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Thread: The McStay Family

  1. #1
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    The McStay Family

    This story is mentioned in a post here and there on other threads, but I feel this family deserves its own thread. This is a summary of the case from Wikipedia:

    The McStay family disappeared from their Fallbrook, San Diego County, California home on February 4, 2010.[1] The family consisted of the father, Joseph; the mother, Summer; and the couple's two children, Joseph Mateo and Gianni McStay.[2]
    A search conducted in the family's home found no clear evidence of foul play, but some indications of a hasty departure. On February 8, the family's 1996 Isuzu Trooper was towed away from a parking lot in San Ysidro, the San Diego neighborhood adjacent to the Mexico-United States border. Surveillance video taken that evening showed a family of four, possibly resembling the McStay family, crossing the border into Mexico; the video footage was released on March 5. On February 19, 2010, California police notified Interpol to be on the lookout for the family.[2]
    The disappearance of the family has been featured on America's Most Wanted.[2]
    On November 11, 2013, a biker found human remains of four people in the desert of northern Victorville, California. The bodies had been buried in shallow graves. On November 13, the remains were positively identified as those of the entire McStay family.[2][3]
    In the days after the discovery of the bodies, the father of Joseph McStay said the police investigation had been faulty, and that he had made formal complaints about the investigation in 2011.[4]
    It's amazing to me how an entire family can just disappear without explanation.

    Check out this link for the latest: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...#axzz2pdg40Oxs

    This link is from November 2013 when their bodies were found: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...#axzz2pdg40Oxs

    This is the family's website: http://www.mcstayfamily.org
    Any day above ground is a good day.

  2. #2
    Seagorath Guest
    Thanks for starting this thread. The feature on the McStays in People Magazine still haunts me. Their fate really hits home with everybody. This could have happened to any family.

    Hope they find the sick bastards who did this and fry them good.

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    Very odd case. Curious about the whole story.

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  5. #5
    Wendy A. Guest
    I really hope they solve this crime, it's scary how it all happened and I can't imagine what kinda monsters would kill an entire family.

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    Who was that family crossing the border? Was it the McStays or a case of mistaken identity? If it was them, why were their bodies found in Victorville? And who did it? Mommy? Daddy? Stranger? Acquaintance? So many unanswered questions.
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  7. #7
    navallint Guest
    The McShays didnt cross the border. It was mistaken identity. LE thought they were on the run. Instead they had been killed probably the day they went missing

    I think someone knew they had a lot of money in their bank accounts, and killed them for it, I dont know where it all came from
    Last edited by navallint; 01-06-2014 at 05:29 PM.

  8. #8
    Wendy A. Guest
    Yeah that's what I thought too, but the bank account wasn't touched? This crime makes no sense at all. Freaky!

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    I heard the bank accounts were touched by either the brother or the business partner? I don't know but I think it was definitely someone else who did it or they wouldn't have all been buried in shallow graves. I hope they find out what happened.


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    Quote Originally Posted by atomicbettie View Post
    I heard the bank accounts were touched by either the brother or the business partner? I don't know but I think it was definitely someone else who did it or they wouldn't have all been buried in shallow graves. I hope they find out what happened.
    I must have missed the shallow graves part. And you're right.
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  11. #11
    Wendy A. Guest
    Yeah shallow graves, that's how they were found... A passing biker saw bones on the ground.

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    yes, I believe that animals got to some of the bones due to the shallowness and that's what allowed them to be found. I thought they never would be. Again, I hope we get answers about what happened. I read a lot about the business partner and the brother (of the husband), but I can't remember where... maybe on Websleuths.

    I mean they obviously didn't think they were leaving for a long trip. They left their dogs outside and stuff around the house like they were just going out for a short trip to the market or the park or something. Probably said "ah, we can clean this up later and the dogs will be fine out in the yard for a while". Then they just disappeared.

    They said there had been searches on the computer about passports for kids to go into Mexico, which is what led them to searching the border crossing videos (and the fact that the car was abandoned near there). Maybe the husband was having some problem with his brother or the business partner and was planning to get away from it all for a bit but didn't have time. Then again they had just moved closer to the border and maybe just wanted to make a quick trip to Mexico. Personally I'd be scared to take little kids into Tijuana. I was scared to go there myself!
    Last edited by atomicbettie; 01-06-2014 at 08:09 PM.


