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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

Ode says:

July 22, 2015 at 2:02 pm

It would be reasonable to think that Summer put those futon pillows in the car for the 2 boys to sleep on if she was in fact lured out of the house that night.

You read my mind. The backpack with the paintbrush haunts me. Why bring the backpack of a child unless he had it with him. Thus, not headed to bed? Especially as they appeared to be sitting on it, eating popcorn without the cover.
B
PaMom says:

July 22, 2015 at 4:50 pm

Wow! That makes so much sense. She had to be called out of the house, as in an emergency. I pray for a witness. Ode, I would put pillows in my car too for the same reason that Summer probably did. It makes you wonder why the prosecutor doesn’t rethink this unless maybe there’s evidence that we don’t know.
C. says:

July 22, 2015 at 5:02 pm

Joey being shoe-less as were the others,dressed in only shorts and a tee shirt and the fact that he was wrapped in the futon cover lead me to believe he was home.
I don’t find it odd that neighbors did not hear anything.People have their TV’s and music on.Neighbors are used to hearing kids playing,screaming and crying also. Also CM could have silenced Joey and Summer by simply threatening to harm the boys if they screamed.Maybe Summer was upstairs in the bathroom with the boys.Maybe CM ordered them into the bathroom.We will never know for sure.I believe he acted alone murdering them.Someone could have helped him after the fact to give him a ride or maybe even a family member assisted.Maybe he dug one grave and it proved to be too small so he dug another one.Maybe the were pre-dug before he ever went to kill them.So many unknowns.The futon cushions/pillows appear to be what are missing.There are 3 throw pillows on it in pictures.I believe they were killed in the home due to painters tape,the towels all missing from the home,futon cover,Joey Jr’s robe/towel cover with the cat face on it.It is possible CM gave Joey something at lunch to weaken him or make him sick.
C. says:

July 22, 2015 at 5:11 pm

Summer was highly safety conscience so I don’t believe she would take futon pillows and lay her kids on them.She would have used their car seats for safety.Kids very easily fall asleep driving around in their car seats.Perhaps the little backpack with the paintbrush in it had some sort of evidence on it that made CM dispose of it along with the slegdge-hammer.It could have even been a speck of blood that was long gone after 4 years.

C.- nobody is suggesting she would lay them on a pillow for travel- they were small, like airplane pillow size- when my kids were little and we were on long car rides they used to take a pillow so if they fell asleep they didn’t get a stiff neck.
B
Mo says:

July 23, 2015 at 10:16 am

The graves might indicate the order of the murders. 2-6 it was raining heavily. CM , if he was the killer, is a disorganized sort. He had 4 bodies in his truck and he saw the weather forecast and decided he had to get rid of them now !
The first grave dug was the one with the lighter tracks leading to them. The last to die was placed in first with strategy to place 1 adult/ 1 child because he knew he had to dig shallow and fast because its really getting wet and muddy.
The second grave dug was the one with the deeper tracks leading to them and the first to die.
C. says:

July 23, 2015 at 4:44 pm

Oh,ok I understand what you are saying about propping their necks up!
I still do not think Summer went out with the boys.I used to think she was lured out but the evidence changed my mind.
GraceintheHills says:

July 23, 2015 at 7:48 pm

Anything is possible, but is it probable? It was in the low 50′s that night. I cannot imagine Summer leaving her home wearing only her bra, sweat pants, and no shoes, nor can I imagine her taking her boys out without jackets, shoes, and caps.

Agreed that probable v possible is the standard. If they were lured out, or forced out, I can’t say either, but as evidence and belongings were found in and out of the graves, and we have yet to learn exactly what the autopsy protocol to include the anthro study will yield, I am just trying to explain the complete void of direct evidence within the alleged crime scene.

B
Rose says:

July 24, 2015 at 1:17 pm

I go with forced out, not lured. A
lure would not have the haste that
was evident.
Ode says:

July 24, 2015 at 3:46 pm

Could those shoes, Summer’s shirt, the kids jackets and caps have been worn by whomever resembled the Mcstay family crossing into Mexico? It is possible.
Alli says:

July 25, 2015 at 7:13 pm

If they were called about an emergency situation, they would have left in a haste.
GraceintheHills says:

July 26, 2015 at 3:06 pm

Ode, what exactly do you mean?
Rose says:

July 26, 2015 at 4:32 pm

@Ode. That sounds good but requires a
far more complex plannerthan Merritt, and at
least 4 accomplices, 2 of whom are
sex/age-appropriate children.
—-
To me the only emergency worthy of abandoning popcorn (rather than
taking with) & raw eggs (do I recall that correctly?) rather than shoving in
fridge, is an ambulance ride to hospital.
Ode says:

July 27, 2015 at 1:27 pm

GraceintheHills says:
July 26, 2015 at 3:06 pm

Ode, what exactly do you mean?
*******
Sorry I am just responding as I have been moving my College grad back home. My response was a half joke and was referring to the footage of a man and woman with 2 small children crossing into Mexico near where the Mcstay’s car was found abandoned. I have not looked at the video lately but it seems that the woman was wearing something like Uggs and it was said that Summer liked to wear those and it seems one or both of the children had caps on. These people were never identified. The speculation that it could have been them went along with a search on the home computer for info on bringing children into Mexico.
GraceintheHills says:

July 29, 2015 at 10:58 pm

Thanks, Ode. The evidence suggests that by the time those four individuals were seen on video crossing over the border, the McStay family had already been murdered and buried in the desert.

