CA - Joey, Summer, Gianni, Joseph Jr McStay Murders - Feb 4th 2010 #4

[Deleted member 192280]

And what would the motive be for a hit? Nothing has been unearthed through the investigations. The only evidence found points to greed and CM.

One weapon used and same extent of violence and depravity involved points to one person killing them all.

Didn't they say the DNA found at the grave site belonged to at least three unknown individuals?

 

[katydid23]

Chase didn’t have a gun though. There is no scenario in the world that would make it easier to kill a child. We know what the murder weapon is. What other methods could he have used? Given his state of mind, I just don’t envisage him looking for a more painless way to kill the kids. They would’ve been hysterical. I just don’t see him taking the decision to murder a family of 4 over a fraudulent check. I think something happened in the moment and he had to think fast. MOO.

He could have smothered them. Or given them something to knock them out first.

I think his rage was about more than just a fraudulent check.

 

[Tortoise]

just a quick note - hate to disrupt the discussion...



but.... I have Thursday, Jan. 31st as Day 15.... I'm counting Opening Statements as Day 1. No??

Niner they didn't include the jury site visit as a trial day, so Tues Jan 29th was Day 13 and Thurs Jan 31st was Day 14

 

[Tortoise]

Didn't they say the DNA found at the grave site belonged to at least three unknown individuals?

I don't think we've had any DNA results yet. Where was it found? Why wouldn't the family members have come into contact with other transfer DNA that day? Who did the hammer belong to - was it used specifically because it would have other DNA on it?

I don't suppose DNA results will be much of a deciding factor in this case.

 

[Funky funky]

Given

He could have smothered them. Or given them something to knock them out first.

I think his rage was about more than just a fraudulent check.

I agree that it had to be more than a fraudulent check. Given the kids what though? He didn’t come armed with sedatives for the kids, we know how they died. He isn’t going to go look for pillows whilst in the midst of a murderous rage to smother them, with them screaming having possibly witnessed the murder of their parents. He is going to lift the nearest weapon possible.
All this is my opinion only, I’ve followed this case from day dot, it is what brought me to WS many years ago. I’m not as vocal as some posters, but this case has kept me awake at night just thinking of all the scenarios. I studied criminology for many years and my gut tells me that he didn’t set out to murder the whole family that night. It just doesn’t fit for me.

 

[katydid23]

Given


I agree that it had to be more than a fraudulent check. Given the kids what though? He didn’t come armed with sedatives for the kids, we know how they died. He isn’t going to go look for pillows whilst in the midst of a murderous rage to smother them, with them screaming having possibly witnessed the murder of their parents. He is going to lift the nearest weapon possible.
All this is my opinion only, I’ve followed this case from day dot, it is what brought me to WS many years ago. I’m not as vocal as some posters, but this case has kept me awake at night just thinking of all the scenarios. I studied criminology for many years and my gut tells me that he didn’t set out to murder the whole family that night. It just doesn’t fit for me.

Oh, I agree that he didn't set out to kill the whole family that day. But once it started, he had to keep going.

 

[Tortoise]

Court is back in session at 1.45 pm.

20 minutes from now.

 

[Tortoise]

It sounds as if they have someone who did a computer reenactment or overlay of the vehicle leaving the house/Mitchley video. They were talking about a Faro scan this morning, defense was complaining they hadn't received the experts calculations to give to their own expert who is out of state. I wasn't sure if this was testimony they hope to cover this afternoon or not, state's witness was present in the courthouse and they suggested defense talk to him over the lunch break.

 

[MrsPC]

deleted

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Or IF...IF.. SM was raped, then he couldn't have done it right? He's to old and has even had to take Viagra in the past for his "dysfunction".

MOO

I know this is an extremely sad, and very serious case, but I couldn't help, but LOL at your description, Cricket... of CM.

Nevermind much much older male rapists even in their 70s and 80s have been capable of raping women and children without any ED medication. It's only impossible for CM to do it. Just ask him.

I have never seen anyone in their 50s or even early 60s for that matter that wants to stress how OLD....I mean anciently OLD they are!!! Have you?

Didn't he say he was so old and in such poor health he wasn't going live long, and thought he was gonna be a goner in just a few months after he was arrested? Hmmm.