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    Quote Originally Posted by Wendy A. View Post
    Yeah shallow graves, that's how they were found... A passing biker saw bones on the ground.
    The thought crossed my mind that depending on how shallow the graves were, perhaps it was a multiple murder and then suicide. Either parent could have killed the rest of the family, put them in shallow graves and then committing suicide and falling into a shallow grave. Although I don't think LE found any kind of weapon, but they could have been killed by poison.

    This is such a strange case and it will be interesting to see if/how it is solved. Kind of reminds me of the Steve Fossett disappearance where no one could figure out what happened to him. Then over a year later it is all explained and the mystery is solved. I hope it happens for this poor family too.
    Any day above ground is a good day.

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    Quote Originally Posted by geekygirl View Post
    The thought crossed my mind that depending on how shallow the graves were, perhaps it was a multiple murder and then suicide. Either parent could have killed the rest of the family, put them in shallow graves and then committing suicide and falling into a shallow grave. Although I don't think LE found any kind of weapon, but they could have been killed by poison.

    This is such a strange case and it will be interesting to see if/how it is solved. Kind of reminds me of the Steve Fossett disappearance where no one could figure out what happened to him. Then over a year later it is all explained and the mystery is solved. I hope it happens for this poor family too.
    Possible.
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    I wonder if it was a friend or family member and had to kill the little boys because they would recognize them? I would think more than one killer also, but why, drugs...money?????

    geekygirl I had never thought of the suicide thing, but that could be too. They could not tell how they were killed could they?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Leasie View Post
    I wonder if it was a friend or family member and had to kill the little boys because they would recognize them? I would think more than one killer also, but why, drugs...money?????

    geekygirl I had never thought of the suicide thing, but that could be too. They could not tell how they were killed could they?
    I don't think so because there were only skeletal remains. If someone is stabbed or shot and the knife or bullet hits a bone, they can tell the probable cause of death. Even blunt force trauma, such as someone being hit over the head with a mallet, can be determined by damage to the skull. But if someone is asphixiated, dies of dehydration, or because of blood loss due to some sort of injury that didn't damage the bones, there's no way of knowing.
    Any day above ground is a good day.

  17. #17
    Mammy Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Leasie View Post
    I wonder if it was a friend or family member and had to kill the little boys because they would recognize them? I would think more than one killer also, but why, drugs...money?????

    geekygirl I had never thought of the suicide thing, but that could be too. They could not tell how they were killed could they?
    I think it's plausible that it was someone they knew and the little boys were killed to keep the murderer or murderers from being identified. Wasn't there something about a brother of Mr. McStays removing items from their home after they disappeared? I could be totally wrong because I haven't really paid all that much attention to the case, but I seem to remember something like that.

  18. #18
    Seagorath Guest
    That area where their bodies were found looks sketchy. Seems like lots of bones are turning up in desert and sandy environs.

  19. #19
    Mammy Guest
    Considering they all were skeletal remains, it's going to be hard to solve unless there is a financial aspect that left a paper trail. I really don't think it was random since the little boys were killed, too.

  20. #20
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    this was a hit

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    Some people are suspecting the brother of McStay, due to the way he was acting during TV interviews.

  22. #22
    babyblujems Guest
    This case kind of freaks me out, I mean with all this high technology things we have now it's amazing to think that a whole family can be abducted and killed and not found for an awful long time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by babyblujems View Post
    This case kind of freaks me out, I mean with all this high technology things we have now it's amazing to think that a whole family can be abducted and killed and not found for an awful long time.
    And have no idea who did it.

  24. #24
    lisalouver Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by geekygirl View Post
    I don't think so because there were only skeletal remains. If someone is stabbed or shot and the knife or bullet hits a bone, they can tell the probable cause of death. Even blunt force trauma, such as someone being hit over the head with a mallet, can be determined by damage to the skull. But if someone is asphixiated, dies of dehydration, or because of blood loss due to some sort of injury that didn't damage the bones, there's no way of knowing.
    The police know how they were killed, but they are not letting that out just yet as to not compromise the investigation. A "source" did let it leak that both adults had their hands tied behind their backs.

