Charles “Chase” Meritt is the business partner of Joseph McStay; who owned an organization providing for the creation of fountains for decoration. Meritt was 62 when he is the only convict of the murder of the McStay family on June 10, 2019. The family comprised four members Joseph McStay, aged 40, his wife Summer McStay, a real estate agent at 43, and their sons Gianni at 4 and Joseph Junior at 3. The investigation began in 2010 and took place after the family went missing.
The Disappearance Of The Family
Michael McStay. The brother of Joseph McStay was the first to inform the officers about the family’s disappearance. On February 13, 2010, after trying to contact the family for several days, Michael McStay paid a visit to the family.
Upon his arrival at the residence, he noticed an open window at the back of the house and allowed himself into the place. Two days later, on February 15, 2010, he contacted the sheriff’s department to inform the family’s disappearance. After gaining a search warrant, the department searched the place for evidence of foul play.
Finding themselves at a dead end, unable to find any evidence to prove irregularities in the disappearance, officers concluded of a hasty voluntary departure of the family. Checking the surveillance system of the place, the officers found the bottom 18 inches of the family’s vehicle on February 5, 2010, at 7:47 pm.
The Remains Of The Family
After 3 years and 9 months of the incident, a biker found the family’s remains in a desert near Victorville, California. The place is approximately 80.17 miles North of Fallbrook, California, where the family originally resided. The remains were of the McStay family and tell joseph’s father of the same.
Upon investigation, They found the skeleton of Joseph with an electrical cord wrapped around his neck. It declared their death a homicide which shows the family faced trauma.
Investigation And Arrest Of Chase Merritt
On November 5 2014, Merritt was associated with and linked to the case of the murders. After investigations, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department arrested Charles “Chase” Merritt for the murder of the 4 members of the family.
The trials were delayed frequently before the conclusion, mostly on accounts of Merritt’s request for a change of attorney. Ultimately, the San Bernardino County Jury voted Charles “Chase” Merritt guilty; and sentenced him to a life of imprisonment according to the convictions.
Cultural Presentations
A rather recent docuseries, “Two Swallow Graves”, focuses on researching the innocence of Merritt and the possibility of other suspects. The series was first aired on May 22, 2022. The series can be viewed from an additional perspective from Merritt’s point of view; and then from the point of view of other suspects linked to the case.
