joseph mcstay surviving son

His words were a precursor to the deep pain the rest of the McStay family's loved ones would share Tuesday in court. Merritt said the people responsible for the slayings are still free. Although a search of the house found no evidence of a struggle or foul play, there were indications of a hasty departure: a carton of eggs had been left on the counter, and two child-size bowls of popcorn sat on a sofa. Chase, you are a low-life baby killer, Blake said as Merritt stared at her impassively. '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. But even then rumors of dubious dealings with Mexican cartels bubbled away. [13] Dean stated in her blog she had just finished producing a radio show for San Diego station KNSJ when she received the call, and that she asked whether she could tell her followers what he had told her. Here are the seven best ways to wear them this spring. When their remains were unearthed, investigators also found a rusty sledgehammer that they said was used to kill the family. Ultimately, officials determined it was not the McStay family in that video. Merritt added: If Im honest, I have no idea why he put up with it. The bodies of two members of a family that went missing in 2010 have been identified. So unnatural," he said. As recently as April, the FBI believed the family went to Mexico voluntarily. He has been the entertainment editor, a features writer, a business writer and is now a courts and breaking news reporter. Testimony in the trial is scheduled to continue Wednesday. I know you dont believe me and thats what kills me. He would spend days on end in bed. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Prosecutors are seeking the death. 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. Kavanaugh has denied any involvement in the familys disappearance and slayings. After Joseph, along with his wife and kids, suddenly went missing in February 2010, the authorities didn't have many leads. "No more surfing; no more anything., Michael McStay said the court should never forget what this case is really about: "Those four innocent people and the lives they never got to live.". He was such a great guy and he got his share of female attention. "I hope you burn in Hell," he told the man convicted of killing his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren. His mother Susan Blake gave an interview to Myvalleynews.com six weeks after her sons disappearance, where she said she was very concerned about his health. 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. 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. Obviously that was a real problem for Joseph and he used to talk to me about it regularly. Disappeared examines the case of the McStay family who vanished from their Southern California home and may have headed into Mexico. She said: 'My son had been sick since last August and hes normally a very healthy person. Mrs Blake described Josephs symptoms as something similar to vertigo and said he complained of feeling 'woozy'. Chase Merritt sobs and says I did not do this thing. 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. It is my deepest desire in my own life not to spread pain and suffering, said a soft-spoken Jonah McStay. 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. Joseph was his older brother, by three years, two months, three days, he toldSan Bernardino County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Britt 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. He just gave me the quote of the day on the continuing delays. Then, he slammed the podium loudly with his hands.Come on, Chase! Indian lodge motel in joseph oregon. Tony Shin reports for NBC4 News at 4 p.m. on Jan. 8, 2019. [3] The trial began on January 7, 2019, in San Bernardino. He didnt know what was wrong with him and he was desperate. '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. Charles "Chase" Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStay's wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year-old sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr.. [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. 'Some rough places, but you have had somebody stab me, it doesn't matter,' she noted. [23] Merritt, who reportedly was the last person Joseph called from his cell phone, also said that he had passed a polygraph test and did not know anything that could help solve the mystery of the family's disappearance. Three years later, their bodies were found in a remote desert location more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) away in San Bernardino County. You just do what you can for your son, and your family, she said. #nbc7 #mcstay He told Merrit, I want to psychological mess you up. https://t.co/0xbSXeb9kX. A grainy video captured at a nearby border crossing deepened the mystery. If I want to speak with him, I have to go to a gravesite," Michael McStay added. "Not natural causes; there was intent here.". NBC 7's Jackie Crea has more. What lack of sleep REALLY does to your face: Expert reveals the warning signs your skin is suffering, My Daily Horoscope: What does March 2nd hold for MY star sign? Joseph and Summer McStay had two sons Gianni and Joseph Jr. Joseph managed a company that built decorative fountains, and Summer was a licensed real estate agent. Summer had also ordered a Spanish-language education program a few months prior to their disappearance. In the last of the two meetings, They were definitely yelling, big time, at each other. No one can explain how a seemingly normal suburban family who only moved into their new home in Fallbrook, California, three months earlier, could be living a regular life one day and then vanish the next. she said. His attorney was arguing motions before Merritt was set to be sentenced. This despicable, evil monster. Related research topic ideas. The home had no signs of forced entry. Working through prosecutor Rodriguezs objections, Maline asked Blake, Do remember if it bounced?. Just a monster., After a delay, the convicted killer of the McStay family of Fallbrook will be sentenced today. 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. Joseph McStay's mother, Susan Blake, followed. We dont run this circus. #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/usvvTgHitl. Gov. 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. Note:A previous version of this story misidentified the prosecutor who questioned Michael McStay. Every time you hear a sound in prison or in a movie similar to the sounds you made that day when you murdered this family, I hope it rings loud in your ears. 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. 