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McStay Family Murders: Charles Chase Merritt Arrested In The Murders of McStay Family

Posted by BOC Staff | Chase Merritt,Chubba McStay,Dan Kavanaugh,Gianni McStay,Heather McFadden,Jonah McStay,Joseph McStay,McStay,Michael McFadden,Michael McStay,Patrick McStay,Summer McStay | Friday 7 November 2014 11:55 am

This is a developing story, please check back for details.

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Comments (580)

580 Comments

Formerbarista says:

November 7, 2014 at 1:22 pm

I had a feeling some other case was going to pop. Blink’s quietude tells.

May the pursuit of justice be fruitful.
GraceintheHills says:

November 7, 2014 at 1:37 pm

Of the business associates, he was always first on my list. Now we have our answer as to what type of monster executes little children. I am more than surprised to hear they were all killed in the home as blunt force trauma to four individuals would normally create a bloody scene.

Grace- you will be tempted to blame it on my cynic nature as an analyst, lol, but I am not at all buying the family was killed in the home if the coroners finding was BFT for all 4. I also do not believe that Chase Merritt acted alone based on the voluminous amount of evidence to the contrary. I am holding out for the autopsy protocol.
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Alli says:

November 7, 2014 at 2:06 pm

SAN BERNARDINO (CBSLA.com) — Joseph McStay’s business associate has been arrested in connection with the murder of him and his family, the San Bernardino County Sheriff announced Friday.

Charles “Chase” Ray Merritt, 57, was arrested Wednesday in Chatsworth (video) on four felony murder charges. Merritt, who has a criminal past, was being held on a no-bail warrant and will make his first court appearance at 1:30 p.m.

Joseph, 40, and 43-year-old Summer McStay and their two children Gianni, 4, and Joseph M., 3, went missing nearly four years ago.

“The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma and investigators believe these murders occurred in the family’s Fallbrook home,” Sheriff John McMahon said.

San Bernardino detectives said they went over the initial missing persons investigation done by the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department and the evidence led them to Merritt.

“There was no smoking gun,” Sgt. Chris Fisher said.

A motive behind the murder was not released, but Merritt and McStay were involved in the water fountain business together and became friends.

http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2014/11/07/sheriff-to-release-new-information-in-mcstay-family-murder-investigation/

There is no smoking gun, that is correct, but there is a smoking balance sheet.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department owes Patrick McStay an apology. He was the ONLY person to call them out, and to do so in a way he expected to escalate their investigation and at the time, find his family.

I read every word of the findings, and I stand behind the need for accountability and transparency and there is no getting around if it can be proven that a family of 4 was slaughtered in that home ( I personally do not believe that) at a minimum SDCSD is in a shit-ton of trouble.
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Mom3.0 says:

November 7, 2014 at 2:24 pm

A year after the discovery of the remains…I guess we will be able to finally answer the question of what kind of a man could kill an entire family including two little boys–yet leave the dogs unharmed and go on with his life like it was no big deal

Over what- business dispute or money?

So he picked up his cell- or left his cell and called it himself after the murders?

I Will check for more updates thanks for the coverage Blink
A&P

Well Mom 3.o right now you are picking up that the evidence is incongruent because it is, at least for me.
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Ode says:

November 7, 2014 at 3:24 pm

Would they be able to tell from the burial sites that the murders were not committed there? It does seem incredulous that no blood of any kind was found at the house if 4 people were bludgeoned there.

4 years in that environment in particular can make that incredibly difficult. I am positive there was an anthro study addendum to the autopsy protocol. One of the issues I return to is animal predation.

The rest is a gruesome conversation about post mortem decomposition and that environments trend for mummification of tissue.

In short- I truly wonder if what was said publicly post arrest was designed to think Merritt would be going it alone on this.
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A Texas Grandfather says:

November 7, 2014 at 3:37 pm

If this family was killed by blunt force trama in their home, there is no way to do that without some blood spatter. The San Diego County investigators did not secure the house and may have not checked for blood.

I don’t believe that the arrested individual acted alone. They need to go back and review the security camera footage from the neighbors camera.

