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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)

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580 Comments

Rose says:

December 1, 2014 at 6:16 pm

I’ve seen he did have a girlfriend
who had been his alibi.
So likely the SB goal was to
that alibi. And they did imo.
GraceintheHills says:

December 1, 2014 at 10:27 pm

There are several reasons why defendants tend to bury their victims in places with which they are familiar. Here are a few I have heard over the years:

Familiarity with access
Familiarity with terrain
Familiarity with traffic patterns in area (even in off road areas)
Familiarity with foot traffic in area
Ability to revisit the site for various reasons
Familiarity with an area can make the defendant feel she/he has more control over the remains of the victims
Rose says:

December 2, 2014 at 10:55 am

Blink’s comment on Binion (related to why digging would go
unremarked on in a desert)
on 11/22 at 2:47 am
http://blinkoncrime.com/2013/11/20/mcstay-family-murdered-will-desert-graves-yield-their-killers/comment-page-1/
and the alibi was a wife. Is she still?

Girlfriend, never married and no.
B
A Texas Grandfather says:

December 2, 2014 at 7:13 pm

Graceinthehills

I just concluded reading your trial by fire link for Karls reference. Although I seldom agree with stories carried in the New Yorker magazine, there are some that are “spot on” as was this one.

There was no excuse for an arson investigator to be so out of touch with chemistry and the behavior of fire at the time of this alleged crime. The Texas A&M fire school was operational and they had our developed data from work done in 1959 & 1960 regarding petroleum based fires. The very things that the real scientist discovered by experiment were familiar to me from what we learned.

Fire needs a fuel and oxygen at the right mix point to sustain itself or grow. Removing one or the other will extinguish it or cause it to slow its expansion. An explosion is nothing more than a very rapid fire and it can happen when the container becomes superheated as was experienced in the fire in the article.

Several weeks ago I was in line at the Walmart behind a young woman with her child. He was curious about everything and she was talking to him with normal conversation explaining things he was examining. This is how parents make children smart and I commended her for being so attentive to him.

Then I noticed the items she put on the counter for check out. They were all sorts of things including a skein of yarn. I asked if she was going to knit the child a blanket or sweater. She told me they were for her forensics chemistry class she taught to juniors and seniors in high school. This was an AP class in Criminal Justice. So maybe the issue of old wives tales and little scientific processes will go away in the arson investigators tools and be replaced by fact and knowledge.
kjazzyjazz says:

December 2, 2014 at 8:23 pm

I always believed that Chase was involved and he did not do it alone. But who could kill innocent people including two babies? I feel this should be the focus of our discussion, not which country has the better justice system. There is no perfect justice system. Very sad to know what happened to this family is true injustice no matter where you live.

JMO
GraceintheHills says:

December 3, 2014 at 12:23 am

I know, ATG, it is a terrible story. Nowadays, arson investigation is quickly becoming more of a science than an art unless, of course, you have a minimally trained, dare I say, dinosaur arson investigator who thinks he knows it all. How do they sleep?
Cindy says:

December 3, 2014 at 12:30 pm

http://www.vvdailypress.com/article/20141107/News/141109841

During an interview with Rene Ray De La Cruz/VV Daily Press:

“Adepoju said Merritt was ready to market a “holistic gel” that he developed to “reduce and eliminate pain almost on contact.” Adepoju said Merritt wanted to introduce his steel sculptures to the public before he sold the gel.”

This makes me think of the internet search for homeopathic anger management medication made in the Mcstay home the day they disappeared. Was it Chase making the internet search for this medication that day? Seems he may have had some interest in alternative medicine.
Jack says:

December 3, 2014 at 1:54 pm

Blink – with regard to Merritt’s girlfriend who was his alibi, does she now have a different story as to where he was or whether he was at home that night?

