CA - Joey, Summer, Gianni, Joseph Jr McStay Murders - Feb 4th 2010 #7

[missy1974]

No microwave in jail Missy, sorry.

do they have stoves somewhere??? popped on the stove is much better anyway

 

[JMarsh]

Absolutely! I always feel that the families of the victims are entitled to justice, but they are also entitled to the truth and entitled to have the right person convicted, without doubts. This is a personal opinion, but it's also an opinion based on experience and having a family member said to be brutally murdered.

I'm so sorry to hear that. That has to be hard.

 

[Edmo]

I think it's hard when you actually care that the right person is convicted and that there is real justice to just be entertained by all this. Real people are impacted by these cases on so many levels. Evidence, actual hard facts, are all we have to guide us. Evidence matters. I just have a hard time seeing this only as a form of entertainment.

There was a family of 4, 2 being children, that actually make us want the actual person to be held accountable for their demise. So far, the county of San Bernardino has SAID that they believe/can prove CM as the culprit. They ARE proving him to be the culprit, so far. IMO.

We have months to go and many of us might change our minds. Until then, we have to take it day by day.

 

[Edmo]

do they have stoves somewhere??? popped on the stove is much better anyway

They DO have "hot water" for their commissary: IE: Their Top Ramen Noodles/Coffee/Hot Chocolate. Don't EVEN get me started on the "things" they can purchase through commissary.

 

[Tssiemer]

They DO have "hot water" for their commissary: IE: Their Top Ramen Noodles/Coffee/Hot Chocolate. Don't EVEN get me started on the "things" they can purchase through commissary.

BREAK!
Omg... I was a counselor in an inpatient drug rehab and we had excellent food but they all wanted to make break. Smh. Can't shake some habits I guess.

ETA: Ok excellent may be the wrong word... but you get my point.

 

[Edmo]

BREAK!
Omg... I was a counselor in an inpatient drug rehab and we had excellent food but they all wanted to make break. Smh. Can't shake some habits I guess.

ETA: Ok excellent may be the wrong word... but you get my point.

I guess that is the human/addict in us as humans? It didn't matter if it was a 1st timer or a career criminal, they wanted their commissary items.

 

[citygirl]

I think it's hard when you actually care that the right person is convicted and that there is real justice to just be entertained by all this. Real people are impacted by these cases on so many levels. Evidence, actual hard facts, are all we have to guide us. Evidence matters. I just have a hard time seeing this only as a form of entertainment.

IMO, this is far from a form of entertainment. What makes you think that?

 

[MsFacetious]

Yep, and I'd like to see another case where a totally innocent man was more than willing to give up years of their freedom when they had a constitutional right to opt for a speedy trial instead?

Imo

I have worked on a few of them. If the innocent man is being held without bail there isn't much choice.

If his attorney tells him that his odds of acquittal are higher with a delay.... most are going to be okay with a delay. 4 years isn't very long when compared to life in prison or on death row.

I think it's hard when you actually care that the right person is convicted and that there is real justice to just be entertained by all this. Real people are impacted by these cases on so many levels. Evidence, actual hard facts, are all we have to guide us. Evidence matters. I just have a hard time seeing this only as a form of entertainment.

I'm actually reading as a form of education. Learning how people view certain strategies or tactics. Learning what to do or not to do.

 

[missy1974]

I'm actually reading as a form of education. Learning how people view certain strategies or tactics. Learning what to do or not to do.

Understanding that you aren't part of Merritt's defense team, but if you were.... reading posts, what would you think right now?


I love reading your posts! LOL

 

[citygirl]

I have worked on a few of them. If the innocent man is being held without bail there isn't much choice.

If his attorney tells him that his odds of acquittal are higher with a delay.... most are going to be okay with a delay. 4 years isn't very long when compared to life in prison or on death row.




I'm actually reading as a form of education. Learning how people view certain strategies or tactics. Learning what to do or not to do.