Once a crook nearly always a crook. Few that get in trouble with the law, are able to escape the lure of crime.
GraceintheHills says:

November 7, 2014 at 4:00 pm

Blink, I agree with you 100%. I find myself wondering if Joey actually made it back home that day. Didn’t someone say that Joey had uncharacteristically not answered one or two Summer’s texts late that day after meeting with Chase? If these murders were planned, and I believe they were down to the graves being dug beforehand, why would he even allow Joey to go back into the home? Or did he? And where is all the blood? Transporting individuals who have been bludgeoned is very bloody work. That said, he had plenty of time to clean up. I recall SBSD saying that they found evidence at the gravesite and suggested that at least one of the adults had been bound. This is not making sense to me at all. Anybody else have any ideas how one person could’ve committed these capital crimes alone? As for the motivation, I would bet that CM was siphoning money out of the accounts somehow and Joey confronted him.

Because it does not make sense Grace. It just does not.
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GraceintheHills says:

November 7, 2014 at 4:03 pm

The San Diego Sheriff’s Dept. should be ashamed of themselves.

Seriously pains me to say this, but indeed.
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Rose says:

November 7, 2014 at 4:11 pm

Did Chase act alone in his priors?
the burglaries? I doubt he’d change methology.
Eloise says:

November 7, 2014 at 4:21 pm

Hmm, there would need to have been a shit-ton of painting too I would guess.
Rose says:

November 7, 2014 at 4:46 pm

I suppose BFT beats gun if you don’t want neighbors to hear.
It seems to me a strong man’s large shovel back swung into a chest, say
lurking in the garage, would take all the air out of lungs (no
screaming), break ribs, and traumatize liver & heart but would not be bloody.
Perhaps McStay fired him that day for theft of some kind, &
Summer knew it, and the kids of
course were witnesses. So all has to go.
I suppose there will be more blah blah from the radio blogger.

Here’s the thing Rose- the garage was stuffed with stuff, I mean stuffed. They recently emptied a POD full of stuff into it. I have several images of it. One of them contains a black cowboy hat (Merritt style- he had dinner there the weekend before). There is just no way in my mind, regardless of forensic ineptitude that bft of two adult parents and 2 children at different times in the span of about 8 hours goes without a lick of physical evidence.
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Alli says:

November 7, 2014 at 4:49 pm

Thanks, Blink. SDCSD needs to be investigated if the family was killed in the home. They did not properly secure the home while they were waiting for a warrant to be secured. It took four days for that to happen. Meanwhile, SB was sanitizing the home, and she and McGyv were rummaging through the home looking for financial papers. Evidence could have been destroyed. Who else might have been in the home within those four days? I don’t blame Patrick one bit for calling them out and holding them accountable.

Nor do I.
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Rose says:

November 7, 2014 at 8:37 pm

@Blink. I bet there was physical svidence.
We just didn’t hear about it from San Diego.
I bet special testing then or later showed trace blood on the property.
I bet Chase’ dna was in drivers seat of the car on the border.
Not much has been disclosed.
But San Bernardino is recently 2 for 2 on big case resolutions (other being Corwin).
What is fascinating is how little SD disclosed to family, altho
I can understand that. SB didn’t take this to a grand jury for indictment.
Idea why?

I hope you are right Rose. However, if there is any physical evidence of “death or violence” at the home it was not processed by SDCSD because they fervently believed that the McStay’s left on their own. In short- they believed they crossed the border and when they were under investigation by the FBI for the handling of the case- they diverted all inquiries to them.

In my view, there is no way SDCSD would have passed this case with physical evidence of any kind in that house. I am not suggesting that it is not possible under certain circumstances, I am suggesting that right now the “crime scene+cause of death+burial crime scene+physical evidence+offender” does not ghazinta.

(Italian non-word loosely translated: Does Not Go Into)
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Rose says:

November 7, 2014 at 8:43 pm

On another level, this case is simply read as a serial felon whacks a business partner & family witnesses and shallowly disposes of them and a vehicle. luckily they are not found for awhile, & the DA if not the PD of County 1 is overwhelmed & ineffectual. Finding family finally leads to competent County/DA 2, and so it goes.