I do not believe so, no.
B
Goat says:

December 5, 2014 at 5:40 pm

Maybe this has been addressed before. If so ignore my post. I read in the past that there was speculation that a bobcat or back how was used the dig the graves. It occurred to me that they may have been dug by hand and that the third gravesite was abandoned because the perp hit a boulder or hard clay and could not get it deep enough.
Thanks for your time and efforts Blink.

It is possible- but I am not aware that anything like that was found in the 3rd alleged grave- which, btw, I believe was related to this case. It is my personal opinion this graves were dug in advance.
B
karl westerberg says:

December 6, 2014 at 3:05 pm

Comment to GOAT:
If Merritt is the (only?) guilty one , I think its very surprising that he would have dug the graves by hand (In advance or not).
AS he now has a proven heart problem and according to information on the net should have suffered from a heart attack not long after the murders.
GraceintheHills says:

December 7, 2014 at 1:36 am

Karl, this crime occurred almost five years ago. When CM gave the interview to Randi Kaye earlier this year, he didn’t manifest any shortness of breath (a symptom of CHF) when he spoke. There is speculation on social media that he may have had a heart attack in the years following the disappearance of the McStays. but this has not been verified. A man that Merritt worked with for a while after the McStay family disappeared has said that Merritt was very strong. Imo, this suggests that the CHF came on after the murders.
Goat says:

December 7, 2014 at 6:35 pm

If you google Chase Merritt and then hit the images tap at the top of the screen you will see that Chase was a muscular man.
Having worked in construction all my life before retiring I can tell that a man of his stature would have no trouble digging a couple of shallow graves.
Probably in less than 1 hour.
Far less time than it would take to load a bobcat,chain it down, tow it to the site, unchain it, unload it, dig the graves, load it back up, chain it down, and return it to its origin. This makes no sense to me as it would leave a lot of evidence and loose ends open for investigation. As an older retired construction worker I can say that when I was 55 years old and still working, digging a 3 foot deep hole was not a challenge. And I do not have the muscular build that Chase has.

Goat ( love your hat, btw) I cannot disagree with you. It is entirely possible.
B
Alli says:

December 8, 2014 at 8:26 am

Blink said:

It is possible- but I am not aware that anything like that was found in the 3rd alleged grave- which, btw, I believe was related to this case. It is my personal opinion this graves were dug in advance.
B

__________________

Blink, interesting comment that it’s your opinion the graves were dug in advance and related to the case. In your opinion, the third grave was for whom?

One of the victims.
B
Rose says:

December 9, 2014 at 6:25 am

re hole digging, so does copious sweat labor dispel dna
into the work site? (does sweat soaking dirt clumps have forensic value?)

Amylase would not likely survive in dirt alone, and then we have the factor that Merritt was with Joey that day, had been in the home, etc. Transfer evidence is expected to a degree depending upon what it actually is, but good forensic question.
B
Jane says:

December 10, 2014 at 6:19 pm

Off topic but was curious if you’ll be covering Jessica Chambers murder?

Jane she is in the editors periphery, but I truly do not think I could explore and write on another case post the Holiday at best. My sources tell me they have a suspect- although it is not been made public. I pray they do.
B
Ode says:

December 11, 2014 at 8:15 pm

Jane, the Jessica Chambers’ murder is horrendous. I have also been reading about it and I can not imagine the terror that poor girl went through and the apparent fight she put up to live. I have very strong feelings that this girls murder will be solved quickly. I can not dismiss the thoughts of Megan Sharpton, both these young girls were interested in nursing and helping others yet some monster took them away. Such a shame for all of us. I think of Megan’s mom and it hurts me so. I pray for Jessica’s family. It just is not fair.