Not for entertainment? Something more substantial? I never take pleasure in man's inhumanity to man. Nor do I ever celebrate when someone is found guilty. Any caring human being gets the gravity of these crimes. There are no winners, ever. I would suspect some family members get no real satisfaction. Yes, justice has been served. Those are just words to me. I lost my loved one. Life before and life after. It is what it is.

 

[dlkutac]

Yes and trying to ingratiate themselves with LE. I noticed right at the beginning of his interview he said something to the female detective like 'you look just like your voice' or wtte and I thought here he goes, probably trying to flatter her.

Yes, and near the end, it deteriorated into the mutual admiration society. Hearing it made me squirm. I just wanted it to stop.

 

[mom2chloe]

The more I have come to know the details of the case (and I have come late to it) the more i am convinced the critical question is not how the crime scene was staged but why.

What's the reason to put the bodies in a shallow grave and put the Trooper at the border?

why not just let the bodies be found?

Simply put, because CM didn’t want the other crimes he committed to be discovered;at least not immediately after the fact. There may be much more that we are not privy to whether it be admissible or otherwise. These murders were clearly acts of rage but time will tell the story hopefully!

 

[HelenK]

I think in this particular case they want him to be gray headed.

After all from minute one, he has made sure he is old, old, old as dirt. They are trying to match the man when all of his interviews comes in where he says it.

No matter what, he still looks pretty darned healthy anyway. Lol

"I am 56, I am an old man. I got into trouble here and there when I was a kid, but I do not have some long criminal history, which is what people have tried to imply."
Daily Mail, November 19, 2013

 

[MsFacetious]

True, this defense had no other choice than to go with the overused, imo, defense strategy, of SODDI, and they selected DK to be the IT this time.

Actually, it's a pretty typical defense strategy often used.

I've always thought its unwise for any DT to put all of their eggs in one basket.

Imo

I agree it's wise to have options instead of being stuck in one defense. However, sometimes that one is all you have. When it's a he said/she said case for example, "I didn't do it, she's lying" is about the only defense. Though, it isn't quite that simple of course.

It's unnerving because if the defendant IS innocent... what other defense do they have? "I didn't do it, so someone else must have done it" is the truth in those cases. That's how wrongful convictions occur, when they don't have an alibi and the jury believes the other side.

And she was very attentive to what was being recorded on those cameras. She monitored them closely-it wasn't just a "in-case-of-burglary" concern. She was very concerned. Very.

It's hard to imagine there wasn't more to that story.

There is more to it. She was terrified of an ex tracking her down and finding out where she lived. So she monitored her cameras and she also didn't want to hand over her entire security system. I still wish the cops had mirrored the entire thing but wouldn't expect her to hand it all over.

I guess that is the human/addict in us as humans? It didn't matter if it was a 1st timer or a career criminal, they wanted their commissary items.

Well, if you think about it that's all a lot of them have to look forward to. Not everyone gets visits or letters. So getting commissary may just be the only thing they have to look forward to. It also comes with treats oftentimes, some candy, coffee, etc. Not surprising they'd look forward to it.

Understanding that you aren't part of Merritt's defense team, but if you were.... reading posts, what would you think right now?


I love reading your posts! LOL

I would think I needed a new job. In a new county. Where things are done efficiently. I would be going nuts about the wasted time, inconvenience to the jury, introducing evidence and witnesses mid trial. I'd be drinking and probably lose my mind long before this point.

I love your posts too. Makes me feel a tiny bit less strange for thinking outside the box.

 

[KALI]

Citygirl. Maybe I can give you some answers.
Joey and Summer lived in a rather new and remote subdivision here in California.
It's rare for neighbors to know or visit each other.
Seriously rare.
I've lived in Fallbrook since January 2000.
I've been invited in to exactly 2 houses during all of this time.
People here come home from a long day of work, a long commute, go into their homes and shut the world out.
Maybe that sounds strange to you. But that's actually the way things are here.
I think that it was easy for Chase to move cars around without being noticed.
Very easy. Just my op.

