http://a.abcnews.com/images/News/ht_mcstay_100218_wmain.jpg

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/07/justice/mcstay-case/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

California authorities this week arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt in connection with the deaths of the McStay family -- a southern California family of four that vanished in 2010, San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said Friday. The suspect, a business associate of Joseph McStay, was arrested Wednesday and charged with four counts of murder, officials said.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2013/11/19/article-0-19848D1F00000578-341_634x423.jpg

This link shows video of him arrested.

http://www.760kfmb.com/story/27325600/ex-business-partner-of-joseph-mcstay-arrested-on-murder-charges

Oh wow. I'm very happy that they have made an arrest but I'm still in awe that someone could kill an entire family, including small children.

Oh wow. I'm very happy that they have made an arrest but I'm still in awe that someone could kill an entire family, including small children.
No matter how "justified" someone might feel in killing someone, there's just no conceivable reason for the family to be killed also. Just...disgusting. I am interested to hear more about the case against this guy.

I came here to post the same thing. Hopefully the family gets justice. I wonder what evidence they have against him.

Mugshot from his arrest Wednesday:

http://i.imgur.com/5rzcK4n.jpg

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/suspect-arrested-calif-murders-mcstay-family-article-1.2002888

As if the murder of an entire family wasn't horrible enough, I remember when Chase Merritt gave an interview way back in January where he stated he was planning to write a tell-all book about the McStay case with allegations that Summer was poisoning her husband! This article even features a photograph of Merritt posing by a cross at the site where the bodies were found:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2533474/EXCLUSIVE-McStay-family-husband-feared-wife-POISONING-disappeared-dead-desert-claims-explosive-new-book.html

What an evil, evil man!

I am very very happy an arrest was made. I am just shocked about LE saying the murders happened in the house, all by blunt force yet for years the police always stated no sign of violence or struggle was found in the house. The only thing was food left out as to suggest they either planned to come right back or left in a hurry. Family members cleaned and straightened up the house about a week after they were reported missing (maybe to help out as they figured they would come back and the house was ruled out at the time as a crime scene. Also, friends and family were in and out in the weeks and months in that house, again because police determained at the time it wasnt a crime scene or didnt believe it to be. Police stated today there was no smoking gun found but they reviewed evidence and thats how they came to the arrest. So, Im curious as to how they now determained the house to be the crime scene. If all four family members were killed by blunt force and the cops found no sign of violence or struggle either they are seriously inept or the killer is the worlds best cleaner.

Also, its crazy that one guy could kill four people all by blunt force, remove them without detection, drive their car to the strip mall near the mexican border, bury the bodies 100 miles away, clean up the crime scene to the point where police dont find any sign, ect all by himself.

I think this guy did it. I just find it hard to believe he did it all on his own. I think it was planned, very planned. Just by the lack of evidence found for four years. I honestly think he had help at some point. I think the motive was money or he got caught taking money or was about to get caught taking money from joesph and his business dealings. He was a life long con artist. However, the murder was carried out so smoothly, I just have a feeling he had help. Like i said to complete all those steps he must have taken within a day or two of the murders wouldve been very difficult without any help at all, not impossible but difficult.

Also, he owned land very close to where the bodies were found. He was trying to sell it shortly after the bodies were found.

The police said they are still asking for tips, so im guessing theyre might be other arrests?

Also, just a thought but remember that computer search on the computer shortly before they vanished about childrens passports to mexico? Im now thinking its possible that the suspect, who was a frequent guest in the house as he had become close to Joesph, had himself performed those google searches to throw LE off knowing he was going to commit the crime. As he parked their SUV at that strip mall within walking distance to the mexican border. Even if the mcstays had deleted their search history, LE wouldve found it on their forensic examine on the computer regardless. Anyone who watches a few true crime shows know that. I guess Joesph had stopped taking trips to surf to mexico a few years prior because of safety issues in that country and summer had told friends over the years she would never go to mexico because of the crime ect. So, it makes more sense that it was staged

I think that combined with Summers eccentric personality (changing her first name several times and lying to family and friends about her age for years) only helped boast the idea that the family took off to mexico. So, that helped this psychopath.
I hope when more information comes out, more questions are answered, especially how they discovered the house was the crime scene and why LE missed it for years.

what a sick, disgusting animal.

The more I think about it, the more I can't believe how authorities thought it was the McStays in that surveillance video from the border. It's dark and you can't tell a thing from that video. You can't tell what clothes they're wearing, or even who's male and who's female. Hey it's 2 adults and 2 kids, it must be the McStays!

btw, anyone think that photo with Chase Merritt with the cowboy hat on looks like Tom from Survivor Africa?

and of course, we get that usual line from the perp's family "I can't believe he would do something like this." He has a criminal past.

The more I think about it, the more I can't believe how authorities thought it was the McStays in that surveillance video from the border. It's dark and you can't tell a thing from that video. You can't tell what clothes they're wearing, or even who's male and who's female. Hey it's 2 adults and 2 kids, it must be the McStays!

I agree. They were not wrong in considering it as a possibility, but its like convicting someone because they have the same blood type as the perpetrator.

Chase Merritt pled not guilty today. His preliminary hearing will be November 20th according to one of the reporters at the hearing today:

https://twitter.com/ReporterGreg/status/532654176720142336

I'm glad they made an arrest but I am still baffled. What exactly was the killer's motive in all this? The article said that they've concluded that he acted alone, but while I have no trouble believing that the killer would be able to deal with two small kids, but two adults?

