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05-10-2019 05:57 PM
This trial is very low key, but its been going on since January of this year. Chase Merritt is the suspect in the murder (& perhaps torture) of the McStay Family. He was Mr. McStay's business father. He's also facing an embezzlement charge (of which he will plead no contest....too much evidence. But unfortunately, not a lot of evidence to the murders. I'm worried he might get off on that. Little hard evidence on the killings. It's closed off to the media, so very little is coming out. Merritt dragged out the opening of the trial itself for over 5 years. Firing each lawyer he got. At one point, he was going to represent himself. But he finally got one. I've been following it through Webstluthes site and web show Law & Crime. It's probably on Court TV, but I don't have access. The police believe that McStay caught the embezzlement of Merritt. Fired him & was gong to sue him. Merritt went to the McStay home killed him & his family. There is also evidence Merritt raped Mrs. McStay. All kinds of stuff the prosecution kept from the press. I don't know. Little hard evidence. Lots of motive. This guy might get off.
05-10-2019 06:02 PM
It sounds like an interesting case. Is this the family that investigators first thought were in Mexico?
05-10-2019 06:05 PM - edited 05-10-2019 06:08 PM
@tansy wrote:It sounds like an interesting case. Is this the family that investigators first thought were in Mexico?
I think it was. Then they were later found in graves out in the desert.
The ID Channel did a Disappeared episode about the case.
05-10-2019 07:53 PM
Wow...I remember this case and it aired on several crime TV shows. I thought this guy had already been convicted and sentenced. It sounded like he may have had a hand in the disappearance and murder of the family for nothing more than greed; but it was difficult to prove. There was however, evidence he stole money from the family over the years and even after they disappeared. Regardless, I hope he is finally convicted.
05-10-2019 08:09 PM - edited 05-10-2019 08:17 PM
the killings were brutal. He travelled all the way to their house and suddently attacked & killed Mr. McStay. He probably threatened the children & Mrs. McStay would do anything to protect them. I think he killed the children last. He cleaned up and wrapped the bodies to be buried in the desert. He was the one who drove the family's car to the border. His girlfriend picked him up (after he called her) Don't know if she was in on it. the murder weapon believed by the police was a heavy sledgehammer buried with the bodies. There other things in the case, such as Mrs McStay unstable life style (she had a variety of names and took off 10 years in her licence, etc. and an old boyfriend. At one point, a writer wrote a book pinning the blame on Mrs. McStay. Anyway the motive was financial gain. Merritt had a gambling addiction. He wrote checks totally $21,0000.00 from the McStay business. The Police say they have DNA swab taken from the McStay car. Then there is rape of Mrs. McStay. Horrible killings and very sad.
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