Possible, yes. I would likely be on that track if my training, education and experience did not lead me to the quadruple homicide to include toddlers issue. The closest cases and empirical data…

It is true that SDCSD could have FUBAR’d this case and Merritt was lucky and the confluence of familial backnoise worked out until the McStay family was found. If either one of those is true I imagine it will be helpful to a defense attorney.
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Indahlia says:

November 7, 2014 at 9:09 pm

In an interview on CNN, when asked about Joseph McStay, Chase Merritt said, “Oh yes, I’m definitely the last person he saw.” The interview was filmed several months ago.

I posted on Patrick’s group site several hours ago that I had never seen the Randy Kaye direct interview before today. If I had, I would have pointed out that there was no way Merritt could ever say that he knew he was the last person to see Joey alive- unless he had been. Merritt was well aware the version was that Joey at least made it home. That statement would be in conflict.
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Eloise says:

November 7, 2014 at 9:39 pm

So Blink, we know for sure SDCSD never luminoled (sp) anything in the home at all? It does make me suspicious of the removed bedding and all that. Maybe they never felt the home indicated any signs of a struggle, plus the family had been in and didnt indicate anything out of place.

Despite SBCPD stating Merritt is the sole perp here- do you foresee any further arrests? I ask bc it seems to be an arduous task for this one man.

I am not aware that the home was processed forensically in the protocols I am trained- I am aware that the FBI did process Summer’s pick up (again, not impounded so I suggest it was field tested only) and removed some items from the home. Indeed the home yielded no signs of struggle and I would like to point out that there were 2 dogs in the home. Bear and Digger. I watched video of Bear run through the house at one time. Nobody will convince me that those animals, when allowed back in the house would not call attention to an blood or other possible remnants of such an attack.

I am not sure yet if I see more arrests because it may dependent on Merritt talking- but I absolutely do not believe he acted alone. And if that is the SBCSD theory they had better have a bulletproof and verifiable timeline.
B

B
Rose says:

November 7, 2014 at 9:39 pm

http://www.people.com/article/mcstay-family-murders-suspect-charles-merritt-arrested
“Investigators served new search warrants on the house after the bodies were found, he said, but
declined to say what they revealed. ”
imo that blood evidence. luminescence whatever,
was not discovered by SD who likely never did the
work but by SB who got warrants & did.

Workaholics…..
“Rather, the agency re-examined 4,500 pages of evidence handed over by authorities in San Diego County, where the probe began, served 60 search warrants and did 200 interviews. Evidence found at the gravesite also helped, Fisher said, declining to elaborate. “
Rose says:

November 7, 2014 at 10:10 pm

having read around, will be interested in yr
eventual assessment of case strsngth.
Chase is an easy pin the tail on the donkey.

Yes ma’am.
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Eloise says:

November 7, 2014 at 10:33 pm

Look at approximately 6 mins ( really watch, but note the 6 min mark- lol) and see if you recognize anything?? LOL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEdmMDFIhnE

LOL, your a sharp cookie Eloise. At the 6:20 mark Patrick is reading BOC.
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GraceintheHills says:

November 7, 2014 at 10:54 pm

I just watched the Randy Kaye interview tonight and CM seemed just as shifty-eyed as any other murderer who is being interviewed. There are times in the interview, imo, that he appears to give himself away. I believe he thought he had everyone fooled, and had the bodies not been found, he may have gotten away with it. One of the articles I read tonight indicated that LE found evidence in the graves that linked CM to the murders. Would bet the SBCSD wanted to cross all their T’s and dot all their i’s since this is a capital case.

My heart goes out to Patrick and all the relatives on both sides of the family. Having suffered such an unspeakable tragedy, their lives have been changed forever.

I believe that you are correct about finding something that linked MERRITT to the murders. Wouldn’t it be something if it was his cell phone? That the call from Joey’s phone at 8:28PM was to locate his own phone? I have no information on that, maybe he thought he understood how pings worked.

I do know that very quickly after the bodies were found Merritt was escalated on the suspect list through a distillation of financials and an earlier denial- so maybe Joey had a receipt.