It is such a heartbreaking case.
Alli says:

August 1, 2015 at 10:39 pm

Jimmy Mettias is posting on Twitter about the case. Interesting.

https://twitter.com/jmettias

He has stated that he is speaking out about his clients case in an effort to counter DA Ramos national interview comments professing his clients guilt. Unfortunately that is a bit of a valid argument, imo, if we are simply talking CA bar rules. The association with RB was disturbing and I would venture to say- ( because I asked him the question directly although I received no reply) he was concerned about the ethics implications of same.

Lastly- I think there will be a shift in the prosecutions narrative in this case- I firmly believe that Joey was killed at the storage facility.
Rose says:

August 2, 2015 at 3:04 pm

@Blink. Storage facilities have surveillance cameras.
One would think when a PD investigates a family
missing persons report, family & business partners would mention
storage, and surveillance tapes from dates in Q would have been secured.
Eas failure to do so the PD’s fault, or did Mikie/Kavanaugh/Merritt not
divulge storage’ existance?

Respectfully submitted the clock started ticking on this investigation on November 11, 2013. Not that efforts weren’t made by family, etc, but SDCSD boned this investigation to the point where they still maintained that the McStay’s went to Mexico before ending up slaughtered in 2 graves in the high desert within a ping perimeter of their prime suspect.

So- I don’t suspect access was recorded when the SW are only referencing the possibility of available records for lock purchases and a payment by CM for April 2010.

This is the alleged storage facility for Chase- but I know Joey had his own as well

http://www.storageetc.com/p/self_storage/hours_10600/pomona-ca-91767/storage-etc-pomona-10600

https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0909886,-117.7332194,181m/data=!3m1!1e3
Definite gate card access.
Lynne M says:

August 2, 2015 at 7:53 pm

Blink – I just saw your post #49 above. The thing with my name/hat was not intentional. I forgot my user name after having not posted in a very long time and then I registered with Word Press which I guess carries over to your blog? Not really sure how it all works but I wanted you to know I wasn’t up to no good. My apologies, I hope we’re good. : )

I didn’t think it was anything nefarious but needed to bring it to your attention, all good.
B
Rose says:

August 3, 2015 at 6:24 pm

And then some.
B
Gold prospector says:

August 7, 2015 at 12:08 am

Oh brother..lol . I was about to make an argument that Joseph did make it home because of his attire and no shoes, no jacket and so on and that there were two phone calls one incoming from Chase at 4 something on the 4th lasting 3 minutes, then outgoing from Joseph to Chase at 5:47 lasting 3 minutes but then I thought why am I disputing this because I also don’t think they were killed in the home. So Joey being killed at Chase’s workshop or storage unit but why bring the futon cover for Joseph ? So how about Joseph died and never made it home but Chase called himself from Joseph’s phone and talked to the answering center for 3 minutes and how would Chase call Joseph for a 3 minute phone call ? Then I guess he kidnapped Summer and the boys took them to where Joseph was and killed them at the same place because according to the DA he didn’t bury them until the 6th just let them bleed out somewhere. Oh this case is the screwiest thing ever. Maybe Joseph did make it home and it was him writing a check to the new lower case chase merritt and it wasn’t until morning of the 5th when everything went down. Oh yeah Chase was in Santa Clarita and San Fernando . crap

A couple things GP- if CM was in possession of Joey’s phone, as I believe he was, he could dial directly into Joey’s voice mail. I have analyzed Joey’s phone records and I can say that if Joey made it back home why is Summer calling his cell from the house phone and why are they texting each other at 5:47PM, a minute before allegedly Chase’s phone is set to airplane mode, out of range or turned off at 5:48PM, allegedly still in RC area.

Lastly- I have pics of the inside of that warehouse. Everything found with Joey- canvas tan woven material, red tie downs, white extension cords and shop towels- all plainly visible.
I don’t agree that he was wrapped in the futon cover- for one, the futon cover had zippers- no mention of the material found had zippers- just seams. In court now for the demurrer hearing.
B
Alli says:

August 7, 2015 at 4:10 pm

Regarding today’s hearing :

Judge Smith denied Mettias’ motion to dismiss the cased on jurisdiction grounds.

Jim Terrell is out and Rajan Maline is in for defense.

DDA Brit Imes would like their inquiry into Mettias tweeting about the case to be made part of the court record.

Mettias said it is within his right of professional responsibility to respond publicly to the damage done to his client in pre-trial publicity.

Next hearing Sept. 4 – Merritt waived his trial date to within 60 days of next hearing.

