1996 Isuzu Trooper was missing, but their dogs were in the backyard, Abandoned: When Mike crawled through a window of the San Diego County home, he discovered food rotting in the kitchen. She really didnt like anyone being around Joseph and the family other than herself and a very small, selective group of people. When the bodies were found, he offered a refund to those who purchased his book before November 2013. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Merritt is fully aware that his book will ruffle feathers and anger certain people, but he believes his intimate knowledge of Josephs life means he may be able to shed some light on the mystery. The sentencing was supposed to begin at 8:30 a.m. but was delayed by about an hour because Merritt, for unknown reasons, wasn't transported to the courthouse. On February 13, Joseph's brother Michael traveled to the McStay residence and climbed in and gained entry to the home upon finding an open window in the back. Investigators believe that Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons, 4-year-old Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph, were bludgeoned to death in their home in the San Diego County community of Fallbrook on Feb. 4, 2010, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said Friday. Princess Diana's nieces Lady Eliza and Amelia share Do not sell or share my personal information. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. January 21, 2020 Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Joseph McStay, 40. I dont remember bouncing a check, she said. And now, victim impact statements before formal sentencing. His son, Joseph, his daughter-in-law, Summer, and their two little boys - Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Patrick also searched for their son in Mexico and thought he had a lead when a family claimed to have seen the McStays at Walmart, but security footage confirmed it wasn't them.