The 58-year-old Merritt is. Around five months before his disappearance he started suffering terrible problems with his equilibrium and his stomach. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Instead, they said, authorities zeroed in on an innocent man. The break came, defense attorneys said, when Merritt and McStay separately worked on a custom-fountain side of the business that did not include Kavanaugh. Everything with her seemed to be done for gain.. 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. Merritt is accused of killing his former business associate, Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer, and their two small children on Feb. 4, 2010. Joseph's father, Patrick McStay, told the Los Angeles Times in 2011. 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. 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. 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. An acquaintance of Merritt's told a San Diego reporter, "I think police should look at him and anyone associated with him. 'He told me he was in a hurry because he had a lunch meeting,' the dad told Killer Motive host Troy Roberts. [6] Joseph owned and operated Earth Inspired Products, a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. 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. 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. Victorville, California CNN . A grainy video captured at a nearby border crossing deepened the mystery. Where were they? 2023.03.03 04:09 oz2usa I'm so bummed out after realising my diagnosis made a few years ago is legitimate. Crying for mommy and daddy? "We don't run this circus. At the time, Joseph owned an online company named Earth Inspired Products that sold decorative water fountains. He was visibly shaken, fighting back tears. [3] Merritt was charged with four counts of murder, and the district attorney sought the death penalty. The family disappeared without a trace in February 2010. "Death was the appropriate verdict for those three offenses," the judge said. The 30 Best Shows on Netflix for Kids. It cant be, Susan Blake testified after she regained herself. The McStays' skeletal remains were unearthed along with a three-pound rusted sledgehammer believed to be the murder weapon a bra and a child's pants and diaper. I'm so bummed out after realising my diagnosis made a few years ago is legitimate. But the details of this case go back decades and has many twists and turns. 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). Charles "Chase" Merritt appears at his sentencing hearing in San Bernardino, California, on Jan. 21, 2020. Jackie Collins taught me everything I know. 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. "Ultimately, I hope to be a father and when I am, I will hold my children close," he continued. Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. But despite that public front, I know, prior to their disappearance they had not had sex in more than a year. she said. The case has sparked endless speculation, with both the police and amateur sleuths coming up with countless theories, some plausible, some wild and outrageous. In the last of the two meetings, They were definitely yelling, big time, at each other. How scared were they, Chase? Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished from their home in Fallbrook, California, on February 4, 2010. The shocking claims will stun everyone who has followed the McStay family disappearance since they first went missing back on February 4, 2010. Description. A deep pause followed as Michael McStay tried to collect himself. ', 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.'. Summer's sister stated that her passport was expired. Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010. I have been in complete denial about having schizophrenia for the last few years. Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay, took his turn. McStay says he's felt all along that multiple people were involved in the February 2010 disappearance of his son, Joseph; Joseph's wife, Summer; and their children; 3-year-old Joey and. Summer McStay's ex-husband spoke next. In further sensational claims, Merrits new book Afraid of the Light will detail how the couple were having major problems in their relationship and had not had sex for more than a year before they went missing. I loved Joseph. #mcstay #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/gDh8XuxqiV, Merritt said he has the "utmost disdain" for the investigators and prosecutors who "put them all in this courtroom" and for the people who, in his words, "manipulated the evidence.". 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. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. 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 family had been beaten to death with a three-pound sledgehammer found in one of the graves. Doctors couldnt diagnose the energy-sapping condition and according to his close friend, Chase Merritt, he started to suspect that his fiery wife may have something to do with it. 'Some rough places, but you have had somebody stab me, it doesn't matter,' she noted. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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? Their bodies were not found until 2013, when an off-road motorcyclist came across them in the Mojave Desert. Merritt is charged with killing his business associate Joseph McStay; McStay's wife, Summer; and their 3- and 4-year-old sons. During that period, she got an early-morning call from someone in Saudi Arabia, demanding his fountain, she recalled. Then, he slammed the podium loudly with his hands.Come on, Chase! "It didn't just mark me that day," Michael McStay said. He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020. Joseph McStay has operated Earth Inspired Products, a waterfall and garden accessories business in San Clemente, since 1996, according. Note:A previous version of this story misidentified the prosecutor who questioned Michael McStay. Who killed the McStay family? Do you remember writing that check? he asked. Joseph McStay owned a custom fountain business and worked with Merritt. I would have never raised my hand for a woman or child. His attorney was arguing motions before Merritt was set to be sentenced. Merritt lashed out at prosecutors he said framed him, some witnesses he accused of lying and the judge he said allowed it to happen. Arguing, and Dan just wasnt going to budge, she said. Mystery of McStay money: Family found dead could barely afford rent. 