Courtesy of Joe Nelson https://mobile.twitter.com/SBcountyNow?ref_src=twsrc%5Eappleios%7Ctwcamp%5Esafari%7Ctwgr%5Eprofile

Other than the tweets- did you see any coverage on the hearing? I found it odd that press creds were filed but have not seen an article post hearing.

I really want to know if Judge Smith took Judicial Notice of Mettias tweeting.
B
Ode says:

August 7, 2015 at 4:27 pm

OT…..Could the computer and equipment necessary to access internet have been taken from the house and operated somewhere other than the Mcstay’s home. Maybe the equipment was put inside the futon cover because it had a zipper and then later returned. Just a thought. The computer was used after the truck left the driveway. How long a drive was it to the warehouse, I have never seen an address.

I had to look up what a demurrer hearing was. I see that that hearing was today. Was the warehouse in San Bernardino County?

There are actually three and 2 of them are in SBC and the other is in LA county.
Hearing was odd in that Mettias was called out about his tweeting, Mettias did not really argue his motion’s intent ( in my view) because it was designed to fine tune the timeline- from the defense perspective it would show the “holes” in their case.
B
Ode says:

August 8, 2015 at 11:57 am

It’s interesting how Social Media is being applied as to respects of Defense. It appears they distanced themselves from one avenue of Social Media and adopted another as in Tweets.. Blink I read a rumor that Joey was alive until the 7th…no facts just rumor. Have you seen this anywhere?

I am aware of the rumor Ode, I can’t substantiate it and I don’t know where it originated, however. I am very interested in whether or not Judge Smith took Judicial Notice of the entry of the media inquiry regarding Mettias’s tweets or ability “to tweet” further about the case although I understand he defended his right to mitigate pre-trial damage he feels was inflicted upon his client via Ramos CNN interview. He does have a point there, but since he purchased a very large amount of his twitter followers I think he is being ill-advised by the firm’s newly retained PR firm. Maline entered his appearance and technically in a DP case he is first chair- I believe the antics will wane.

As you know I do not believe that all 4 were killed in the home and I have serious doubts any of them were. I think Mettias pulled back on his argument because I believe it runs dangerously close with sounding like his client has knowledge of the events to dispute the theory as well. Very likely Maline strategy.
B
Alli says:

August 9, 2015 at 7:29 am

Blink said:

Other than the tweets- did you see any coverage on the hearing? I found it odd that press creds were filed but have not seen an article post hearing.

I really want to know if Judge Smith took Judicial Notice of Mettias tweeting.
B

——-

Blink, I have not seen any post hearing articles. If I come across any, I will post the links here. I also find it odd there were no post hearing articles, nor any actions or minutes filed on the court site for the demurrer hearing.

Thank you Alli- I have seen one, but it does not offer any new information.
B
Alli says:

August 12, 2015 at 8:48 pm

Blink, this information was taken from the minutes of the Demurrer Hearing held on Aug. 7, 2015 regarding the tweets by Mettias. Note – Bernadette Hawkins is the on site court district supervisor.

[...]

MR IMES STATES THAT THEY WERE ALERTED OF A MEDIA INQUIRY MADE TO THE BENCH REGARDING PROPRIETY OF MEDIA COVERAGE BY MR METTIAS.
-
MS HAWKINS INDICATES SHE HAS AN EMAIL RECEIVED BY KAREN DALTON THAT CHANNEL 7 NEWS REQUESTED CLARIFICATION.
-
THE COURT INDICATES THERE IS NOT A MOTION BEFORE THE COURT AND THEREFORE DOES NOT RESPOND TO A BASIC REQUEST FOR ADVISORY OPINIONS.
-
PEOPLE’S REQUEST THAT THIS BE MADE PART OF THE RECORD IS GRANTED. COURT’S EXHIBIT A – EMAIL TO BERNADETTE HAWKINS MARKED FOR IDENTIFICATION.

http://openaccess.sb-court.org/

Very Interesting- Judge Smith did not take the State’s bait.
B
Rose says:

August 12, 2015 at 10:05 pm

that Rumor.
done With It Rick
published that as he strolled out of town….

IKR
for not saying goodbye, he has done so more in this case than I have ever seen.
B
Rose says:

August 12, 2015 at 10:09 pm

Blink. Did you say someone can BUY twitter followers?
…..that means my kid has missed college-financing sales ops,
and K Moore’s 1.8 mil might not be due to
soft porn selfies but sales? this social media stuff is confusing to me,

Have no idea about those tweets, but yes- and there are several apps that can also decifer what “followers” are faux and which are real. In effect, they are like “bots”. My thought on that is that if I have to manufacture people to give a rip about what I have to say or present for discussion, I prolly should pick another profession.
B
A Texas Grandfather says:

August 13, 2015 at 10:29 am

I have not been on this thread for a while. In trying to catch up, I find references to clothing worn by the children and parents. How was this information made public?

If the temps for the time of the abduction were in the low fifties F.,it tells me that there is a strong possibility of being forced from the home. And that indicates to me that CM had some help in making it happen.

