Chase Merritt Charged W/Murder of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joe Jr McStay #4

[oceanblueeyes]

Its a bit hard to murder someone with a hammer including broken leg, ribs etc without some sort of premeditation coming in to it

At some point you must intentionally embark upon the course of action, with time to reflect on what you are doing.

Different to say if you just shoot someone in a heated argument even with intent to kill

Exactly. The repeated blows, and severe trauma shows premeditation with the intent to murder Joey.

Imo

 

[oceanblueeyes]

That guy seems like a right clown

Sad to say he is not alone. Most talking head defense attorneys here have the same ridiculous offensive mindset.

Imo

 

[TXFForever]

The jurors should feel proud of delivering justice.

 

[Tortoise]

If it had been 4 x DP I imagine the jury would be attacked by opponents of the convictions for being emotional or vengeful, or because they were DP qualified they already had their minds set, or wanted to follow blindly where LE was leading them. These unanimous individual verdicts demonstrate the very opposite.

IMO

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I feel the death penalty was deserved in this case, for me it is not so much about being put to death (we know this is unlikely to ever happen), but more so the things he will be deprived of by being a condemned inmate.
He will have no human contact, no hugging or shaking anyone’s hand, he will be condemned meaning his time outside his cell will be extremely limited. Showers and excerise in a cage will be all that’s allowed. He will be served his lovely prison meals in his cell, he will not get to visit and chat to his loved ones face to face he will be behind reinforced glass using a telephone.
It brings me some satisfaction knowing that he will have no choice but to abide by the strict rules of death row and exist amongst other child killers, rapists and other idiots who’ve killed for financial gain. I don’t care whether he eventually gets a needle in his arm or not, he has lost everything already it just really bothers me that he is still going to be living his sad existence on death row while the Mcstays who were full of life and had brilliant things ahead in the future for them are no longer here and the world was robbed of all the wonderful things those two little boys could have been when they grew up.

Great post!

In the end for me at least is CM has been labeled forever as one of the worst mass murderers in CA.

He will wear a jumpsuit with 'Death Row' in bold black letters on the front, and back. Merritt will be placed where he belongs among the worst inmates which are those already on CA death row.

Imo, the death penalty option for certain individuals will remain because the majority of CA citizens voted in at the ballot box.

Even now polls still show most CA citizens still want the death penalty as an option.

Who knows maybe one day they will vote for a governor who will want to implement the death penalty executions again upholding what the majority of CA citizens want, and voted for.

CM, and other callous cold blooded murders will continue to worry if executions will begin again.

Nothing is for certain or set in stone, and he, and others could become dead men/women walking the green mile again.

It's obvious cold blooded murderers fear receiving the death penalty. That is the very reason many heartless murderers over the years have been willing to plead guilty if the state takes it off the table. It shows what yellow bellied cowards they all are when it comes to their own death date.

It's also been a powerful tool for families of missing murdered love ones as well when the murderers were willing to reveal the unknown location of their victims IF the DP was taken off the table like I have mentioned earlier.

The state's without any death penalty have to wind up reducing brutal premeditated murders down to a lesser degree to get them to plead guilty allowing the murderers to get a sweetheart deal where they will be freed back into society again to prey on more victims which has also happened.

So imo, there are far more positives in the states who does have the DP option.

While states without it have far less power to bring justice to victims or for murderers to reveal the location of the victims so they can be properly returned receiving a proper burial.

So it isn't just about executions for me, but also about the powerful leverage it gives our justice warriors, and families who have murdered, and missing love ones.

Imhoo

 

[Mind your biscuits]

I have to admit to feeling quite glad that the jury tortured Merritt, letting him think that he was getting LWOP. Ha, the relief on his face, and then Death, Death, Death! Drama of the best kind.

 

[Longtimenoc]

After all these years it was so fine to watch Merritts face as the verdict was being read. Finally justice. His evil acknowledged to the world.

And I loved watching the prosecution side, Ms Rodriguez, my hero the ever present Sgt Smith, and the others. Wish I could hug them all!

 

[oceanblueeyes]

MrJitty, if the jury had believed this was a heat of the moment murder without premeditation of Joey they would have voted for 2nd degree which was an option also afforded to them.

It's obvious they believed CM had premeditated intent to murder Joey.

In the Scott Peterson case they found him guilty of 2nd degree murder in the death of Conner. That null, and voided the death penalty option for Conner's murder. I didn't agree with that part of their verdict since his whole purpose was to murder Conner, and Laci ridding himself of both. I respect their verdict decision on Conner though.

However they found him guilty of first degree murder of Laci, and imposed the death penalty for her murder.

I agree with you, and what you have said.

I think they went one by one with each victim, and weighed the verdict on each one separately.

They considered if only Joey had been murdered without other victims they felt it would be a LWOP sentence which is still a very harsh punishment handed down for Joey's murder.

Jmho

 

[Edmo]

Is it because he was hoping that 4 verdicts of LWOP would aid his appeal in some way, attempt to show an uncertain jury, or is it because he had a preference to do with his future living conditions? Because he must know he's not likely to be put to death.