Yes Ode- she was my first thought, the only difference is that I am certain based on Megan’s autopsy that she was unconcscious when she was lit on fire. Ms. Chambers very clearly was not. That is a heinous way to die and I agree with you there will be a quick arrest.
B
Kerry says:

December 12, 2014 at 12:23 am

Blink,
Please tell me you are on the disgusting & tragic death of Jessica Chambers in MS, this crime has ripped my heart out! I hope she finds justice
Sally says:

December 12, 2014 at 11:48 am

The suspect’s punishment should be his own actions reciprocated to him. Do unto others as you would have done to you. I never write mean comments, but this is exactly how Blinkie Blinkie wrote: HEINOUS.
A Texas Grandfather says:

December 12, 2014 at 4:09 pm

No if you are referring to my Sally
B
Rose says:

December 12, 2014 at 11:04 pm

I like the adjective “depraved” (heart).
A Texas Grandfather says:

December 14, 2014 at 10:58 am

Goat

The problem in digging in a desert is the potential for large rocks that would need machinery to move. However, in looking at the photos of the grave sites, it appeared to contain little rock. In this case, a sharpshooter shovel and a regular spade shovel would be all that was needed. A guy that was strong and knew how to dig with hand tools would be able to dig all three graves in a little more than an hour.

There appeared to be some evidence of a small skid-steer machine being on the site at one time. Since none posting have physical access, there is no way to verify use of such a machine.
Jane says:

December 14, 2014 at 3:07 pm

There are some great articles and comments on “Conservative Treehouse” site re Jessica Chambers’ heinous murder. I don’t know anything about the site. I’ve read each day’s article and it appears a lot of research and investigation – including photos and facebooks were done for each article. Wow, poor young lady…I can’t imagine that kind of evil and a town too afraid to speak up.
goat says:

December 15, 2014 at 10:26 am

Texas grandfather.
The tracks left at the gravesites were reported to be 67 inches apart.
This is the same track measurements of most full size pickup trucks. I think the tracks were made by a truck and not A bobcat.
Way to easy to get a very heavy bobcat stuck in that kind of soil. And if stuck it takes a bigger vehicle to pull it out. Just my opinion.
A Texas Grandfather says:

December 15, 2014 at 10:53 am

Jane

The Conservative Treehouse site is IMO reliable. Much of the research that was used in the defense of George Zimmerman was discovered by those who post there.

If you read carefully the material on the site regarding Jessica, you will discover that this has to do with drugs and gangs. She and her ex boyfriend were into that culture. They tried to get out and Jessica went to a rehab location.

The real key to this one is going to be the manager of the service station and convenience store. He is a foreign national from Yemen.
Based on what has been uncovered to date, I would say that the manager is in this crime up to his eyeballs.
erose says:

December 16, 2014 at 11:45 pm

Blink, Does this mean you think there was another intended victim?

Goat says:
December 5, 2014 at 5:40 pm

Maybe this has been addressed before. If so ignore my post. I read in the past that there was speculation that a bobcat or back how was used the dig the graves. It occurred to me that they may have been dug by hand and that the third gravesite was abandoned because the perp hit a boulder or hard clay and could not get it deep enough.
Thanks for your time and efforts Blink.

It is possible- but I am not aware that anything like that was found in the 3rd alleged grave- which, btw, I believe was related to this case. It is my personal opinion this graves were dug in advance.
B

Hmm.
Not sure how to answer that exactly. I think the 3rd grave was dug, I think it was relative to the murders either to facilitate something regarding same, or for the possibility of another victim, yes.
B
Rose says:

December 17, 2014 at 4:15 pm

At one time didn’t you say they died at the site?
I can see the couple asking to be placed together &
not in previously intended separate graves, and someone
with enough guilty feelings thinking he was beneficent by
complying with a dying wish

It is my opinion that one or more of the victims was murdered at the site, yes.
B
erose says:

December 17, 2014 at 6:17 pm

Okay, is this where the Binion theory overlaps?

erose says:
December 16, 2014 at 11:45 pm

snip>

Hmm.
Not sure how to answer that exactly. I think the 3rd grave was dug, I think it was relative to the murders either to facilitate something regarding same, or for the possibility of another victim, yes.
B