Because of the normally very dry air of high desert locations, temperatures fall very rapidly after sundown and rise very slowly in the early morning hours. I can remember traveling through this area in the middle of June beginning at the Pacific coast and stopping for breakfast at Riverside in mid-morning where the coast temps were comfortable in normal summer clothing and the temp at Riverside was twenty degrees cooler.

I haven’t been able to get on the internet for more than a week. Lost the transmit side of the satellite MODEM and had to wait for a replacement.

ATG/VP- that information was released at the preliminary hearing and within the search warrant releases. I believe both can be found here:
http://statevsmerritt.blogspot.com/2015/06/tweets-for-preliminary-hearing-june-15.html If not, let me know and I will create a dropbox of my files.

There is more inconsistencies I think that will come out ATG- I don’t believe the State’s theory as presented in a few areas is something they can prove to a jury. I hope the DA’s office is going over their case in chief with that proverbial fine tooth comb.
B
Gold prospector says:

August 14, 2015 at 2:31 am

Earth Inspired Products Hotfrog in … 2709 N Towne Ave Unit B, Pomona, Ca 91767 Tel: 949 436 Email Business.

Interesting about the storage unit on Towne Ave. Chase also had his work shop on the same street but a couple of miles apart. So the fact that you have seen pictures of this unit and the evidence you mentioned visible is really bringing it home for me. That is very damning and now to somehow reconcile that Chase really is a monster that could and probably did strike two small children multiple times with a 3 pound sledgehammer. Just no words for that. So the warehouse/storage unit pictures I gather have not been released to the public obviously but when they are seen in court I would assume this will also bring it home to the jury as it did myself just hearing about it

I am not publicly discussing or confirming what unit it was GP, for obvious reasons. I located the images from earlier research/analysis on this case once I read the limited case info (prelim, warrants) available and other data. Let me say this- there is more than one reason that the State wanted to redact the VIN and plate info of the CM work truck in question. It is a very important note that CA prop 115 allows the layperson introduction of such evidence at a prelim hearing- however, it does not at trial. There is do direct evidence tying CM to these murders. The most the state has wrt to the murders themselves as stated by them, is a minor contributing DNA profile matching CM in a vehicle he admitted to being in, without revealing the necessary testing, lab notes, and if available, origin of the vehicle sample. On it’s face, the most one can draw from that ( as the state intends) is to impeach CM statement that he never drove the truck- as an example of how easy that might be to overcome if necessary- is CM could simply state that he did not consider the couple of times Joey asked him to move the trooper either at his home or at a jobsite as “driving” it.

Two months prior to CM’s arrest, LE was still stating within warrants that their theory was that these murders and subsequent burials could not have been accomplished by one person. And at that time, the DNA info was known. It clearly was not enough to arrest him then- so I still do not understand why anyone thinks that is some sort of smoking gun because what I continue to be bewildered by- is that LE hitched their case on the words (as to motive) to the most impeachable witness I am aware of, who, btw, stole cash from Joey DURING THE SAME TIMEFRAME (allegedly) by CM. I continue to believe CM was involved, I continue to disbelieve he acted alone, and I fear that the State can prove beyond a reasonable doubt in a quadruple murder case to include toddlers (their) case. To be clear, this is not about the discussion of an entirely circumstantial case v one with direct evidence- the totality of the evidence and it’s weight is for the triers of fact. What the jury is able to “weigh” in the first place- is not.
B
A Texas Grandfather says:

August 14, 2015 at 11:26 pm

Thanks B

Using your link and reading all of the transcripts of the preliminary hearing,it appears that CM left a lot of links to himself regarding the murders.

My original thoughts for motive were for money and the court records regarding the Quickbooks accounts indicated that CM had acquired the password and used it to set up accounts for a company using the same name as the original except in lower case. I had several clients that used Quickbooks during the 1990′s and I was the one who set up the proper accounts for their business. CM essentially got caught by the journal system that records every entry from all accounts. The telephone conversation with the Intuit support person ties CM via his telephone number to the cancellation of the false company and its accounts.

CM was apparently visiting casinos in the area on a regular basis and probably lost money and may have owed money to some casinos.

Based on the testimony of the various detectives during the preliminary hearing, I believe that Joey drove the Izzu to some place where he met CM to confront him about some shady activities and CM killed Joey by strangling him with the electrical card. He then wrapped him in the blanket and drove the Chevy truck to the home. There he confronted Summer and she defended herself sustaining the broken bones in the process. She may have been knocked unconscious by CM using his fists. He then drove the boys, Summer and Joey in a round about way to add confusion to the route and I believe that Summer’s phone was tossed into the canyon as a decoy.

The part the small sledge played in the deaths and its source is not exactly clear except that all of the family had blunt force tramma to the head and the sledge was left in one of the graves with paint that matched the new paint in the house. Small sledges range from three to eight lbs. in weight and have various length handles. The head shape may have two identical flat striking surfaces or it could be one like surveyors use and I have one in my tool box. It weighs five lbs. and the head has a flat surface on one side and a triangular shaped head on the other for breaking rock on a short 22″ handle.

