McStay family murders
| McStay family murders | |
|---|---|
Missing persons flier for the McStay family | |
| Location | Fallbrook, California, U.S. |
| Date | c. February 4, 2010 |
Attack type | Mass murder by bludgeoning, torture murder, child murder, disappearance |
| Weapon | Sledgehammer |
| Deaths | 4 |
| Perpetrator | Charles "Chase" Ray Merritt |
| Motive | Unknown |
| Verdict | Guilty on all counts |
| Convictions | First-degree murder with special circumstances (4 counts)
|
| Sentence | Death (de jure) |
The McStay family murders occurred on or near February 4, 2010, after the family disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California, United States; their bodies were found in the desert near Victorville, California, on November 13, 2013. Their disappearance was widely reported by the national news media.
On November 7, 2014, police announced they had arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph McStay's business partner, and intended to charge him with the murders. The trial began on January 7, 2019, in San Bernardino. On June 10, 2019, a jury found Merritt guilty of murdering the McStay family. He was sentenced to death on January 21, 2020.