Perhaps erose- my ruminations only at this point. One buries a family of 4 in the dessert because they do not expect them to be found- ever. Why would one be under that assumption is a critical point in this case.
B
Tiberious says:

December 23, 2014 at 9:04 pm

Any idea when are trial filings will start in earnest?
Rose says:

December 25, 2014 at 12:25 am

In the case & Graham, Blink has pointed to disposition location as probative.
This article has comments on disposition scene motive of evidence.
In this case imo suggesting single perp on familiar territory.
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2014/12/21/jessica-lane-chambers-day-14-mississippi-burning-open-discussionresearch-thread/
A Texas Grandfather says:

December 25, 2014 at 10:31 am

The physical area of the crime is a part of the Chickasaw/Chocktaw Indian secession of 1832. The county is Panola,the Indian name for cotton. The population is small being about 35,000 for a county of slightly over 600 square miles. The population mix is about 60 percent black and 47 percent white with other races making up the rest.

County names in the area are a mix of Indian and famous people from the Eastern United States. The area was at one time a very wealthy one because of the cotton crops. It was also heavy in timber. Today it is a very poor area due to the loss of the cotton crops and most of the timber.

The black gangs from Memphis have penetrated the area and made the county a dangerous place.
Gold prospector says:

December 27, 2014 at 4:37 pm

Summer and her fake names/birth certificates/age.. Ok before I get into the meat of my question I want to stop the speculations that some might have heard . She didn’t take the name of her stepfather, because she never had a stepfather with the name Martelli. Some think its because she loved everything Italian, that’s not why she changed her name (stupid) So my question is .. Summer used her fake birth certificate that had nothing even remotely connected to the real Virginia Lisa Aranda. She got her Real Estate License the same way. Besides the obvious criminal fraud that was committed I am guessing that she was never legally married to Joseph, so add that to the cluster fest when ever Probate begins. And do you know if Joseph ever new her real name or did she lie to him also. I wonder why she named her children Martelli. Your opinion please ..Thank you

So what are you basing your opinion on as to why she changed her name if you know that ( your words) she did not have a stepdad with that name?

Joey and Summer were legally married.
B
GraceintheHills says:

December 28, 2014 at 2:46 pm

Gold prospector says:
December 27, 2014 at 4:37 pm

Summer used her fake birth certificate that had nothing even remotely connected to the real Virginia Lisa Aranda. She got her Real Estate License the same way. Besides the obvious criminal fraud that was committed I am guessing that she was never legally married to Joseph, so add that to the cluster fest when ever Probate begins. And do you know if Joseph ever new her real name or did she lie to him also. I wonder why she named her children Martelli. Your opinion please ..Thank you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@Gold: guilty of “obvious criminal fraud”? I don’t recall any charges being filed, do you?

Besides, I thought everyone had moved on from trashing this homicide victim.

I do recall reading that Merritt considered himself a gold prospector at one point. Do you think he was framed or what?
Ceci says:

December 29, 2014 at 12:25 pm

Wow people, slow down. I do not believe there is any evidence that Summer had a fake birth certificate. I think the info on the different birthdate came because she used a different DOB on some online account. Also, it appears she legally changed her name. Whether or not the children were given her legal last name or the McStay name means nothing. Summer had a legal Real Estate License under her legal name. I do not think Summer deceived Joey nor that Joey was a Prince. Look at Joey’s financial life. He was doing way better in the last 5 years since meeting Summer. Look at Joey’s bankruptcy papers. Who cares if their marriage was spiritual or legal or both. I believe it was both.

Ceci- that was one poster, not “people”. I don’t know why, but Summer definitely concealed her DOB from family members that I am aware of and that was not by an online account (not sure what that means)- it was incorrect on her DL.

