McStay Family Murderer Gets Death Penalty

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

Remember that poor McStay family who was missing for a long time and finally their bodies were found in the desert? The parents and two small children were killed by the father's business partner. Chase Merritt has been sentenced to death for the murders.

Annabellethecat66 · ‎03-12-2010

Good! But it will be stretched out for many years!

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

True.

Forgot to write that the Foxnews site was the source for my first post.

BlueFinch · ‎08-31-2019

Evil man! I second the GOOD sentiments.

songbird · ‎03-21-2010

Good.... I didn' think he would because of the circumstantial evidence of the case. They still don't know exactly how one man overpowered a much younger, stronger man, and then his wife. The two toddlers would have been easy for him. But somehow he did, and convinced a jury. My theory he lured them out to the desert and killed them there. some say in the house, etc.

https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/national-international/sentencing-hearing-resumes-for-man-who-kil...

SilleeMee · ‎05-22-2016

I don't have a source but I read a report where it said he raped the McStay mother, too.

Mothertrucker · ‎01-30-2015

and, yet, predictably, his girlfriend was interveiwed at the courthouse last week and claims he was innocent and was with HER at the time of the murder..What IS it with these women who love this type of guy?

This is one of the saddest local cases, in recent memory- i remember the search for the family that dsappeared with no explanation- I think there were bowls of uneaten popcorn on the table and eggs left out-

Just so tragic- he got what he deserved- Of course it is unlikely he will ever be put to death, but baby killers dont fare well in prison, so there is that...

Pearlee · ‎06-11-2011

@SilleeMee. FRom everything I've read the evidence about that was inconclusive.

songbird · ‎03-21-2010

@SilleeMee wrote:
I don't have a source but I read a report where it said he raped the McStay mother, too.

The police did not have enough evidence for the rape, BUT they absolutely believed he did. You have to realize that condition of the bodies when found were skeletons. Several reasons. Her body was found with pants pulled down. She hated him. She wanted him out as a business partner. Those that believed they were killed in the house offer this scenario. Chase arrived uninvited. She was upstairs with the children. Chase killed Joseph McStay with an electrical cord. They think 2nd degree. Summer came downstairs. He could have easily raped and killed her. The two toddlers could still id them.....(the older one) and it easy to kill them. But one of them, he hit 7 times with a sledgehammer.

I believe he did do this. He's been in and of prison for most of his life. All white color crime, except as in his 20's for assault. I think he just snapped, killing Joseph. But killing Summer and her two kids is just appalling. The closest they had to direct evidence is his cell phone ping at the spot where he buried them. his DNA on the steering wheel of their car. This is what the jury believed. He didn't plan on killing Joseph, but he ended up killing him. He had to kill the rest of the family. The worst is Summer trying to protect her 2 children....Joseph had another business partner and the defense claimed he was the one that killed him. But the partner was in Hawaii at the time. The trial dragged on for years. Chase kept firing his lawyers. At the sentencing hearing, he tried to fire them again.

Icegoddess · ‎03-19-2010

@Mothertrucker wrote:
and, yet, predictably, his girlfriend was interveiwed at the courthouse last week and claims he was innocent and was with HER at the time of the murder..What IS it with these women who love this type of guy?

This is one of the saddest local cases, in recent memory- i remember the search for the family that dsappeared with no explanation- I think there were bowls of uneaten popcorn on the table and eggs left out-

Just so tragic- he got what he deserved- Of course it is unlikely he will ever be put to death, but baby killers dont fare well in prison, so there is that...

I know what you mean about not ever being put to death. My daughter's boyfriend along with several other young people were killed more than 20 years ago and those people are still sitting on death row. The one who did not get death because he didn't actually kill any of them got out on parole and then ended up killing his girlfriend.