A detailed study of the video from across the street shows that the Chevy 3500 (1 ton)truck was the vehicle captured and not the Izzu. That means Joey did not arrive home driving it.

I believe that Summer and the boys were unconscious when they left the home. CM then drove them to the location at victorville and used the sledge to crush the skulls of each prior to burying them. He then drove back to get Joey’s vehicle and move it to the border crossing parking lot. There is public transportation available that could be used to get away from the border. However, that still leaves the task of getting from the public transportation to the location of the Chevy truck. CM could have used a taxi or he could have called a friend to get transport to the truck.
A Texas Grandfather says:

August 15, 2015 at 1:20 pm

Still thinking about the information found in the preliminary hearing transcripts.

The telephone records explained to the court by the FBI agent did not go into detail about a lot. However, the judge appeared to be more knowledgeable than the DA. The agent brought up the term LAC for the group of towers AT&T operated. Telephone company lingo is full of such terms. Sometimes the terms are used to define an area and other times refer to maintenance and control. So, what does the term LAC actually mean and why would that be important?

Another question regarding the sledge. Has the ownership of it been determined? Was it already on the premises at the home or did it belong to CM? Even though it was buried with Summer, it did not sustain much damage from the environment. There are ways to trace hammers from manufacturing marks and brand names. Things made of steel have records that go back to the original source of the metal.

My supposed scene and how the murders could have been carried out just by CM alone does not exclude someone else helping at various times during the crime. The information from the preliminary hearing is all about chase and those interviewed to get the information. LE may be waiting for information linking another suspect to the crime.

The problem is that a jury must agree with what is presented to them to make a conviction and the defense for CM, although they didn’t question a single state witness during the hearing, may have information that is good for rebuttal and creating reasonable doubt.

ATG- you point out what is problematic (wrt) the FBI association in this case. That agency assisted and led the investigation from April through November 2013- to insinuate that during that time no reports or investigative activities occurred is ludicrous.

The sledge is also problematic for me, as there are 3 other type weapons the search warrants are seeking. The presumption must be there are multiple weapons- I am sure I don’t have to tell you that information indicates more than one assailant.

The cell records that have been released are egregiously void of relevant evidence. It could absolutely be true that such information was withheld as “case in chief” for trial- I am hopeful for that.
B
Gold prospector says:

August 15, 2015 at 9:33 pm

Thank you for your response to my comment Blink . It was interesting and appreciated
Gold prospector says:

August 15, 2015 at 10:06 pm

I am from the same area as Chase, knowing that he has lived in the foothill communities below the the San Gabriel, San Bernardino Mountains and the towns in and around Victorville where the remains were found and him being familiar like myself because of our time spent in those areas prospecting, I have been a member of our local prospecting clubs for years, so for me I just cant seem to reason why Chase would pick the spot he did to bury the family. logistically it makes no sense, why only 1 to 2 feet deep barely deep enough to conceal the bodies in the only ORV areas where motorcyclist and off roaders are allowed to enjoy their sport. (meaning people are going to be out there all the time )There is hundreds of places that he would know about to dispose of those bodies that would have been better. The areas that few people know of where deep canyons completely unattainable but could be thrown of a cliff from. the 2000 plus abandoned mine shafts in the Mojave desert, or just drive out past the ORV area at least, Really weird.

Outside of the secondary crime scene (alleged) and victimology studies, my training, education and experience leads me to consult (what amounts to) similar crimes. Almost exclusively, similar crimes lead to what is called intimate partner homicide/suicide or when they don’t- the closest I came was the murder of a family for a drug debt to include two young boys murdered in the arms of their parents and left on the side of the road. (killers were first in Fla Fed history to receive death sentences since 1988). So then we have the combined theory that the motive for the murders was in reaction to an unknown firing which would mean that the offense was reactionary, and unplanned, and then the theory that it was planned because there is zero physical evidence at the home, and apparently the remains were kept somewhere for 2 days, 2 graves were dug (or 3). In my training, and what is also BSU protocol- if the theory and evidence is incongruent to any known empirical or case study data- it is almost always incorrect or lacks investigative information to date.

I think that is the case here. I should add- in no way have I ever seen any evidence indicating that Joey or Summer were involved in anything illegal. In my view, I have seen plenty of indicators Chase was.

To your point, not only have I found over 50 motocross videos of folks self-taping themselves, but I have also found a gaggle of Geo cache clubs within the area. I am sure you have seen the footage of Chase digging a hole and demonstrating his dry wash he sold Keene as well as the dozen youtubes of prospectors using same and their technique.
There is no way I believe the person or persons that chose that burial site that day would be of the opinion that the bodies therein would never be unearthed- does that exonerate Chase? No- but as I said previously, as presented, the cell phone ping data as presented is not going to fly and was the impetus for the demurrer, which did not work, but it is clear that the state’s case is very vague and short on evidence in major areas tying the accused to such a heinous crime.