IMO, CM knows what prison is like and possibly had a chance to live amongst the other inmates/job etc. He is now a caged Rat until he takes his last breath. I'm SURE he has been housed alone during the trial and realizes he will spend his life alone.

 

[NuttMegg]

I wonder if CM has cult sycophants claiming his innocence and blaming it all on Summer. I'm glad to see that type of attitude is winding its way down on yt now re Watts family murder by hero dad.

 

[Edmo]

If it had been 4 x DP I imagine the jury would be attacked by opponents of the convictions for being emotional or vengeful, or because they were DP qualified they already had their minds set, or wanted to follow blindly where LE was leading them. These unanimous individual verdicts demonstrate the very opposite.

IMO

Your insight has been phenomenal during the trial. You have a gift of reading between the lines and explaining it in plain English. Never crossed my mind that a guilty/DP4x might look "vengeful" by the jurors. I believe there was a 1 hold out on the DP for JM, but that's just my opinion. Again, TY for being so honest and also enlightening us throughout the trial.

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Did you see his fake tears when LWOP was read? He thought he had a chance at that moment of a life in prison, until the DEATH verdicts came down, BOOM !

Catching up in the thread as I was busy with RL yesterday, hopefully, somebody has posted YouTube or video of such so that I can review by the time I get to the end of the next eight pages! Thank you to everybody for keeping me up so I can review.

 

[Edmo]

If "formal" sentencing takes place on 9/27, CM will remain in SBSO Custody for at least 1-2 months after that waiting for his penal paperwork to be completed, before sending him to prison. That leaves us with around Thanksgiving this year when he will actually be sent to prison. Gobble Gobble !

 

[dixiegirl1035]

Wow. They thought about it, they really thought about it. As a former San Bernardinian, I must say the confidence I felt in the jury here was not misplaced. First Guilty on all four counts, with the special circumstance. Now DP times 3 and one LWOP.

I don't believe the jury thought Joey's life was any less valuable than that of his wife and children. I think that they would have spared CM's life for the one atrocious, greed-filled act, but that the rest of the family with whom he did not have a business relationship were true innocents.

He has to be sent to Death Row now and even if it's overturned on appeals or by virtue of politics, he's not walking out of prison ever.

Upon thinking about it, I think that the jury did the absolute, most positively best sentence ever! I don't know if there was a poll here as far as what should happen, but this in my opinion is an excellent sentencing.

He cannot appeal more than once the life without parole, so go for it, get all your appeals out but you're never going to get less than life without parole.

 

[Edmo]

Catching up in the thread as I was busy with RL yesterday, hopefully, somebody has posted YouTube or video of such so that I can review by the time I get to the end of the next eight pages! Thank you to everybody for keeping me up so I can review.

See post #1155 (Video at the 4:20 time on it)

Page 58.

 

[citygirl]

Caught up today with the news reports.

I think it's really cool that the jurors, but for one, slipped out the back door. And the one that didn't refused to comment.

I would expect the DT not to comment after such a devastating blow, though McGee wasn't there to support his client. Just Raj who never gave up carrying the burden.

And the PT had nothing to say. No presser. No gloating. No smirking nor eye rolling in court once they got a guilty verdict and a death sentence (except for Sgt. Ryan Smith who could not wipe the grin off his face while staring at his phone). Love the guy. MOO.

 

[citygirl]

If "formal" sentencing takes place on 9/27, CM will remain in SBSO Custody for at least 1-2 months after that waiting for his penal paperwork to be completed, before sending him to prison. That leaves us with around Thanksgiving this year when he will actually be sent to prison. Gobble Gobble !

Edmo, I think you have been invaluable on explaining what prison life is like. We on the outside have no clue as to how it all works. At first I thought CM must be psyched to be on trial. Due in court everyday. Not just sitting in jail. But, then I was puzzled why he didn't want to be there if he didn't have to? Can you weigh in on that?

 

[Edmo]

Edmo, I think you have been invaluable on explaining what prison life is like. We on the outside have no clue as to how it all works. At first I thought CM must be psyched to be on trial. Due in court everyday. Not just sitting in jail. But, then I was puzzled why he didn't want to be there if he didn't have to? Can you weigh in on that?

Because he would have to sit in a court cell all day until every inmate had been seen by the judge, before being sent back to the jail. He'd rather be in his jail cell watching tv, IMO.

 

[fridaybaker]

I personally think it was a strategy. This way, even by the slightest chance he were to win an appeal, he still is on the hook for the other charge. Pretty crafty.

Very astute, methinks!

 

[Edmo]

Edmo, I think you have been invaluable on explaining what prison life is like. We on the outside have no clue as to how it all works. At first I thought CM must be psyched to be on trial. Due in court everyday. Not just sitting in jail. But, then I was puzzled why he didn't want to be there if he didn't have to? Can you weigh in on that?

You will NEVER want to go to prison in California, ever. The inmates run the prisons, not the guards.