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. Never again will we hear their voices. #mcstay #nbc7 pic.twitter.com/CGQmypfaZb. Will Payne "The constant questions when we are out. His son, Joseph, his daughter-in-law, Summer, and their two little boys, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 vanished. 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. [15] Baker began following the case in 2013 after interviewing Michael McStay on his program. The McStays, their two boys Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished in 2010, leaving food on the table and a massive mystery. "You had a choice. "From Day One, I just had this gut feeling that I was never going to see them again," he said, swallowing tears. "The extreme violence and savagery of the nature of the killings -- particularly of two small children -- far outweigh the totality of all of the mitigating evidence," the judge added. 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. (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. I believe that [Joseph] trusted Chase and believed in Chase. Princess Diana's nieces Lady Eliza and Amelia share Do not sell or share my personal information. Merritt was supposed to be sentenced last Friday, Jan. 17, but dramatic twists, turns, and delays prevented that from happening as planned. '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. I even went to the hospital with him to try and see what was wrong; we thought maybe it was stress.'. 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. The thing that is bringing you this solace, is ending my life. A decade after the family went missing, their killer was sentenced to death in January 202. "I loved Joseph. 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. 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. I see its written, yes, she answered, confirming it was her signature. She talked about how the slayings of her son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons have destroyed her family. 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. "It marked my kids.". On the surface, while tragic, it may not seem all that crazy. Do you remember writing that check? he asked. A deep pause followed as Michael McStay tried to collect himself. [7] Summer was born Virginia Lisa Aranda, and had also been known as Summer Martelli. 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. Charles "Chase" Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStay's wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year-old sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr.. Theres nothing more valuable on this Earth than time and that was stolen from them; that was stolen from us," he said. 14:31 EST 05 Jan 2014. On February 23, 2010, detectives notified Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, to be on the lookout for the family heading to Mexico. [4] On June 10, 2019, a jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. Soon, the family's car was found at a strip mall in south San Diego County near the U.S.-Mexico border. The McStay family disappeared from their San Diego County home in 2010. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. NBC 7 was once again inside the courtroom Tuesday. 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. On Friday, he. Joseph McStay's mother Susan Blake addresses the court during the sentencing of Charles Chase Merritt on Jan. 21, 2020. I would never hurt him in any way. 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.'. The McStay family murders occurred on or near February 4, 2010, after the family disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, United States; their bodies were found in the desert near Victorville, California, on November 13, 2013. I just spoke to the prosecuting attorney in the Merritt case. 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. She said it was not until six months later that she could bear to go out to the site, marked by four crosses. 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. Susan said they would stop in little towns that had just a gas station and a grocery store to post flyers. 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. "It's not just a Netflix documentary to us. They also linked him to a call seeking to close Joseph McStay's online bookkeeping account. Alex Murdaugh Is Guilty! Neither was Joseph's brother, Michael. 'He told me he was in a hurry because he had a lunch meeting,' the dad told Killer Motive host Troy Roberts. He said: Summer was a very self-centered, self-obsessed person with an awful temper. Merritt and Kavanaugh both worked with McStays online business, Earth Inspired Products, which offered outdoor water fountains to customers. #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. The clip appeared to show a family of four crossing the border into Mexico -- a family that looked like they could have been the McStays. 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. On February 19, California police notified Interpol to be on the lookout for the family. In the gallery sat Merritt's daughter and brother. His arrest was announced on November 7, 2014. Merritt's attorneys said the two men were best friends and investigators overlooked another possible suspect in the killings. Merritt has pleaded not guilty to the murders of McStay; McStay's wife, Summer, 43; 4-year-old son Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph Jr. The bodies of Joseph McStay, 40, and his wife Summer, 43, along with their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, were found in a shallow grave in the desert north of Victorville in 2013. He went to the doctor a number of times, but they just didnt know what was wrong with him. 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. The case has sparked endless speculation, with both the police and amateur sleuths coming up with countless theories, some plausible, some wild and outrageous. [1][2] Their disappearance was widely reported by the national news media. Ill never get another conversation with him. I'm so bummed out after realising my diagnosis made a few years ago is legitimate. She was obsessed with the idea of being Italian and that was her name for him. 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). Michael McStay said watching his parents bury his brother was the most "unnatural" thing he could've ever witnessed. A judge denied a motion to reduce Charles Merritt's sentencing from the death penalty to life in prison wihtout parole in the killings of Summer McStay, Gianni McStay and Joseph McStay Jr. Michael McStay talks about how much he misses his brother Joseph McStay at Merritt's sentencing. She also touched on the media attention and pressures her family has coped with for years, including questions from strangers. 