    I suspect they were shot.

    They had well over 100k in their bank accounts and the police were the ones who found this out. That money had not been touched. I honestly dont think the brother had anything to do with it. The money would have went to the family after their deaths anyway, and the family didnt even know that they money was there.

    There has never been any way to refute that it wasnt the family on that surveillance video walking into Mexico. The police initially thought that they had left of their own free will, yes. The mother of the dad stated she recognized the children on the video.

    The oddest part of the whole thing is that they disappeared on Feb 4th, but their vehicle wasnt placed into that lot until the evening of Feb 8th (this has been verified) and the surveillance video is from that night as well. So where was the family after Feb 4th and up to Feb 8th? The cell phone calls and money/paper trail went silent on the day of the 4th.

    So many questions, this one bothers me. Watch their episode on Disappeared. Fascinating, but no answers..

    This case is completely baffling. I dont know that it will ever be solved.

  25. #25
    Wendy A. Guest
    I hope they solve it someday. It's so disturbing that an entire family is killed and disposed of like that. And for what? This could have been any family. Scary shit!

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    I can't get this case out of my mind. Sounds they left their home in a hurry. Where were they going? To meet someone, perhaps someone that owed them money, someone they knew and trusted? After all, husband and wife both went with the kids.

    Only the families prints on the vehicle? I don't get it.

    Someone besides the killers knows what happened. I just hope this is solved.

  27. #27
    Seagorath Guest
    May the McStays be at peace. And may God help us catch the felons who did this atrocious act. Damn them.

  28. #28
    GuiltyLittleDeathHag Guest
    This one bothers me too, who is sick enough to to not only kill these two adults, but these two small children? I always believed something bad happened to them before they found the bodies and thought they may have fled to Mexico, because their beloved family dogs were left in the yard with no food or water. There were groceries sitting on the counter still waiting to be put away. It just didn't fit. I hope they find those sick S.O.B.s. I think it might have been more than one person, what do you guys think?

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    Yes, more than one person. Adults had hands bound. No, they would not have left their dogs. Why did they leave in such a hurry? Why did the whole family leave? Any phone records?

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    There were phone records, I believe there was a call to the husband's business partner that was not answered on the night they disappeared.


  31. #31
    GuiltyLittleDeathHag Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by atomicbettie View Post
    There were phone records, I believe there was a call to the husband's business partner that was not answered on the night they disappeared.
    That's interesting, I wonder if they've checked out business partners? I have a funny feeling this was over money or some type of business dispute?

  32. #32
    lisalouver Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by GuiltyLittleDeathHag View Post
    This one bothers me too, who is sick enough to to not only kill these two adults, but these two small children? I always believed something bad happened to them before they found the bodies and thought they may have fled to Mexico, because their beloved family dogs were left in the yard with no food or water. There were groceries sitting on the counter still waiting to be put away. It just didn't fit. I hope they find those sick S.O.B.s. I think it might have been more than one person, what do you guys think?
    Yeah, the two dogs were left outside. Animal control had been giving them food and water.. there was a carton of eggs out on the kitchen counter, that was open (and rotten by the time they found it of course) but the house was in a state of remodel and most of their belongings were still in storage as the McStays had only lived there about 2.5 months. What was most disturbing were two small child size bowls of popcorn sitting on the futon. It was if the kids were grabbed up and left before they could eat it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Leasie View Post
    Yes, more than one person. Adults had hands bound. No, they would not have left their dogs. Why did they leave in such a hurry? Why did the whole family leave? Any phone records?
    Yeah, it had to be more than one person. They loved their dogs so much. The police did get the phone records. Nothing out of the ordinary. The day they disappeared, Feb 4, the husbands calls bounced off cell phone towers nearest to their home. The last call was at 830 that night, to his business partner. Their phones were never used (or found) after that.

    Quote Originally Posted by atomicbettie View Post
    There were phone records, I believe there was a call to the husband's business partner that was not answered on the night they disappeared.
    The last call that night was to him. I forget if he answered or not.

