During that period, she got an early-morning call from someone in Saudi Arabia, demanding his fountain, she recalled. NBC 7's Jackie Crea has more. She said the two tangled over how to keep the business afloat. How scared were they, Chase? 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. [15] Baker began following the case in 2013 after interviewing Michael McStay on his program. The correct identity is San Bernardino CountySupervising Deputy District Attorney Britt Imes. With the motions finally out of the way, the judge moved on to the victim impact statements just before 11:20 a.m. Merritt was also expected to speak after the victims delivered their statements. 'This despicable, evil monster. "Not natural causes; there was intent here.". She said it was not until six months later that she could bear to go out to the site, marked by four crosses. Related research topic ideas. It is my deepest desire in my own life not to spread pain and suffering, said a soft-spoken Jonah McStay. [17] Other critics of the theory noted that the McStays had more than $100,000 in bank accounts, with no withdrawal of funds in preparation for a trip, and their accounts were untouched after their disappearance. Charles "Chase" Merritt appears at his sentencing hearing in San Bernardino, California, on Jan. 21, 2020. Father of Joseph McStay, whose remains and wife's were found this week after 2010 disappearance, calls San Diego Sheriff's Dept. The 58-year-old Merritt is. Blake was followed in testimony by her son and Joseph McStays brother, Michael McStay who said Joseph gave him $2,000 to start his fire sprinkler system business. Three years later, their bodies were found in a remote desert location more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) away in San Bernardino County. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Inconclusive: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, Frustrating: The McStays friends and family insisted they would never go to Mexico with their children, but there was no other explanation, Heartbreaking: On November 11, 2013, an off-road motorcyclist came across the family's human remains in San Bernardino County's Mojave Desert. Judge just denied defense motion to reduce potential sentence to life in prison (Judge will also consider death). Patrick said, "I truly believe she loved my son. That family that went missing? Will Payne See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites The comments below have not been moderated. Unconfirmed family sightings were reported in Mexico and elsewhere, perpetuating hopes that they were safe and had left voluntarily. List of journal articles on the topic 'Kirkland House (Cambridge, Mass.)'. 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. This included Susan Blake, Joseph McStay's mother. Our last name is mentioned. Merritt was due to speak next. How scared were they, Chase? Two members of a renowned legal family had been shot and killed on their property. You just do what you can for your son, and your family, she said. [20] Although it is possible for a U.S. citizen to enter Mexico without a passport, one is required to reenter the United States. His arrest was announced on November 7, 2014. 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. Queen Letizia of Spain is polished in a recycled Reiss skirt as she joins King Felipe VI at Repli-Kate! "[25], On November 5, 2014, detectives from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department arrested Merritt in connection with the deaths of the McStay family after discovering that his DNA had been recovered from their car. Patrick McStay has waited for this day, when he finally gets to speak in court, gets to speak for his slain son Joseph McStay, daughter-in-law Summer and two young grandsons. "It marked my kids.". 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. 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. Joseph McStay the father of the family of four found dead in the California desert after vanishing nearly four years ago had suspicions his wife was POISONING him in the days before their disappearance, according to an explosive new book. 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. called the investigation into his son's disappearance . 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. 'When I last talked to my son, on February 4, he said he still didnt feel good,' said Blake, adding that she had provided the Sheriffs Dept with information on Josephs health problems. Susanmade an equally emotional statement ahead of the sentencing being handed down, telling the court how the killings had scarred their lives. Blakes testimony came during the second day in the capital murder trial of Charles Chase Merrit, 61, of Rancho Cucamonga. 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. [2][12], On November 11, 2013, a dirt biker found four sets of human remains buried in two shallow graves in the desert near Victorville, California. "I did not do this thing. 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. ", Chase Merritt watching and listening. On February 23, 2010, detectives notified Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, to be on the lookout for the family heading to Mexico. 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.,. Gunfire at 7-Eleven stores killed a clerk in Brea and a 24-year-old man in Santa Ana and injured three others in La Habra and Riverside early Monday, July 11, authorities said. But despite that public front, I know, prior to their disappearance they had not had sex in more than a year. Don't worry, your fate will be way less tragic than that of the family you murdered. The case initially puzzled. (Will Lester . Gavin Newsom has placed a moratorium on executions while hes in office. May 23, 2022 Investigation Discovery's ' Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of murdering Joseph McStay and his family. By February 2016, he had gone through five attorneys. Joseph McStay's mother, Susan Blake, followed. Soon, the family's car was found at a strip mall in south San Diego County near the U.S.-Mexico border. Charles "Chase" Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of his former business associate, Joseph McStay, 40. We are scarred for life., Its been almost 10 years and the pain hasnt subsided, she added. Basically, she wouldnt let him near her. #mcstay #nbc7 https://t.co/xNxV3CqRtr. ', Gruesome: The McStays' skeletal remains were unearthed along with a three-pound rusted sledgehammer believed to be the murder weapon, Crime: Charles 'Chase' Merritt, who was a partner in Joseph's water-fountain business, was arrested for the murders in 2014 and found guilty in 2019 (pictured), Criminal: In January 2020, Merritt was sentenced to death for bludgeoning the couple and their children to death inside their home because he owed them $30,000. when an off-road motorcyclist came across them in the Mojave Desert, New weekly farmers market opens in Cardiff, Dierks Bentleys Gravel & Gold tour coming to San, Vehicle pursuit prompts lane closures on SR-76, SD animal sanctuary rescues cougar orphanedin car, 2 critically injured in head-on collision, Teenage bicyclist hurt in hit-and-run crash, Experts explain concerns, benefits from CA storms, Best deals of Presidents Day weekend 2023, Forgot about Valentines Day? His face was stoic. The judge has been speaking for the last hour - and still going, reviewing in slow, excruciating detail certain facts of the case. 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. #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/usvvTgHitl. She said they clashed in front of her as they argued how to keep the business going. I dont remember bouncing a check, she said. Michael McStay remembered the day detectives told him and his family that the bodies of his brother, sister-in-law, and nephews had been discovered in the desert. (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. The case has sparked endless speculation, with both the police and amateur sleuths coming up with countless theories, some plausible, some wild and outrageous. (File photo by Kurt Miller, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG), In this file photo Susan Blake, mother of Joseph McStay, breaks down while speaking at a press conference at the San Bernardino Sheriff Headquarters on Friday, Nov. 7, 2014. Why were they gone? 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. Then, he slammed the podium loudly with his hands.Come on, Chase! Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife, Summer, 43, went missing along with their two children, Gianna, 4, and Joseph, 3. I honestly believed my psychiatrist . Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's two young sons mysteriously disappeared in Feb. 2010. The court took a brief break. 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. How the Princess of Wales recreated her 2006 outfit from Prince William's Sandhurst graduation Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! How could you beat two precious little babies? He will focus on a number of key incidents and characters and try to paint a picture of what really happened in the lead up to that fateful day. A neighbor's security camera was triggered at 7:47PM when the McStays . They slept in the same bed, but were never intimate. Maline spent several hours speaking before the judge. His mother was not available to speak to MailOnline about Merritt's latest revelations. California has not executed anyone on death row since 2006 as current Gov. [4], On June 10, 2019, a San Bernardino County jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. I would have never raised my hand for a woman or child.