Completely agree

You know what amazes me? If true that he staged the crime scene, the moxie he had to pull that off. How could he be confident that no one would notice? How did he come and go? Where did he park? No doubt he came under cover of darkness, but still how did he go unnoticed? We've heard about the 2 am log on to the computer on Feb 8th. Seems that was refuted in testimony based on poster's observation. I tried to follow but it kept timing out and the youtube channel was more commercials and expert chatter than testimony! I have resisted going back and listening to the testimony in the evening. Would much rather read a good book. LOL. Thankful for the posters that do that. I think he is guilty but waiting to hear all the evidence. At the rate this is going I could be dead in 6 months. Really feel for these jurors.

 

[HelenK]

Citygirl. Maybe I can give you some answers.
Joey and Summer lived in a rather new and remote subdivision here in California.
It's rare for neighbors to know or visit each other.
Seriously rare.
I've lived in Fallbrook since January 2000.
I've been invited in to exactly 2 houses during all of this time.
People here come home from a long day of work, a long commute, go into their homes and shut the world out.
Maybe that sounds strange to you. But that's actually the way things are here.
I think that it was easy for Chase to move cars around without being noticed.
Very easy. Just my op.

And I don't think that Fallbrook is the only community in the U.S.ofA, or anywhere else in this world for that matter, where what you describe goes down -

 

[QueenBofOB]

Citygirl. Maybe I can give you some answers.
Joey and Summer lived in a rather new and remote subdivision here in California.
It's rare for neighbors to know or visit each other.
Seriously rare.
I've lived in Fallbrook since January 2000.
I've been invited in to exactly 2 houses during all of this time.
People here come home from a long day of work, a long commute, go into their homes and shut the world out.
Maybe that sounds strange to you. But that's actually the way things are here.
I think that it was easy for Chase to move cars around without being noticed.
Very easy. Just my op.

Plus, they had only moved into their new home about 2mos. prior. They probably didn't even really get a chance to meet new neighbors (remodeling, busy getting settled, running a biz, taking care of two small toddlers and a new puppy). And didn't have a chance to establish any patterns, that others would take notice of.
I think I recall reading, that at least one neighbor thought CM lived there also, as his truck was seen so often.

 

[Force Ten]

Citygirl. Maybe I can give you some answers.
Joey and Summer lived in a rather new and remote subdivision here in California.
It's rare for neighbors to know or visit each other.
Seriously rare.
I've lived in Fallbrook since January 2000.
I've been invited in to exactly 2 houses during all of this time.
People here come home from a long day of work, a long commute, go into their homes and shut the world out.
Maybe that sounds strange to you. But that's actually the way things are here.
I think that it was easy for Chase to move cars around without being noticed.
Very easy. Just my op.

I can attest to that, myself living in the same sort of Socal neighborhood. I really don't pay much attention to what my neighbors are doing. Some (younger folk) have several different cars around their homes, and often in front of mine. If it's night and I do happen to see a vehicle, I'm paying even less attention.

Chase was there quite frequently with doing doing projects, even helped them move in. He and his truck became a peripheral part of the suburban landscape IMO.

 

[MsFacetious]

Fallbrook sounds like my kind of place. Peopling is exhausting.

 

[katydid23]

They did. And according to defense opening statements the DA's assertions about monies owed are mistaken.

Of course they will assert that the DA's accounting is wrong. It will be expert vs expert. Both sides will be able to make a case for their set of numbers. It won't be cut and dry or easy to know which is correct.

The important thing is, what did Joey and Chase believe about the money. It doesn't really matter what the forensic accountants say right now. What matters most is what Joey and Chase thought and what they argued about.

If Joey believed he overpaid Chase and didn't owe him any big money, that is what matters, in looking at the possible motive.

The week the family vanished, Joey handed over a check to Chase for 100 bucks. Chase wrote himself checks for about 12k. Big difference between their view of how much Chase was owed from that business account, it seems to me.