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. 'As a mother, you're going to do absolutely anything and everything you can to find them,' she explained. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. [4], On June 10, 2019, a San Bernardino County jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. Scholarly publications with full text pdf download. 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. He maintained his innocence, saying something has always been "amiss" in this case. "We don't run this circus. 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. [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. Blake said Merritt and Kavanugh got into arguments in two meetings during the spring of 2010. 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. Richard K. De Atley has been a journalist since 1975, for City News Service in Los Angeles, The Associated Press in Los Angeles and New York, and The Press-Enterprise in Riverside. [27], Prosecutors allege that Merritt had a gambling problem and killed the McStay family for financial gain. He said healing will be a lifelong thing for his family, but he knows they can do it together. Merritt later told police that he ignored the voicemail because he was watching a movie. In late November 2009, the family moved to Fallbrook, California, for a fresh start in a peaceful and friendly neighborhood. The 58-year-old Merritt is. And they told me they were also gone. So why was being grilled about her books on Mastermind so Why should I be asked to tip when I shop online? Why were they gone? I did not know any of that part, Blake said. 'You had a choice. 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. He was in a really bad way. Were just the clowns, - Britt Imes. #nbc7 https://t.co/muZXjqJBFT. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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,. Where were they? 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. But despite that public front, I know, prior to their disappearance they had not had sex in more than a year. I would never have hurt him in any way. A neighbor's security camera was triggered at 7:47PM when the McStays . In the McStay family murders, Judge listens to arguments that sentence should be reduced from death penalty to life in prison without parole. Patrick McStay was there, too, along with other members of the McStay family, including Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay. #nbc7 https://t.co/5tmfTOuzsD. How scared were they, Chase? Merritt was found guilty on June 10, 2019, on four counts of murder. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. The shame and despair of being physically attacked by your own child. 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.,. I was not his best friend, but he was mine and I believe he opened up to me about things he would not tell anyone else. Merritt was transferred to San Quentin State Prison until an execution date is scheduled. Immediately, the mysterious case gripped the community. Then a few people started putting the idea in his head that maybe Summer was behind it. Don't worry, your fate will be way less tragic than that of the family you murdered. The impression I get is that Summer would use her sexuality to get attention and get what she wanted. 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. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. By February 2016, he had gone through five attorneys. 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. But the details of this case go back decades and has many twists and turns. How scared were they, Chase? The family's computer had recent internet searches for: 'What documents do children need for traveling to Mexico?' The details are shocking and nauseating to sit through.". Basically, she wouldnt let him near her. 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 Son of Patrick McStay and Susan Blake. Voice shaking, it was Merrit's turn to speak to the courtroom and to the McStay family's loved ones. Sheriffs investigators believeSummer McStay may have been rapedbefore she was killed. Investigators believed the murder weapon was a 3-pound sledgehammer, which was found in the grave containing the remains of Summer and her son. May 23, 2022 Investigation Discovery's ' Two Shallow Graves' follows the trial of Charles "Chase" Merritt, accused of murdering Joseph McStay and his family. 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. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. Who killed the McStay family? "I did not do this thing. Their remains were eventually discovered in the Mojave Desert near Victorville, California, about 100 miles from their home. 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. Here are some last-minute, Best last-minute Valentines Day gifts for him, These are places to live on the West Coast, Scooter rider killed in crash near border identified, SD Co. Sheriff: 2022 inmate death now ruled a homicide, A new pirate-themed speakeasy has washed ashore in, This SD campground is among the best in America, CA extends tax deadline to Oct. 16 for disaster areas, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. "So unnatural. Homicide investigators search the family's home on Avocado Vista Lane and found no sign of a struggle. He conducted dozens of interviews on the case (traveling to Mexico, Belize, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic), followed leads, and reported sightings of the family. Merritt is charged with killing his business associate Joseph McStay; McStay's wife, Summer; and their 3- and 4-year-old sons. He was arrested last year. 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 make up a small part of Merritts new book, which is due to be released later this year. Summers sister: My sister walked with a passion and purpose. Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay, took his turn. That family that went missing? His mother was not available to speak to MailOnline about Merritt's latest revelations. Charles "Chase" Merritt interrupted his attorney Friday during legal proceedings. "Death was the appropriate verdict for those three offenses," the judge said. Unconfirmed family sightings were reported in Mexico and elsewhere, perpetuating hopes that they were safe and had left voluntarily. The shocking claims will stun everyone who has followed the McStay family disappearance since they first went missing back on February 4, 2010.

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