    Quote Originally Posted by GuiltyLittleDeathHag View Post
    That's interesting, I wonder if they've checked out business partners? I have a funny feeling this was over money or some type of business dispute?
    The police did. They didnt think his partner was involved, and I dont either. The logical explanation is that whatever happened to them was over money and that the wife and kids were eliminated strictly as witnesses, but nothing has ever been proven. As I mentioned, they had over 100k in their bank account that remained untouched. There were no withdrawals of any money or credit card use in the few days before and of course, after their disappearance.

    It did come out later that the wife, Summer, had changed her first and last name at some point. Her real first name is Lisa. The police did not think it was related at all.

    I have no idea with this one. It is the strangest case I have ever seen.

  33. #33
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    New book claims Joseph McStay thought his wife Summer was poisoning him

    link

    It's from last month but I hadn't seen it brought up in this thread. Obviously that's not what he died from and I can't imagine she had anything to do with it. If they were buried it means someone else did it and why would she hire someone to kill them all? Unless that's what it started out as and they had some dispute and they thought she would turn them in so they killed everyone. I still lean toward someone the family knew and the boys could even identify and that's the reason they were killed as well. Of course if it was some beef against one of the parents they could have just killed the kids first and made them watch as some kind of torture/punishment.

    Re: them going to Mexico. I just read that the family they saw on the video was crossing over at 7pm but the McStay's vehicle was not left in the lot where it was found until 7:47pm.


  34. #34
    lisalouver Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by atomicbettie View Post
    New book claims Joseph McStay thought his wife Summer was poisoning him

    link

    It's from last month but I hadn't seen it brought up in this thread. Obviously that's not what he died from and I can't imagine she had anything to do with it. If they were buried it means someone else did it and why would she hire someone to kill them all? Unless that's what it started out as and they had some dispute and they thought she would turn them in so they killed everyone. I still lean toward someone the family knew and the boys could even identify and that's the reason they were killed as well. Of course if it was some beef against one of the parents they could have just killed the kids first and made them watch as some kind of torture/punishment.

    Re: them going to Mexico. I just read that the family they saw on the video was crossing over at 7pm but the McStay's vehicle was not left in the lot where it was found until 7:47pm.
    Something with the wife never sat right with me. I dont know. Obviously, someone else killed all of them though...

    Regarding the vehicle and the crossing into Mexico, where did you read that? The Disappeared never said that - and the article you linked to here says the opposite - that the crossing video was one hour after they car was in the lot. I believe that the vehicle was found about 8pm that night.

    Found this link that states what I thought I had read -that the car was parked in the lot sometime between 5 and 7pm that day and that the crossing video was shot about 7pm that day. Great timeline here.

    I had forgotten about the surveillance video from the house near theirs that caught their car leaving the home the night of Feb 4th at 747PM. The car never returned.

    http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/loca...232068061.html
    Last edited by lisalouver; 02-26-2014 at 09:09 PM. Reason: Add link

  35. #35
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    I read it on another message board. I was just kind of skimming through. I'll go back and see if they have any reference on that. Sorry I just stated it as fact. I had never heard it before I just now read it. Now that you say the surveillance of them leaving the house was at 7:47, maybe someone over there was confused about the time on different events.

    I thought the car was found a few days later anyway, I guess. Is that wrong? Maybe it was a few days after they had left their house but the same day the couple that might be them was passing over the border? I don't know. This case just boggles my mind.
    Last edited by atomicbettie; 02-26-2014 at 11:47 PM.


  36. #36
    lisalouver Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by atomicbettie View Post
    I read it on another message board. I was just kind of skimming through. I'll go back and see if they have any reference on that. Sorry I just stated it as fact. I had never heard it before I just now read it. Now that you say the surveillance of them leaving the house was at 7:47, maybe someone over there was confused about the time on different events.

    I thought the car was found a few days later anyway, I guess. Is that wrong? Maybe it was a few days after they had left their house but the same day the couple that might be them was passing over the border? I don't know. This case just boggles my mind.
    Hey Bettie,

    They left their home on Feb 4th.. that was when the footage from the home next door caught the car leaving their house... then there was nothing until Feb 8th when the car was found in that lot. The attendants in that lot in San Ysidro patrol often and they stated that the car had to be parked there sometime between 5pm and 7pm on that evening of the 8th. Of course, the footage on the border was caught at "about" 7 pm.

