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. Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife, Summer, 43, went missing along with their two children, Gianna, 4, and Joseph, 3. At that time, no one knew what happened to the family. 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. They slept in the same bed, but were never intimate. ", Missing McStay family killed, buried in desert, sheriff says, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=McStay_family_murders&oldid=1138842709, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:11. Mystery at the Border: With Christopher Crutchfield Walker, Joseph McStay, Summer McStay, Gianni McStay. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Prosecutors are seeking the death. she said. He was in the hospital for a couple of weeks, and on the (February) 4, he was talking to my mother and he had to pull over when he was driving home because he felt vertigo type symptoms.'. 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. Josephs illness was well documented and had left his entire family completely baffled. 'You had a choice. Businessman Joseph McStay, his wife, Summer, and their two young sons -- Gianni 4, Joseph Jr. 3 -- were last heard from Feb. 4. Summer and Joseph McStay as well as their sons Joseph Mateo and Gianni had vanished without leaving much behind in terms of clues or without really informing any of their kith and kin. Homicide investigators search the family's home on Avocado Vista Lane and found no sign of a struggle. [32] On June 24, the jury recommended that Merritt be sentenced to death. NBC 7's Jackie Crea has more. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. "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. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. And now, victim impact statements before formal sentencing. Were they scared, Chase? How scared were they, Chase? 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). 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. Just a monster., After a delay, the convicted killer of the McStay family of Fallbrook will be sentenced today. 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. The disappearance of Joseph, Summer and their two sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 gripped the nation for almost four years, keeping people guessing until their bodies were discovered lying in a shallow grave in the Californian desert on November 15. Jackie Collins taught me everything I know. He boasted it had a "loft/game room & big. He was sentenced to the death penalty for the slayings of Joseph McStay's wife, Summer McStay, 43, and the couple's two sons, Gianni McStay, 4, and Joseph McStay, Jr., 3. Ending my life for a crime that I did not commit," Merritt said. Summers ex husband made good on a promise the two made years ago and just played a portion of Norman Greenbaums Spirit in the Sky. '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. The car's location from February 4 to February 8 remains unknown. He said: Summer was a very self-centered, self-obsessed person with an awful temper. And then the family that was killed by their own friend?'" 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. In the gallery sat Merritt's daughter and brother. DNA samples were collected from the McSays' family, friends, and associates, but investigators couldn't get a search warrant to access their financial records because there was no evidence of a crime at the time. But what happened to Joseph McStay, 40, his 43-year-old wife, Summer, and sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3? See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites 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. I see its written, yes, she answered, confirming it was her signature. Testimony in the trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday. 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. 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. And she recounted for Rodriguez how she gave $4,410 in personal checks to Merritt in the months after her son and his family disappeared, based on Merritts claims he needed the money to complete projects for the business. called the investigation into his son's disappearance . And they told me they were also gone. Radio host Rick Baker published a book, No Goodbyes: The Mysterious Disappearance of the McStay Family. Did you always look up to him Imes asked. 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. 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. On February 15, Michael phoned the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSD) and reported that his brother and his family were missing. Susanmade an equally emotional statement ahead of the sentencing being handed down, telling the court how the killings had scarred their lives. They got their first clue when they learned a neighbor's surveillance camera had captured what appeared to be the family'sIsuzu trooper leaving the cul de sac at 7:47 p.m. on the night they went missing. How the Princess of Wales recreated her 2006 outfit from Prince William's Sandhurst graduation Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! By February 2016, he had gone through five attorneys. "We don't run this circus. A deep pause followed as Michael McStay tried to collect himself. 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. He was married to Summer McStay for seven years. The book will be released later this year. The show features new suspects, witnesses, evidence, and theories regarding the case, as well as the trial from both the defendant's and prosecutor's points of view. [4] On June 10, 2019, a jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. Merritt said the people responsible for the slayings are still free. And if the truth be told, despite everything, he was still infatuated with Summer. 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. In a preview clip from the episode about the McStay family, Patrick recalled speaking to his son in the morning on the day they disappeared. We dont run this circus. Kavanaugh has denied any involvement in the familys disappearance and slayings. Working through prosecutor Rodriguezs objections, Maline asked Blake, Do remember if it bounced?. It was a mystery and he started to consider everything and anything. 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. she said. 