The triangulation of pings study ( hopeful there is one) will tell this story, imo.
B
Candace Marino says:

November 7, 2014 at 10:55 pm

Hi Blink, love your open forum. Coming in with open ears and some thoughts. Cha rles Ray Merritt is the only person to ever give an account of Joseph McStay’s last day alive. So obvious when I think back about his comments…..states they had lunch in Rancho Cucamonga (unverified), talked on phone afterwards, (unverified as to who talked). Chase Merritt did say that HE was the last person Joey saw.
Candace Marino says:

November 7, 2014 at 11:04 pm

Blink, refresh my memory if possible, was there any evidence that Joey ever left home that morning?

Yes. There is additional evidence that Summer had live conversations that day and the computer activity is consistent with regular navigations, however, I don’t believe anything until I can review an encase report myself, which I am certified to do.
B
Mom3.0 says:

November 7, 2014 at 11:06 pm

Re Blink-

Well Mom 3.o right now you are picking up that the evidence is incongruent because it is, at least for me.

B________________

Alot doesnt seem to be adding up- I agree with you Blink
FWIW I dont think if CM did it he worked alone and i dont believe the theory that they were killed in the home- by one man who bludgeoned them

- How did CM- remove two grown humans and place them in that vehicle for transport dead and leave no physical evidence behind- no blood no fluids–

The car seats were in the vehicle correct? Large toys were in the back correct? covered with a pristine white sheet? Where were the bodies?

If the Mcstays left in that vehicle that night- the time of the video…they were alive- or the culprit had help- how else can you get them all to vehicle unseen and travel so far to disposal site…if Persons were dead in that vehicle then cadaver dogs could have made a hit- were they brought in?

I still think it is staging within staging- which would make this a completely premeditated endeavor-

The popcorn the eggs the dogs the toys in the back of the vehicle the drop off of the vehicle near the border.

-

If the family was killed in the home bludgeoned then there would be blood- unless there were drop cloths all around that were disposed of in the clean-up- Still there would have been blood on ceilings-on walls- drops hidden – Did LE never luminol or bluelight it? and if so then there must not be evidence of 4 persons bludgeoned inside the home otherwise why the years long oh they went on walkabout to Ole Mexico..and no foul play…

—IDK alot seems to be in congruent Blink and the cell is a big part of it
The phone call at 8:28PM on Feb.4th to Mr. Merritt happened after the neighbor’s video saw the families vehicle leaving the home somewhere around 7:45.
Killer thinks..Ill call my own cell from dead mans cell as my alibi? Or Did the family perhaps leave home to meet up w/BG?

If CM acted alone how did he get back home from drop off of car? What He took a taxi from the shopping center after 10 or did he ride the bus? Did he walk?

Why was CM one of the only people calling foul- if he is the culprit did he need them to be declared dead for the payoff- cuz if not seems better for killer to claim LE is on track with Mexico scenario…

Sigh IDK heads spinning….Will you be writing a Part 2 now to include the arrest and other info?
I hope so – I need yr walkthru/analysis to begin to grasp it all

-A&P

In midterms through next week Mom 3.0 so I may not get back to writing on this for a bit, but I will.
B
Candace Marino says:

November 7, 2014 at 11:08 pm

I think he did not. I think Chase Merritt may have left the home on Avocado Lane in the morning with Joey’s cell phone. It is all making sense now.
purple says:

November 8, 2014 at 12:19 am

Chase’s interview will do him in, I think. Otherwise, yes, it is a defense attorney’s dream case.
Sally says:

November 8, 2014 at 8:20 am

Ahhhhhhh Blinkie and Blinkers!!!!
I leave the country and day one all “hell” breaks loose!!!! Chase????? I thought he was so cliche’ that he couldn’t possibly been involved. No way he did this alone. He was the cutie kids’ “uncle”. Arranged? Mexican fountains and car staged at the border? Then again, don’t listen to me LOL. SHOCKED.

I think many times in criminal investigation LE can develop a lead suspect, but not have enough evidence to take to the DA. This was not that.
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Eloise says:

November 8, 2014 at 8:31 am

RE:
November 7, 2014 at 11:08 pm

Yes, I thought that. It would be much easier to bludgeon a family once they are in their beds to sleep.