Lastly- it is not uncommon for inexperienced killers to “overthink” a burial site, meaning, that they don’t want to choose something they know will be tied to them if discovered. That could a be a consideration here.
B
A Texas Grandfather says:

August 15, 2015 at 10:27 pm

The fact that search warrants for the three weapons not found have to be based on marks on the remains. There were two people at the grave site who were trained specifically for this work. Perhaps the anthropologist, Dr. Gray and others were able to determine from the marks on the skeletal remains a type of weapon used.

I was not impressed by the answer one of the detectives made regarding the distance the graves were from each other. He tried to push his answer off on the fact that the anthropologist and her assistant had set up a known point to make their search grid.

It also appears that no one in any agency took the time to look for cleaned up blood at the home. Of course the home had been entered by Joey’s brother prior to LE checking it. This may not be true and it was simply not discussed during any testimony at the preliminary hearing.

The detectives mentioned that the vehicle tracks to the grave sites were traced back to a pipeline road. There may be a pipeline in the right-of-way for the electrical towers, but I found nothing on Google Earth indicating a pipeline although there was evidence of a service road for the towers. The towers probably belong to Pacific Gas and Electric. I know they also operate a pipeline division for natural gas and a coal slurry pipeline from the Black Mesa area of Arizona.
Alli says:

August 16, 2015 at 11:31 am

Blink, where did the “theory” about Chase being fired originate? Do you know?

I do recall in a CNN interview Patrick mentioning (for the first time after all these years) that Joey was not happy with Chase’s work and was looking to add some welding competition for him. Patrick didn’t say he was going to fire Chase in this interview. Perhaps this is where the “theory” began?

http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1411/16/csr.01.html

[...]

KAYE: Was he considering not doing business for Chase Merritt anymore.

P MCSTAY: Joey discussed with me about it possibly (inaudible) and getting another welder.

KAYE: Cutting Chase out.

P MCSTAY: Well not virtually cutting him out. Giving him some competition.

[...]

I do. It came from DK. The same guy that said he took money from Joey saying he was “told to” by the family (although that is impossible as the family did not know yet the McStay’s were missing) in order to pay someone else. ( the intimation was Chase and it was learned after the recovery that apparently Chase denied this. I am not aware of a single witness that will testify they had knowledge that Joey headed to RC to fire Chase, and I think Patrick’s statements about Joey “providing competition” whether it was seen that way or not, was accurate. In fact, it does appear that Chase was possibly near his “competition” the morning of the 5th.
B
Gold prospector says:

August 16, 2015 at 7:44 pm

That was interesting also about your case studies and the lack of them as far as this case goes. So from reading all of your learned skills on this blog and using this to help guide your readers on how and why crimes are solved it seems to me that this one has you perplexed. I can only say from someone who just has common sense and follows the water of least resistance that I am more confused now than ever. As you said in your comment..if the theory and evidence is incongruent to any known empirical or case study data- it is almost always incorrect or lacks investigative information to date. I am the last person who puts out theories that seem more movie scripted but maybe someone did indeed bury the family in Victorville as a deflection. You have said that you do think Chase was involved but that he had help. Have you entertained the thought that maybe they just don’t have it right and its someone else ? Thank you

Right now- I think there is enough “evidence” presented for me that is consistent with the potential of Chase’s involvement to suspect his criminal participation.
B
Alli says:

August 17, 2015 at 5:20 pm

Thank you for your response, Blink. So the same guy who was taking money from Joey’s PayPal account on the 6th provided the information that Joey went to RC to fire Chase. It figures. It looks like that “story” has taken on a life of its own. I wouldn’t believe a word out of DK’s mouth. DK was supposedly in HI at the time, but he most certainly spent a lot of time on the phone calling Joey, based on Joey’s phone log. DK called Joey 20 times. I don’t recall seeing any calls or texts from Joey to DK.

As far as Patrick’s comment about giving Joey competition, I’m surprised he never made that known. He went public and was very vocal about everything else (especially in the beginning.). He never once mentioned Chase was on his radar until after Chase was arrested. In fact, he seemed to strongly believe McF was responsible for the crimes.

Interesting Chase was near his “competition” on the 5th. I wonder if he even knew he had “competition” or did he see it as additional help for all the new EIP contract work?
Rose says:

August 17, 2015 at 11:04 pm

@ATG. I went to congratulate Blink on this analysis,
with which I agree, then realized it was yours.
kudos.