Well all I can say that OLD. VERY VERY OLD man (according to him) looks pretty darn healthy to me sitting at the defense table!!

LOL! Some of his antics he tried to spin really are humorous at time.

He probably has had sweet ladies sending him money, and sweet letters who have been so worried about him.

They are probably so relieved to see him looking so chipper, and healthy now.

On a serious note, I think he does embellish everything , and blows it way out of proportion, even his health.

I think he purposefully did that to make it look like he was too old and weak to be lifting anything when that is just foolish since welders are having to lift heavy things quite often,

Many are much older than he is but continues to work hard every day.. It's just another one of his cons, imo.

By his own words he should have been dead years ago.

Now sure, he may have to take heart medication or blood pressure meds, but I dont think his condition even wayback then was as grave as he wanted everyone to believe.

Imo

 

[katydid23]

I caught a little of McGees complaining between the video buffering this morning. He really did not want the judge to allow the QB guy to testify. One of his arguments seemed to be that the guy was 'mistaken' about his assumption that CM was doing something fraudulent. And he was saying that it would be hard to confront and debunk that assumption, if he was just on Skype, and not in person. The judge didnt seem to be sympathetic to that position.

 

[MrsPC]

I caught a little of McGees complaining between the video buffering this morning. He really did not want the judge to allow the QB guy to testify. One of his arguments seemed to be that the guy was 'mistaken' about his assumption that CM was doing something fraudulent. And he was saying that it would be hard to confront and debunk that assumption, if he was just on Skype, and not in person. The judge didnt seem to be sympathetic to that position.

They discussed that apparently Merritt had contacted Quickbooks customer service the day prior to contacting this particular representative and everything was supposedly on the up & up with that contact and they were complaining that the next day when Merritt contacted this representative that the rep didn't know everything was on the up and up. They also discussed that this other Quickbooks representative may be called to testify later in the trial.

 

[Tortoise]

court in session

 

[Tortoise]

I don't understand why the jury isn't present for this.

 

[MrsPC]

this is the company that the individual testifying works with (or is CEO of) Cognitech - Forensic Video Processing & 360° Photogrammetry

 

[katydid23]

They discussed that apparently Merritt had contacted Quickbooks customer service the day prior to contacting this particular representative and everything was supposedly on the up & up with that contact and they were complaining that the next day when Merritt contacted this representative that the rep didn't know everything was on the up and up.

Yes, I didnt understand that explanation. How was the prior day on the up and up? Did he say he was Chase Merritt and not Joey?

I know that there are times that people do what CM did, when trying to get something done, with a corporation. When I had to deal with our health ins, they would ONLY talk to my husband, who was the primary. So I had to have our son talk on the phone first, to give 'permission' to speak to me, so I could ask about certain claims, etc.

I think that is what the defense is going to say now to justify that call. CM only lied to get the job done, that Joey asked him to do.

 

[katydid23]

I don't understand why the jury isn't present for this.

this is a 'proffer.' So the jury will be present after the judge and both sides agree what he can testify to, and if he can even testify

 

[MrsPC]

Yes, I didnt understand that explanation. How was the prior day on the up and up? Did he say he was Chase Merritt and not Joey?

I know that there are times that people do what CM did, when trying to get something done, with a corporation. When I had to deal with our health ins, they would ONLY talk to my husband, who was the primary. So I had to have our son talk on the phone first, to give 'permission' to speak to me, so I could ask about certain claims, etc.

I think that is what the defense is going to say now to justify that call. CM only lied to get the job done, that Joey asked him to do.

yep, I think that's the defense goal

 

[Tortoise]

His name is Dr Leonid I Rudin and it's a 402 hearing

 

[mrjitty]

Agree. The Trooper was left at the border for the purpose of being found. So he wiped clean the house without any DNA but didn't think of cleaning his DNA in the Trooper (even though the seat was adjusted back to the position for a shorter driver)?

This is the knox fallacy if you don't mind me saying.

They don't check the whole house for CM DNA.

They know he had been there before.

DNA is typically only swabbed for in places that make sense to the investigation.

The trooper is one such place.

Furthermore we have no idea if he left DNA because proper forensics only happened 4 years later