Except there were no beds in the home, not one. Only blow up beds.
B
GraceintheHills says:

November 8, 2014 at 11:31 am

How does a man bludgeon toddlers? Didn’t he share pizza with these babies just a week before? The oldest was only four and I know from experience that four year olds make very poor, unreliable witnesses in criminal trials. This is even more true if the child witnesses something horrific. These children didn’t have to die. I think that may be what the official from SBCSD (or was it the DA?) was referring to when he made the comment about no motive regarding the “innocent” children.

Regarding Summer, I think CM resented her beyond all reason. I think she had his number and maybe pressured Joey to dump him. IDK.

I wouldn’t offer any kind of plea to this monster. Let the people of California decide his fate by way of a jury.
Sally says:

November 8, 2014 at 3:05 pm

I can’t help but say I was “obsessed” over the McStay Family horrific assassination, and then Hannah.
The world can be so cruel. Precious people that are forever taken!!!!!!! So while I remain “obsessed”, the families remain forever changed. That is a BOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
A Texas Grandfather says:

November 8, 2014 at 3:40 pm

Rose

Your shovel to the chest scene would not create the desired effect. The blow to stop someone is at the bottom of the ribs into the solar plexus. A perfect blow there will stop anyone. Boxers have knocked out opponents with such a blow.

I can tell you from personal experience of being hit by a loose bat caused by a swing and a miss during a recess softball game as a nine year old. You cannot speak from lack of air and if you are not unconscious, it will be several minutes before you begin to recover.
I can still visualize that scene today. The recovery period was weeks to get back to normal breathing. Badly bruised ribs and muscles.

This may be the method that disabled Joey and allowed Merrit to restrain him with the electrical cord. Did he then lure Summer and the boys out to a site with a phone call telling Summer that Joey was hurt? It is possible.

If the dogs were in the house and an attack was made, they would have rushed the attacker and created a lot of noise. The dogs were found outside a locked patio door. There are some definite disjoints about the timeline of Chase Merritt and his call to LE, etc.
Lyndsay says:

November 8, 2014 at 4:56 pm

Do we think that Chase Merritt contracted this as a hit, so he didn’t do the deed himself? This had to have been done by more than one person, who were experienced – it’s too clean of a crime scene for an amateur to have pulled off.
He did a prison stint – could have met people there who would be more than willing to do this.
IMO the kids were hit b/c he didn’t want anyone to inherit the company as property or assets.
Did the McStays have a will?
Maybe the Saudi deal was shady and Joseph didn’t want to go through with it?

I believe the Saudi deal was actually completed as contracted.

Here’s the thing- if it was will or inheritance related, making people think they took off on their own is stupid. They both had life insurance. Joey’s will go to Jonah and Summer’s will go to her Mother.
B
Lyndsay says:

November 8, 2014 at 4:59 pm

Could one of the contracted hitmen have come forward and informed on Chase Merritt, I wonder. Or struck a deal. Maybe prison informants?
Scout says:

November 8, 2014 at 6:59 pm

In this video of Mike Mcstay, Tim Miller and Summer’s brother at the McStay’s home – Starting at 3:27 they talk about a neighbor seeing a white truck (not sure which day/night the neighbor was talking about). Mike says “Chase has a big white truck”. Chase could have cleaned up, painted over blood splatter- we know that SDCSD probably didn’t do luminol tests.

Wonder who helped CM get back to his truck once he dumped the McStays car at the shopping center…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbvPKlj_a5M

he could not be in 2 places at one time several times that day. I should note that Mike McStay employed Chase Merritt after his comments on his truck, etc. It is going to be a very positive thing to be able to distill the versions eventually.
B
obmama says:

November 9, 2014 at 2:10 am

While it seems questionable that one man acted alone when he killed four people in their own home, it’s doubtful San Bernadino Sheriff’s Office would go out on a limb with a public announcement if the were uncertain.