A Texas Grandfather says:
August 14, 2015 at 11:26 pm
Alli says:

August 18, 2015 at 2:44 pm

Merritt’s attorneys hire PR firm to counter negative publicity

By Shea Johnson
Staff Writer
Posted Aug. 17, 2015 at 6:35 PM

http://www.vvdailypress.com/article/20150817/NEWS/150819764
Gold prospector says:

August 18, 2015 at 5:03 pm

I am totally on board with Alli’s comment about DK. And stumped that the DA thinks this info from him will fly in court.
A Texas Grandfather says:

August 18, 2015 at 11:19 pm

Thank you Rose

I have continued to think about the items used as weapons to attack
Summer and perhaps the boys. I have zero knowledge of what the marks found on the remains appeared to be. Therefore, this is just a possibility. Handles used on small sledges are three materials. Hickory wood or ash wood, steel and fiberglass. Each of the types would be sufficiently strong enough to leave a lot of damage to a body if the sledge were gripped by the head and the handle used as a baton. My hands are large enough to do just that and in looking at the photos of Chase, his are also. In fact, using a sledge in that manner is a lot easier to do damage than using the head when the person being attacked is able to move about.

When we add DK to the mix and what he did to the Paypal account to steal money and then claiming the company was partially owned by himself, we have the possibility of a criminal conspiracy.

Paypal began life in the late 1990′s in an effort to be a money making intermediary for internet sales. They have gone through many steps to improve the security of the system, but still had problems as late as 2012. I choose not to use their service for the security holes I spotted. DK apparently found a way to spoof the system to make it think he was Joey.

I keep going back to- How did DK know Joey’s password in the first place- and that he could steal his money because he already knew he was dead or missing- nobody knew that yet. That is going to be a major issue at pre-trial/trial.

This is a loaded question ATG- how much do you know about a 2000 Chevy C3500 HD utility truck? Another reason the state has more work to do.
B
Ode says:

August 19, 2015 at 10:24 am

- The white vehicle widely reported to be the McStay family Isuzu caught on a neighbor’s surveillance camera on the evening of Feb. 4 was determined by San Bernardino investigators not to be the Trooper. The vehicle was not identified during the hearing and the surveillance video was not played in court. The family’s Isuzu Trooper was excluded because the vehicle in the video had a muffler on the wrong side and reflectors not present on the Trooper.

http://www.cbs8.com/story/29320642/man-accused-of-killing-the-mcstay-family-will-stand-trial
**********

So the vehicle leaving was not the McStay’s?

Nope. Not according to the SBCSD. It has not been offered into evidence and was not played at the preliminary hearing, but the intimation due to the color, reflectors and the location of the exhaust was that it could not be the McStay trooper- but consistent with Merritt’s truck.

That will NEVER be testified to at trial as to expert witness verification- not only that, it pulls out at 7:47 and their is desktop computer activity from 7:59- 8:05 PM.
B
A Texas Grandfather says:

August 19, 2015 at 10:52 am

To answer your question about trucks Blink

I know a lot about them. It would take days to explain all the variations available in Chevy truck models. There are things like heavier frame structures and axles along with wheels and tires. Work trucks which the 3500 series falls into are available in single, extended cab and full cab configurations and can be bed less for installing a custom work area or with 6 ft. and 8 ft. beds. The wheelbase is extended for a full 8ft bed and a crew cab or four door cab. Then we have the engines and transmission variants as well as the gears in the rear axle that have an effect on power transmission and fuel mileage. Chevrolet has a web page for trucks where they list all of these variations and they have a “build your own truck” function for those who need a specific configuration.

My 2002 truck is a 1500 series chevy extended cab with the largest tires that the wheels will accept. More rubber on the road increases load capacity and safety.

Without knowing the computers that Joey used in his business and how careful he was in protecting them, we cannot know how DK and CM obtained the password(s). One way is to install a keystroke recording program on the computer. Another way is that Joey may have kept passwords in his wallet or a desk drawer. If I remember correctly, DK was claiming to be a programmer. If he worked on the machines, he would have to know the administrative password which would have allowed him to install a hidden keystroke program. This is what led to my statement about a criminal conspiracy.
A Texas Grandfather says:

August 19, 2015 at 11:03 am

Back to the truck question.

I know that you may be aware of a program available to LE that is called VIN Assist. This is a program that lists all the parts in a vehicle when the VIN number is entered. It has been available since the early 1990′s. It also covers the tires originally on the vehicle when delivered to a dealer. Dealers may change the wheels and tires to meet a customer need.

Somewhere in the linked material regarding the truck Chase owned was information the truck had been repossessed for lack of payment, but had been found by LE.

It was allegedly sold at auction due to repossession, yes. Lots going on about this truck- I do not believe the State will assert that his truck was seen leaving the home or that made the tracks to the graves at trial.
B
Alli says:

August 19, 2015 at 11:29 am

Blink said:

I keep going back to- How did DK know Joey’s password in the first place- and that he could steal his money because he already knew he was dead or missing- nobody knew that yet. That is going to be a major issue at pre-trial/trial.

___________________________

Blink, IIRC, it has been stated that Joey emailed his passwords to himself. The paypal password was included in this list.

DK is a known hacker and knows all the tricks. Perhaps he was able to get this information by accessing Joey’s computer in one of several ways. Was Joey accessing through a domain that DK might have owned? Was remote access enabled on Joey’s computer? DK might have had the tools to see into Joey’s computer.