That said- I don’t know if Joey knew about her age but I doubt he would have cared and I don’t believe it has any relevance to why this family was brutally slain.
B
alta says:

December 30, 2014 at 4:18 pm

B.
Make it stop please. The summer bashing.
They dont know what the hell thier talking about.

You can look into a persons life on paper an never know anything much at all.
What a foolish speaking thing.
Im being kind.

Alta

It’s all good Alta, we can discuss areas of the case without ever bashing a victim- I do not allow that. And I completely agree that no person should be judged by their “paper” alone.

B
GraceintheHills says:

December 30, 2014 at 11:16 pm

Alta, I was being sarcastic when I replied to the poster who wrote Summer was “guilty of obvious criminal fraud.”

I can’t stand victim bashing, period.
A Texas Grandfather says:

December 31, 2014 at 11:45 am

Alta

False birth dates and associated paperwork have been used by people for years. Sometimes it is to cover an issue that they don’t want to be revealed and others it is just so they will not appear older or not old enough for a personal reason.

I could pass for 21 at age fifteen and did many times if I wanted to get into an adult only location.

This may have some importance regarding personal relations with this family or it may not. It could be used to conceal a relationship from an earlier time. Why do criminals use an alias? Complete background checking is a part of any investigation and may not have any relation to the current case. It is to check for inclusion or exclusion and for the purpose of looking for similar behavior patterns.
Alli says:

January 1, 2015 at 7:46 am

Happy New Year, Blink!

May this be the year justice is served for Joseph, Summer, Gianni, and Joey Jr.

Happy New Year to you, yours, and all BOC’rs.
B
alta says:

January 3, 2015 at 10:12 pm

Was just in a sensitive mood regarding sm,
Thanks all for being kind about my feelings.
Rose says:

January 14, 2015 at 8:33 am

the folks seen #justiceforJessica having all been pleading for N Grace
to investigate as tho she’s trained LE or has her head on straight.
So it sounds like Anony & associates have not made great strides.
A Texas Grandfather says:

January 14, 2015 at 12:39 pm

Rose

Nancy Grace was an Assistant District Attorney at one time. She has mentioned from time to time that she actually did field investigations.

Just how much real investigative experience she has is not known.

We also have to remember that this area of Mississippi is very rural and poor even though the University is just a few miles East at Oxford. I am using the word poor to describe both the condition of peoples life styles as well as their mental abilities, not their pocketbook.

My Little maternal grandmother, who taught me so much, was born in Kemper county, Mississippi which is SE of Panola county in 1852 and was married near Starkville, following the Civil war. This was a time of great wealth for the area because of the cotton and timber. When things began to deterriate, they moved to SW Arkansas and then to Bowie County, Texas.

I worked on a facility near the little town of Egypt in Monroe County in 1958 and was in the area for six months. You can see the facility using Google Earth by searching for Egypt and then follow the RR track South about four miles. There are three 20,000 hp electric motors driving centrifugal compressors on a 30″ gas pipeline on the site.
Alli says:

January 14, 2015 at 3:26 pm

Blink, anything new to share on the McStay case? Has the estate been settled yet? Any idea why the case is still labeled an open investigation if they have a suspect in custody? Is this normal procedure?
No. No. Yes. No.

B
kjazzyjazz says:

January 14, 2015 at 9:59 pm

ATG – Do you think they will solve Jessica’s murder? I’m concerned that the gangs are keeping everyone quiet. No one deserves to die like she did. I was reading that some think the burning was to the car not Jessica. I don’t understand that theory, do you?
A Texas Grandfather says:

January 15, 2015 at 3:36 pm

Kjazzyjazz

The FBI has a team working the area for leads. The problem is this murder was done to punish Jessica and her family and show those in the community what could happen to them if they gave LE any real information or did something like try to leave the gang culture.

I just have a feeling that someone either in LE or close was being sent a message of don’t mess with us by the gang(s). This is a drug hit. Based on what is known, it make take a while to solve it.
Alli says:

January 16, 2015 at 4:21 pm

Blink, since it is not customary procedure to label a case an open investigation with a suspect in custody, can you expand on what the reason might be for this?