I read nearly every story and watched numerous interviews about the McStay’s disappearance, and found the most compelling to be Chase Merritt’s with the Daily Mail. He sure had me fooled, but it was a big mistake in the eyes of experienced investigators. First, his timing, breaking his silence just days after the bodies were discovered not far from his home. His attempt to convince the court of public opinion of his innocence was likely panic-induced, a perfect setting for inconsistencies and new disclosures that were never told during previous interviews with police.

Merritt’s certainty he was the last person to see Joey alive is a red flag . . . only the murderer was the last person to see Joey alive. He planted suspicion on Summer, then withdrew it as if he was defending her personality flaws.

One accusation stands out and explains how he pulled off four murders alone:
“Merritt told the Daily Mail that he was writing a book called Afraid of the Light. In the memoir, he wrote that Summer McStay had been slowly poisoning her husband and that in the last days before he disappeared, Joseph McStay was so weak he couldn’t get out of bed. Doctors hadn’t diagnosed the mysterious condition, which supposedly led Merritt to believe that Summer was responsible. Merritt went on to talk about Summer’s bad temper, but he didn’t think it was so bad that she would could have killed her family.”

Bingo! Was he afraid the autopsy results showed the family had been drugged and unable to fight off their lone attacker? Looking back, Joey’s mother was concerned about his undiagnosed mystery illness, she even took him to the ER because he was too ill to drive. Had Merritt been poisoning him?

No visible signs of struggle or blood at the scene? Summer was doing renovations and there were paint supplies in the house . . . convenient to wrap the bodies in drop cloths and bash their brains in, move the wrapped bodies to the Isuzu and drive to the burial site. Four days later, drive the Isuzu to the Mexican border . . . walking distance to the trolley that connects to bus routes throughout San Diego County, including Fallbrook, where his vehicle was stashed close to the McStay home in a rural area where it would go unnoticed.

Coincidently, the Isuzu was towed the same day Merritt became concerned Joey wasn’t answering his calls and drove to his house, stopping at Joey’s mothers first and advising her to call her son, Mikey. He talks to his “best friend” six to eight times daily, and it takes four days of unanswered calls to realize something is amiss? This sudden urgency to contact the family and encourage they meet at Joey’s is inconsistent with his initial lack of concern, but suggests he doesn’t want to be ID’ed alone at the house by neighbors. So he fed the dogs and left, returned three days later with Mikey, who enters thru an open window.

Time was on his side, along with the theory the McStay’s started a new life in a foreign country, leaving $100,000+ in the bank and close family behind. There’s no such thing as the perfect murder, and SBCSO got it right.
GraceintheHills says:

November 9, 2014 at 1:11 pm

Listening to the SBCDA, Ramos, on an audio tape, I think they have physical evidence that leads them to believe the family was killed in the home. I do not think the scene was ever processed by SDCSD. He also said that LE think CM was the sole perpetrator, but he investigation is ongoing into why Summer and the boys were killed. Joey probably trusted CM and would have never imagined that CM could hurt him, much less his family. I think Joey probably confronted CM or refused to lend CM money that day and CM came by the house later on the pretense of mending fences. All it would take is for CM to catch Joey off guard inside the house with Summer in a different part of the house or outside with the kids. He certainly had time (four days) to clean up the scene of any obvious blood stains.

JMO; nothing more. There will be more prosecution cards placed on the table at the preliminary hearing. I think blood stains and spatter will be part of the evidence.
erose says:

November 9, 2014 at 9:22 pm

Father says authorities ‘did virtually nothing’ after McStays vanished

snip from comments>

Terri Sinclair · Top Commenter · Works at Channel Islands Aviation

These were my neighbors – in fact I can see their house from mine – and trust me this was botched. Four people bludgeoned in a home, bodies removed from the home and they never found a trace of blood?

Think about it? You’d almost have to take great effort to screw up to screw this one up as badly as they did.

Merritt is a monster. Anyone who could kill two small children and their mother – for no reason – is a true monster. No punishment is bad enough.

The father, by partnering with this criminal put his innocent family in harms way. I just hope they didn’t screw it up so horribly that they can’t get the guy. He deserves the worst of the worst for killing two small children especially if killing an entire family is not bad enough.