Even so, whatever his beef with the Summer and Joseph, killing two little kids? I doubt either's testimony could have been used against him in a court of law.

I'm glad they made an arrest but I am still baffled. What exactly was the killer's motive in all this? The article said that they've concluded that he acted alone, but while I have no trouble believing that the killer would be able to deal with two small kids, but two adults?

Even so, whatever his beef with the Summer and Joseph, killing two little kids? I doubt either's testimony could have been used against him in a court of law.

If he had a gun with him, that cuts any group down to size. At that point, he's in control. He could have told Joseph and Summer to lay down, and then he ties them up. A simple threat to kill the kids if they don't cooperate is more than enough to make the parents cooperate. If he was with Joseph in one room, he could have incapacitated him with a stun gun or something. Then walked behind Summer and did the same.

As far as the kids go, its not like they would be put on the witness stand, but they could have easily identified him to the police. With any case, even if the initial evidence is not admissible in court, all it has to do is put that person on the police's radar. Then the police will put their resources trying to find admissible evidence against the suspect. This is most likely why the kids were killed. As horrible as it is, if you just killed 2 adults, why take the chance of the kids identifying you?

I'm glad they made an arrest but I am still baffled. What exactly was the killer's motive in all this?

Authorities haven't released a motive, but Joseph McStay and Chase Merritt were partners in a water fountain business, so I would imagine a business deal gone south is a likely motive.

Authorities haven't released a motive, but Joseph McStay and Chase Merritt were partners in a water fountain business, so I would imagine a business deal gone south is a likely motive.

CNN replayed the McStay show, but added some stuff since the arrest. They interviewed Patrick McStay, and he said that Joseph told him the quality of the fountain work had gone downhill and they were getting more complaints. He said that Joseph was looking to get a warehouse and wanted to add another welder. Not necessarily firing Chase, but giving him some competition. Chase told CNN that they were doing millions of dollars of business and had a lot more coming in. So the threat of losing all that is what could have caused the altercation.

I'm wondering if the business could have been involved with some sort of illegal activity. This has always been discussed as a possibility, but the thing that sticks with me this week is an interview that Patrick McStay did a few days ago where he said he doesn't agree with all the conclusions that the investigators have come to. He couldn't elaborate because they aren't revealing anything having to do with the case yet.

Also I don't find it at all strange that Chase could've taken out the family by himself. One possibility that hasn't been mentioned here yet is that they may not have all been together at the same time - he could've killed Summer at the house before Joseph even got there.

"D.A. Mike Ramos in McStay Murder case, speaks to Randi Kaye from CNN"

http://www.cnn.com/video/standard.html?/video/bestoftv/2014/11/13/ac-exclusive-intv-with-mcstay-case-district-atty.cnn

Some interesting statements made by the DA there.

I don't understand how one person could have parked the McStay's car near the border without having someone drive him back.
Also, I wonder if he re-painted the house - and maybe they recently found one tiny speck of blood that was missed the first few times they checked.
There are so many loose ends in this case.

I don't understand how one person could have parked the McStay's car near the border without having someone drive him back.

Apparently there is a bus stop very close to the parking lot where the vehicle was left.

Also, I wonder if he re-painted the house - and maybe they recently found one tiny speck of blood that was missed the first few times they checked.

There has been a lot of speculation about him painting over the crime scene. A roller was left to dry in a tray (in the kitchen I think?) which was considered to be strange.

There are so many loose ends in this case.

I have a good feeling that when all the evidence is presented that most of the important questions will be answered. But it will probably be a long time before the trial and just a lot of wondering about it until then.

San Diego County's Search Warrants in McStay Case Unsealed
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/McStay-Case-Search-Warrants-San-Diego--289610201.html

A San Diego judge unsealed four search warrants Friday about the early stages of the McStay murder case.

Joseph and Summer McStay, and their two children were first reported as missing persons in San Diego County.

The family mysteriously vanished from their Fallbrook home in February 2010, prompting a San Diego County Sheriff’s Department homicide investigation and a Southern California search.

Their bodies were found in the desert near Victorville in November 2013.

A former business partner, Charles Merritt, was arrested a year later. He is now charged with four counts of murder.

Merritt's attorney is opposing the release of the San Diego search warrants.

NBC 7 requested a judge unseal the warrants as we try learn more about the killings of the couple and their two children, Gianni and Joseph Mateo, ages 4 and 3 respectively.

We plan to publish new details from the warrants as we receive them. Check back for updates on this developing story.

There is another CNN special about the case airing Saturday night:

"Chasing a Killer: Inside the McStay Family Murders"

The men and women who knew the McStay family speak out about the family who went missing for four years before their bodies were found buried in shallow graves over 100 miles from home in the Mojave Desert in southeastern California.

A few new developments have surfaced in the McStay family murders.

http://www.people.com/article/prosecutors-present-evidence-mcstay-murders-chase-merritt


Apparently, Joseph was strangled with a white extension cord while Summer and the children were beaten to death. How horrible and senseless this crime was.

A few new developments have surfaced in the McStay family murders.

http://www.people.com/article/prosecutors-present-evidence-mcstay-murders-chase-merritt


Apparently, Joseph was strangled with a white extension cord while Summer and the children were beaten to death. How horrible and senseless this crime was.

That's horrible. Those poor kiddos didn't deserve that. (None of them did, but I'm very shocked that someone would beat children to death.)

Absolutely one of the most horrendous cases I've ever come across.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/they-just-vanished-a-business-partner-murdered-a-family-of-four-with-a-sledgehammer-jury-finds/ar-AACItoA?ocid=spartanntp