Patrick said, "I truly believe she loved my son. Charles "Chase" Merritt, 62, was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, 40, McStay's wife, Summer, 43, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr.,. Do you remember writing that check? he asked. Queen Letizia of Spain is polished in a recycled Reiss skirt as she joins King Felipe VI at Repli-Kate! Joseph McStay - Biography - IMDb San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael Smith upheld the jurys recommendation of death following a two-day sentencing hearing that included a flurry of last-minute motions from Merritt and his lawyer, who accused prosecutors of misconduct, Merritts earlier attorneys of incompetence and, on Tuesday, tried to remove the judge himself from the case. While Merritt does not think Summer was directly involved, he has revealed she treated Joseph horrendously in the years before they went missing. 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. Merritt looked at Blake as she spoke. I honestly believed my psychiatrist . Did you always look up to him Imes asked. And now, victim impact statements before formal sentencing. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Merritt's attorneys said the two men were best friends and investigators overlooked another possible suspect in the killings. 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. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges that he killed McStay, 40, a former business associate; his wife, Summer, 43, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, in their Fallbrook home on Feb. 4, 2010, then buried their bodies more than 100 miles away in two shallow graves in the Mojave Desert, north of Victorville and west of the 15 Freeway. He had a son from a previous relationship, who he didnt get to see much of and he was terrified that would happen with his two boys if he left Summer. You cannot get back time. 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. It would take years for investigators to discover the family's grisly fate. The mother of Joseph McStay wept on the witness stand Tuesday as she recounted the moment in November 2013 when she learned the remains of her son, his wife, and their boys aged 3 and 4, missing for more than three years, had been found buried in the High Desert near Victorville. She said the two tangled over how to keep the business afloat. Merritt later told police that he ignored the voicemail because he was watching a movie. Investigators testified they believed the victims were tortured before they were killed. "The constant questions when we are out. He was the last known person to see Joseph alive, during an hour-and-a-half long meeting in Rancho Cucamonga, California just hours before the family vanished into thin air. [14], The circumstances surrounding the family's disappearance and the lack of clues about their whereabouts triggered speculation by amateur sleuths. His arrest was announced on November 7, 2014. Four years ago, Patrick McStay lost everything he loved. [33] The court upheld the jury's recommendation, and Merritt was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. 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. 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. The comments below have not been moderated. How the Princess of Wales recreated her 2006 outfit from Prince William's Sandhurst graduation Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! Indian lodge motel in joseph oregon | | I'm so bummed out after How to trick yourself slim: Top nutritionist reveals her tips including shrinking your cutlery, sniffing Meghan's (very expensive) date night look! "[21][22], In 2013, Merritt acknowledged he had spent more than an hour with Joseph the day the McStay family went missing. Merritt was found guilty on June 10, 2019, on four counts of murder. They said McStay told friends Merritt was doing shoddy work and pilfering money from him. The father's parents, Patrick McStay and Susan Blake, have opened up about the murders on the second season of the Oxygen true-crime series Killer Motive, which premieres on January 23. 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. [24] When asked if he thought Merritt was a suspect, Joseph's father Patrick said, "I have to have faith in Chase because I have to have faith in my son. 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. Chase Merritt found guilty of murdering McStay family, burying bodies And if the truth be told, despite everything, he was still infatuated with Summer. He was married to Summer McStay for seven years. 'This despicable, evil monster. [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. California has not executed anyone since 2006. Where were they? Merritt was arrested the following year. 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. As court resumed, the judge said Maline had made yet another motion: to disqualify this judge from ruling on the remaining motion to reduce Merritt's sentence. Their remains were eventually discovered in the Mojave Desert near Victorville, California, about 100 miles from their home. McStay Family Murders: Killer Sentenced to Death - Peoplemag He had this problem right up until the day he went missing. Where Are Patrick and Michael McStay Now? - The Cinemaholic McStay Family Update: Joseph McStay's father calls probe of Calif Published: 23:50 GMT, 22 January 2021 | Updated: 23:58 GMT, 22 January 2021. Note:A previous version of this story misidentified the prosecutor who questioned Michael McStay. His most recent felony conviction, in 2001, was for the theft of $32,000 worth of welding and drilling equipment from San Gabriel Valley Ornamental Iron Works in Monrovia, California. PEOPLE Explains: How the McStay Family Disappeared Into the - Yahoo! Their dogs. she said. Joseph, 40, was suffering from a mystery illness in the months before he went missing with Summer and their two young children, and would spend days in bed barely able to walk. [3] The trial began on January 7, 2019, in San Bernardino. McStay family murder case: Man sentenced to death for killing family of 4 The shocking claims will stun everyone who has followed the McStay family disappearance since they first went missing back on February 4, 2010. Josephs illness was well documented and had left his entire family completely baffled. ", Chase Merritt watching and listening. In the McStay family murders, Judge listens to arguments that sentence should be reduced from death penalty to life in prison without parole. ', 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.'. Journal articles: 'Kirkland House (Cambridge, Mass.)' - Grafiati 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. 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. After 4 Years Of Investigation, Authorities Say McStay - HuffPost Memorial erected for McStay family that was found dead in Victorville Three years later, their bodies were found in a remote desert location more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) away in San Bernardino County. On the surface, while tragic, it may not seem all that crazy. Soon, the family's car was found at a strip mall in south San Diego County near the U.S.-Mexico border. 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. Just a monster. During her morning testimony, Blake also described heated arguments between Merritt and Dan Kavanaugh, both business partners in McStays decorative fountain business. 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. In the summer of 2021, shocking news rocked the state of South Carolina. The family disappeared without a trace in February 2010.
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