I hope in prison they remember that – TWO SMALL INNOCENT CHILDREN DUDES…this guy (arrow) right here! Hopefully a guard will stick that piece of paper on his back.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/father-says-authorities-did-virtually-nothing-after-mcstays-vanished/ar-AA7ad6E?ocid=HPCDHP
PaMom says:

November 9, 2014 at 9:31 pm

It doesn’t appear that one person could’ve done this alone. It’s bad enough that this young couple is murdered, but it’s infuriating that someone would murder these 2 little boys. It appears that multiple killer’s would be necessary to accomplish this murder, but it could be one killer. I’m sure there’s a good reason for the police saying that this family was murdered in their home, but I can’t help but wonder if Joey was murdered first and in another place. Didn’t the suspect specifically say that he was the last one to see him alive. I think this is a very personal comment. I’m bothered by the remarks about Summer being so jealous. I just wonder if this jealousy came from the suspect and how it could lead to the total disregard for the lives of these children. This murder seems to be more than money and very personal with so many unanswered questions.
susanm says:

November 10, 2014 at 12:17 pm

i saw a comment,in the comment section on the cbs news story ,where someone speculated ,drug smuggling,through the fountain business.
Candace Marino says:

November 11, 2014 at 1:35 am

As I watched Charles Ray Merritt exit the police car in Rancho Cucamonga I saw behavior of a guilty man. When you have seen this for 20 years on the job, you know how to recognize it.
Candace Marino says:

November 11, 2014 at 1:40 am

Blink, with your professional expertise, please lay out the profile of someone that could or would commit a crime such as this. As best anyone could, I think you could help us understand how this can and does happen.

Candace- I may be discoverable in this case, which I can now say is a reason I never did a follow up piece. If it turns out I am not, and we have more specific information that would allow me to factor areas of the crime that are critical to evaluation/profiling, I will.

However, I don’t need to profile anyone to say with certainty that as gentle of a soul as Joey was- and I would like to stress that I have reviewed a great deal of non-public information and interviewed family members directly to arrive at that conclusion independently- I put him in my elevated risk “silo” because the truth is- he was what my Mother used to refer to someone who would associate with people they could not really trust- she would say “don’t collect strays”- be kind to them and want the best for them, but if you feed them you may learn the hard way that they bite the hands that do. Chase Merritt is accused of this crime, and I have faith there is evidence to prove that beyond a reasonable doubt- but I also believe very strongly at this point he could not have acted alone. LE can only charge crimes they can prove- they are not tasked with charging those they can’t so it should be interesting to see the preliminary hearing, which I believe is tomorrow.

B
Candace Marino says:

November 11, 2014 at 1:51 am

GraceintheHills, I have read your comments for the years we have followed this case. You are insightful, thought provoking and down right interesting. I thank you and Blink for letting me be a voyeuer all this time. I have thought so much about the murder of the McStay family just as you have. I live in Riverside County and will attend the trial of Chase Merritt as often as I can. I will be happy to report back to ya’ll when it begins.
Candace Marino says:

November 11, 2014 at 2:54 am

I don’t understand the comment that there were no beds, only blow up beds?

They were all sleeping on air mattresses- they did not move the bedroom furniture in yet.
It would be very difficult if not nearly impossible do bludgeon sleeping people ( I believe the reference was the children) on air mattresses that were still inflated when LE entered the home.

B
A Texas Grandfather says:

November 11, 2014 at 10:17 am

I could not agree more with the advice Blink received from her mom about “Not Collecting Strays”.

These types of people always live on the edge and are looking for a way to get someone to shelter them and feed them or give them a job. They all seem to have zero moral character and will steal or sometimes kill to get what they want. It means that they will steal from or harm the person that is currently “feeding” (helping) them as quickly as they would someone who is not.

Parents who know this, will always warn a child about these types of dangerous individuals. The behavior begins in youth. They will attempt to have a successful classmate in school help them with schoolwork or introduce them to social areas where they have no skills. They fit the pattern of “users”. A person who uses others for a time and then moves on when they have gotten what they want.
GraceintheHills says:

November 11, 2014 at 4:14 pm

Randi Kaye, on CNN, just said that Merritt’s cellphone did ping near his own home when the last call came in from Joey’s phone the night of the murders.