Yes. They have not concluded some of the investigative matters they need to to file the intent to seek death.
That said, I do believe the warrants will be unsealed following the hearing if not before.

I do not believe all 4 victims died in the home and I will go out on a limb to say I don’t believe Joey and Summer were killed at the same time. In my view, Merritt was aware it was close and they arrested him to keep him from flight. I wouldn’t necessarily say that it is not customary to label a case an open investigation with a suspect in custody- it is common that once due process starts the State’s investigators continue for anything outstanding, OR to bolster the case in chief.
B
GraceintheHills says:

January 17, 2015 at 12:51 pm

It is not that uncommon to still be investigating a case after the suspect is in custody.

California has an interesting statute that defines “special circumstances” in capital charges. If the suspect didn’t commit another felony (as defined by statute) two of the special circumstances that likely fit are lying in wait and multiple murders. Christopher Lee’s special circumstance in the Corwin murder is lying in wait.

I so hope that Ponce does not ask for a continuance on the preliminary set for the end of this month. The hearing regarding the release of the search warrants in San Bernardino is set for that same day.

I still cannot wrap my head around his murder of two innocent children no matter what his reasoning was. There are many criminals that have left children alive at scenes after killing their parents. I think this suspect knew that the older boy ((at age four) would have been able to identify him.

Just my opinion. This suspect is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
A Texas Gramdfather says:

January 18, 2015 at 11:06 am

Grace

Criminals have learned that beginning at age four, children can identify them if they witness harm to their parents.

Children who learn visually are quite able to do this. I am a visual person who can still draw the locations around our house in Kilgore, Texas where we lived for 22 months during the 1930′s. I celebrated my second and third birthdays during that time.

The young child who witnessed the death of his mother who was killed by her black reserve police officer boyfriend in Ohio is a prime example where he told his grandmother that “momies in the rug” when she found him alone a day later. This child was not yet two.
GraceintheHills says:

January 18, 2015 at 1:28 pm

ATG, Did the court allow that 2 year old child to testify? I do know of one case in Texas in which a four year old gave limited testimony in a murder trial; there are no cases that involve younger children. A child taking the stand has to be found competent to testify, has to know the difference between the truth and a lie, and has to understand the seriousness of the case. The child also faces cross examination. The Constitional rights of the defendant do not cease when a child takes the witness stand.
A Texas Gramdfather says:

January 19, 2015 at 1:32 pm

Grace

The child in that case provided the information to direct LE to the suspect. He did not testify in the trial.

I fully understand the problems of testimony from a child that can be pushed by cross examination into making statements that are not wholly true.

This is a problem with the courts looking for the whole truth. There are children who do not see truth and live in a make believe world where they are easily confused, but not all. A little testing before trial by good attorneys would identify such behavior.
Alli says:

January 21, 2015 at 2:22 pm

Blink, do you foresee any arrests associated with the possibility of crimes against Joseph’s and Summer’s estate, especially since the estate has not yet been closed?

I think it is going to depend on what evidence exists that ties to Merritt and if he is charged with anything regarding theft in that area. It’s not like they can prosecute him but not others- AND, if such improprieties are part of his defense.

I do vehemently believe that there is probable cause for the theft of funds and possessions, but I don’t think SBSD is going to be interested in charging bereaved family members.
B
tiberious says:

January 23, 2015 at 6:50 pm

I have been trying to keep up with any new information on this case. So if this has been asked/answered please excuse this and accept my apologies.

What is the status of the release of warrants and other papers pertaining to this case via the FOIA?

Is it expected that with their release that we learn more about what happened and lead the authorities to not pursue this family’s disappearance?

Thank You……….

SDSD released 4 yesterday. Nothing new to me in them. Their is a hearing on 1/30 for SBCSD warrants which would certainly be more robust with information.
B

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