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. De Atley is a Cal State Long Beach graduate with a double major in journalism and political science. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts. 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. 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. #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/nZp6QeV6sQ, I dont know that I can ever explain the impact this man has had on my family, she said. His arrest was announced on November 7, 2014. 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. SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. A Southern California man was sentenced to death Tuesday for the 10-year-old killings of a family of four whose bodies were found buried in shallow graves in the California desert. California has not executed anyone since 2006. His words were a precursor to the deep pain the rest of the McStay family's loved ones would share Tuesday in court. There were no signs of forced entry or any foul play, which baffled investigators and suggested the family left on their own accord. Family members react to the arrest: Summer McStays brother-in-law, Joseph Russell, speaks and then Michael McStay, brother of Joseph McStay, speaks. Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay, took his turn. The McStays have deep Orange County ties, Cirignani 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. While Merritt does not think Summer was directly involved, he has revealed she treated Joseph horrendously in the years before they went missing. "We don't run this circus. I would never hurt him in any way. Two days later, two sets of remains were officially identified as those of Joseph and Summer McStay. Merritt is accused of killing his former business associate, Joseph McStay, McStay's wife Summer, and their two small children on Feb. 4, 2010. When their remains were unearthed, investigators also found a rusty sledgehammer that they said was used to kill the family. [27] Merritt's trial was delayed as he had repeatedly fired his attorneys or attempted to represent himself. Just a monster. 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. After three years of suspicion, the family's bones were discovered in a desert over a hundred miles from their house. 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. Joseph was 40 years old while his wife Summer was 43 making them a rather young family. 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. Prosecutors say he bludgeoned them with a sledgehammer. Charles Merritt was convicted of killing Joseph and Summer McStay along with their two sons. For years, police speculated they went to Mexica, but the McStays bodies were later found buried in the Mojave Desert in November 2013. In the book, he speculated that Summer might have committed the murders. That family that went missing? "Closer still because I know what it's like to lose people I love.". I would never raise my hand to a woman or a child.". But speaking on CNN in 2010 he said: 'My understanding was in the last year hed been having these vertigo type symptoms. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Obviously that was a real problem for Joseph and he used to talk to me about it regularly. [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?" She had once told him she wanted that song played at her funeral. During the last stretch of Friday's marathon day in court, only one person was able to deliver a victim impact statement: Patrick McStay, Joseph McStay's father. [28], In January 2018, a trial-setting conference was scheduled for February 23. 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. [26], According to the arrest warrant affidavits filed in the case, autopsies concluded that all four victims had been beaten to death with a blunt object. In the last of the two meetings, They were definitely yelling, big time, at each other. At center is Erin McStay, Michaels wife. (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. Authorities think they've caught the killer, who is awaiting trial, and the family. For years, police speculated they. And when four skeletal remains were found in shallow graves in the remote Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, it put an end to any belief the McStays had started a new life in the sunshine. How could you beat two precious little babies? The McStays, their two boys Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished in 2010, leaving food on the table and a massive mystery. Summer's sister stated that her passport was expired. He maintains his innocence. [2] In April 2013, the San Diego Sheriff's Department announced that they believed that the McStays traveled to Mexico voluntarily.[18]. [8], On February 4, 2010, at 7:47pm, a neighbor's surveillance system captured the bottom eighteen inches of a vehicle, thought at the time to be the McStay family's 1996 Isuzu Trooper. The 30 Best Shows on Netflix for Kids. Hes considering motion of insufficient evidence to support verdict. #McStay family visibly frustrated. The attorney argued a motion to reduce Merritt's sentence in the killings of Summer McStay and the children to life in prison without the possibility of parole rather than the death penalty previously recommended by the jury that convicted Merritt. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. Patrick noted that it was 'highly unusual for [the dogs] to be left out alone like that. Do you remember writing that check? he asked. Tony Shin reports for NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2019. Where were they? 'We went all the way down to Cabo because at first they said there were sightings, and then we just took the car and went north. It cant be, Susan Blake testified after she regained herself. How could you beat two precious little babies? Joseph McStay has operated Earth Inspired Products, a waterfall and garden accessories business in San Clemente, since 1996, according. 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. [15] Baker began following the case in 2013 after interviewing Michael McStay on his program. In the McStay family murders, Judge listens to arguments that sentence should be reduced from death penalty to life in prison without parole. After Joseph, along with his wife and kids, suddenly went missing in February 2010, the authorities didn't have many leads.