I always assumed there was more than one assailant but the fact that this case was so silent for four years is consistent with a lone perpetrator. Merritt did not have to worry about anyone talking. I doubt that his girlfriend was at his home that night, or, if she was and lied for him, she has likely been assisting the DA. LE has said that Merritt’s story has shown inconsistencies over time. As we all know a liar has great difficulty telling the same story as time passes.

Information has been surfacing here and there from friends and family. In his CNN interview, Patrick said that things were not rosy between Joey and Merritt and that Joey was in the market for a new welder because Merritt’s work was getting sloppy. McGyver, the friend that agreed to help with the painting, has written that Summer was so upset with CM that she called McG to complain in that last week. He indicated that Merritt was at the house several times in the days leading up to Feb 4th and that Merritt would have likely known he (McG) was not going to be there on the 4th.

It’s all just so terribly sad. Imo, Merritt is so good at manipulation that no one saw this coming.

Thank you so much, Candace, for your kind words. I think this will be a heartbreaking but interesting trial.
Eloise says:

November 11, 2014 at 11:37 pm

To Grace-

This is interesting, ~snip~

GraceintheHills says:
November 11, 2014 at 4:14 pm

Randi Kaye, on CNN, just said that Merritt’s cellphone did ping near his own home when the last call came in from Joey’s phone the night of the murders.

So- I wonder how long a ride it is to his home? It has likely been discussed before, but escapes me. I am entertaining whether the vehicle leaving the home at 7:30ish is still viable to have had the family in it or not. ? For some reason I feel like it is a longer ride- but maybe not. I am trying to figure the logistics.

Also- anyone know the time for the hearing tomorrow- east coast here.

His arraignment is today at 1:30 PST. There are several docket notations I am researching at the moment taking place then- not just the 4 murder charges. It looks like he was already on probation so that will be revoked and he will no bond regardless- but under the law I do believe he has to waive his bond hearing on the current charges.
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Sunshine_4me says:

November 12, 2014 at 9:49 am

What are the chances Chase will roll over on accomplices as he realizes the charges he is facing?

Depends on how strong the case is. I remain hopeful. I am seeing a strategy emerging.
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Alli says:

November 12, 2014 at 1:42 pm

Blink, please keep us updated on the outcome of the hearing today.

If there were accomplices, I hope CM sings like a canary.

Interview with Mike Ramos:
https://www.facebook.com/
Alli says:

November 12, 2014 at 2:38 pm

Thank you Blink for the Facebook link for the Interview with Mike Ramos, however, it’s not working for me. Is there another link?

I dunno and not in a position to search at the moment- if anyone has one can you please post for Alli?
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Scout says:

November 12, 2014 at 3:23 pm

From McGyver McCargar’s Facebook page- He was good friends with the McStay’s. You can read what he has to say on his FB page- link here. https://www.facebook.com/mcGyverJMcCargar?fref=ts

Here he is talking about Chase and the McStays…

“Looking forward to hearing the detail as it goes to trial.. Would b ironic and a testament to Summer’s intuition, as this guy was specifically the reason she called me week b4 to complain, and reason they had me come out to their house those days prior .. he likely knew I wouldn’t b there the Thursday they were reportedly killed.”

“Amazingly my friends specifically called me out to their house days b4 cause this guy rubbing them the wrong way.. Maybe I thwarted his plans two of those days I met him in their house. They definitely felt this guys evil energy, but who fathoms a plot that includes kids as well”

WOW!!! Not sure why they called him to come over? Did they not feel safe and/or like he was going to harm them?
Rose says:

November 12, 2014 at 5:01 pm

Still interested in the strength of the case.
Keeping an open mind, Chase = very easy to frame.
Criminal history. financial need. Choose a
shallow site near his home & drop in
an easy to obtain object with his dna. According to press,
Patrick began strongly suspecting him &
pointing SBSO to him a year ago after he
began a book, and McGyver
told SBSO & press Summer was highly agitated about
him the last week &
that CM likely knew McG’s painting plan.