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. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. After frustrating delays in proceedings in a Southern California courtroom last week, an emotional sentencing hearing resumed Tuesday for the man convicted in the mysterious killings of the McStay family, including two boys, ages 3 and 4. Prosecutors say he bludgeoned them with a sledgehammer. 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. How can you take that all in?, Susan Blake, right, mother of Joseph McStay, reaches over and holds the hand of her other son Michael McStay, left, at a press conference at the San Bernardino Sheriff Headquarters, Friday, November 15, 2013. " Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group, PrettyLittleThing - Offers on women's clothing, Get inspired by the newest styles and offers, Click through for ASOS promo codes this Autumn, Spend less with Missguided's exclusive codes, Treat yourself to offers on make-up and accessories, Check out the latest Wayfair sale to save on furniture. The newly unsealed documents indicate Joseph McStay lent Chase Merritt money to cover a gambling debt before McStay and his family disappeared in February 2010. Judge just denied defense motion to reduce potential sentence to life in prison (Judge will also consider death). All rights reserved, Jury Recommends Death Penalty for Business Associate Convicted of Killing McStay Family, Business Partner Found Guilty in McStay Family Killings, Check Your Pockets: These Coins Can Be Worth Up To $24,000, Glendale Neighborhood Frustrated After an Illegal Hostel Moves In, NASA Images Show Southern California Mountains Before and After Winter Storm, Tax Deadlines Extended to October for Most Californians Due to Storms. She said it was not until six months later that she could bear to go out to the site, marked by four crosses. Three years later, the remains of the family were discovered in a shallow grave in a remote desert in Southern California. [7] Homicide investigators search the family's home on Avocado Vista Lane and found no sign of a struggle. NBC 7 was once again inside the courtroom Tuesday. Were just the clowns, - Britt Imes. But even then rumors of dubious dealings with Mexican cartels bubbled away. The McStays have deep Orange County ties, Cirignani said. Merritt was supposed to be sentenced last Friday, Jan. 17, but dramatic twists, turns, and delays prevented that from happening as planned. Theres nothing more valuable on this Earth than time and that was stolen from them; that was stolen from us," he said. The McStays, their two boys Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished in 2010, leaving food on the table and a massive mystery. Alex Murdaugh Is Guilty! 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. 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. [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. The book will be released later this year. You start calling his cellphones, her cellphones,' she said. 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. We dont run this circus. Chase, you are a low-life baby killer, Blake said as Merritt stared at her impassively. Susan said they would stop in little towns that had just a gas station and a grocery store to post flyers. [30] On May 4, the case was scheduled to go to trial in July 2018. Patrick had the chance to directly address Merritt in court, calling him a 'ruthless mass murderer' and telling him, 'I hope you burn in hell. [9] In the surveillance recording, the vehicle's occupants could not be seen. 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. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. Three years later, their bodies were found in a remote desert location more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) away in San Bernardino County. Patrick McStay, Joseph's father, was informed of the discovery and phoned missing person advocate Jerrie Dean to tell her what he knew. At one point he said to me, "Maybe I should start eating out more and stop eating her food". I know you dont believe me and thats what kills me, he added. Two members of a renowned legal family had been shot and killed on their property. On February 23, 2010, detectives notified Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, to be on the lookout for the family heading to Mexico. [29] Merritt's attorney filed a motion in San Bernardino Superior Court on April 7, 2018, arguing that Joseph's business and accounting records were hearsay evidence and therefore inadmissible. When their remains were unearthed, investigators also found a rusty sledgehammer that they said was used to kill the family. and Spanish language lessons. Sorry because he was worth it, he told Imes. And the fountain designer told MailOnline how Joseph once said to him, Maybe I should start eating out more and stop eating her food. This world was robbed of four beautiful souls. He was arrested last year. Merritt was transferred to San Quentin State Prison until an execution date is scheduled. 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. 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. 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.