    When I lived in San Diego (this was in the early 90's when I was in the military) those parking lots were steps from the border. I dont imagine they have changed much.

    But yeah, there is the period of Feb 4th and Feb 8th... where were they? Not saying they were even alive - but someone parked the car there on Feb 8th. .They never found any other prints on or in the car to my knowledge.

    The case is the oddest I have read. I dont buy the cartel deal because they were found on the US side.. but who killed all of them?

  37. #37
    Wendy A. Guest
    I wonder why the wife changed her name like that? Like she was running from something?

  38. #38
    lisalouver Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Wendy A. View Post
    I wonder why the wife changed her name like that? Like she was running from something?
    I wonder as well.

  39. #39
    willow Guest
    Summer's birth name was Virginia Lisa Aranda.
    She also used the surname Martelli which belonged to her step-father. At some point she legally changed her first name to Summer. It looks like all of the alias she used where a combination of these names. IMO she wasn't so much as running from something, and rather she was just an eccentric person.
    I want so badly to find out what happened to the Mcstays. This case haunts me.

  40. #40
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    Would the video from the house next door show a strange vehicle on the street? What if someone dropped off a friend or acquaintance of the family, they let them in and for some reason they grabbed one of the kids at gunpoint, made the family drive off with them still holding the child in the back(wearing gloves, no prints) and then something did not go as planned, went wrong.....and the family was killed. Not sure what the motive could have been.....just a thought...like I said I just can't get this horrible crime out of my mind.

  41. #41
    lisalouver Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by willow View Post
    Summer's birth name was Virginia Lisa Aranda.
    She also used the surname Martelli which belonged to her step-father. At some point she legally changed her first name to Summer. It looks like all of the alias she used where a combination of these names. IMO she wasn't so much as running from something, and rather she was just an eccentric person.
    I want so badly to find out what happened to the Mcstays. This case haunts me.
    The police didnt seem too concerned with her name change - but usually for someone to change their FIRST name (last names come and go for women when they marry) there is usually a reason behind it. Of course when you change your name legally, you have to swear in court that it is not because you're hiding from something legal. I think it had more to do with something she was hiding from her husband.


    Quote Originally Posted by Leasie View Post
    Would the video from the house next door show a strange vehicle on the street? What if someone dropped off a friend or acquaintance of the family, they let them in and for some reason they grabbed one of the kids at gunpoint, made the family drive off with them still holding the child in the back(wearing gloves, no prints) and then something did not go as planned, went wrong.....and the family was killed. Not sure what the motive could have been.....just a thought...like I said I just can't get this horrible crime out of my mind.
    The police never mentioned the neighbors surveillance showing any other cars on the street. However, I think they left home that night of their own free will, there was a call made after that footage from the husbands phone so I think that they were ok then.

    I have little to no ideas as to went on. It really is all up for speculation!

  42. #42
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    An arrest in the case has been made. Charles Ray Merritt, the friend and business partner, was arrested for the murders. The police will announce more details later today.

  43. #43
    Wendy A. Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Desert Ghost View Post
    An arrest in the case has been made. Charles Ray Merritt, the friend and business partner, was arrested for the murders. The police will announce more details later today.
    Yes!!! I'm so glad they may have FINALLY solved this! This crime really struck a nerve with me. (For once I click on a thread hoping for good news and it's HERE!!!)

  44. #44
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    This blew me away. Why take out the entire family, including 2 little kids??
    Everyone must die but not everyone has lived


  45. #45
    Wendy A. Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by duchessmary View Post
    This blew me away. Why take out the entire family, including 2 little kids??
    It had to been because the kids knew them. I never understood it either except for maybe the kids would be able to identify who did it.

  46. #46
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    Damn, I had forgot all about this! I am glad they are closing up loose ends.
    My Posse's On Broadway

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  48. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by AliWProk View Post
    Indeed!

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    Anyone ever figure out the deal behind that footage of the family crossing the Mexican border? That aspect of the case has always bugged me.

  50. #50
    Seagorath Guest
    Wow...shocking. What an EVIL person...

    http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/07/justic...html?hpt=hp_t1

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