I hope SBSD did not simply taking the word of the inept SDSD in dismissing DK.
Rose says:

August 19, 2015 at 7:01 pm

@ATG. I like this:
“When we add DK to the mix and what he did to the Paypal account to steal money and then claiming the company was partially owned by himself, we have the possibility of a criminal conspiracy.”
So I want to know why this DA is not looking at a criminal conspiracy. Perhaps it islack of experience with those charges in the financial sector.

I do not like & never used paypal, but I used it recently when I wanted to buy a craigslist used car sight unseen from another State. To hold it one day til my husband could fly up, I begged to do a wire transfer, anything. The man finally said put $500 on paypal, and I will reverse it to save fees when yr husband brings the cashiers check.
So from that experience, imo if DK knew Joey’s business email address, or usual id variation, he could just re-set the password.

OT ATG it proved my car hunch (honda element ex 4wd) on a Craigslist ad by which I abandoned all my principles was miraculous: a car mfg engineer was given a new car by Ford & had enriched this one with a leather Pilot steering wheel & leather shift knob, more ports, bluetooth, oversized michelins, trailer hitch, new mfgr seat covers, new mfgr carpets etc. it was his toy. And 1/2 any dealor price. So my nose will never turn up at Craigslist again. But it will at paypal.

anyway, I think paypal is easily manipulated.
Rose says:

August 19, 2015 at 7:16 pm

thinking about it Blink, DK didn’t need to know Joey was dead or not returning.

my memory is he felt he had a huge financial grievance with Joey.
Even if that thought was irrational, it means he would likely have felt,
with a live Joey, quite superior for reclaiming what he felt rightfully his.

That was in Jan 2009 Rose-and to my knowledge Joey would never allow DK to access his accounts and “pay himself.”
B
A Texas Grandfather says:

August 19, 2015 at 10:24 pm

Rose

I have no idea of why LE and the FBI have not been able to investigate and tie the information that a lot of us posting here have to a comprehensive plan to get the answers. Maybe they are working on it and are keeping the information away from the public until it is ready for charges and some arrests.

I don’t think Joey and Summer were themselves involved in something against the law, but they were dealing with some people who did not have loyalty to them. Instead, it appears that they wormed their way into the company in an effort to take it over to acquire money and prestige.

From your description of the auto, you found a super bargain. An auto engineer knows how to take proper care of a vehicle.
Gold prospector says:

August 20, 2015 at 1:49 am

Ok I thought Mike and Susan stopped working with Chase because Chase stole money from Susan ? Now according to this article Susan said Mike gave money to Chase also. Everyone is giving Chase money; From the article But as good as Merritt was at his trade, he was less dependable when it came to finances. McStay’s mother, Susan Blake, said her son had helped Merritt out with money. Public records show numerous legal judgments against Merritt, from outstanding tax liens to lawsuits

http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2014/nov/08/merritt-mcstay-arrest-murder-business-partner/
Gold prospector says:

August 20, 2015 at 2:05 am

http://www.drhorton.com/California/Los-Angeles/Valencia/newhall-west-hills.aspx
http://www2.dre.ca.gov/PublicASP/pplinfo.asp?start=1
http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Susan-Blake/1864363974
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAuaUk3NocQ&feature=youtu.be

So it might just be a cowinky dink but Chase’s cell phone was pinging on the 5th of Feb right next to where SB was working selling new homes for DR Horton. All the links above explain. Ca State Board license lookup confirmed it is indeed the same Susan Blake. So my question would be when exactly did SB hear that Chase couldn’t make contact ? Was it on the 9th as the public has been led to believe or was it on the 5th which would make the 13 day delay more like 18 and that is really not right.

Interestingly, he is also next to the storage facility of his alleged “rival” for Joey’s metal work.
B
PaMom says:

August 20, 2015 at 9:20 am

How did DK access these accounts to change the password. This could be done in one of 2 ways. He was either at Joey’s house at the time of the change or he had remote access through say logmein. I work with logmein daily. I can access everything included Quick Books from 2 hundred miles away. I can change anything; because, my boss allows me certain permissions. All this means is that Joey trusted DK enough to allow him to remote in to his computer and work there. Maybe, he has proof of an arrangement with Joey. I have to think that there’s a reason why the police are allowing this character to say and do these things. As opposed to a criminal conspiracy maybe there is an agreement with the prosecution that DK will be testifying against Chase Merritt in exchange for something that we don’t know yet. I deal with paypal all the time, and my experience is good. You have to be able to prove who you are to make a transaction.

I agree that the state has likely given DK an immunity deal- and I also believe it is possible Joey used similar passwords for the site and transactions for ease of memory DK might have been aware of- it could be that simple. That said, He withdrew several thousand dollars that he had not been paid previously so I am sure that will be an issue the defense will have a field day with. It will be very interesting to learn just when DK began making the assertions that Joey was going to be firing Chase and that was the impetus for the killings. As an example- if Joey found out that Chase was in his QB account the day before and the day of his murder- wouldn’t it be logical that he change his pw? I am very interested in reviewing the entire QB log.

Agreed on paypal.
B