Chase Merritt SENTENCED TO DEATH for murder of McStay Family POST TRIAL THOUGHTS

[katydid23]

Didn't Maline say that The McStay family asked the prosecution if they could meet the jurors, AFTER the verdict had been reached. And he said the judge accompanied them----which makes sense because the judge would be there as protocol, perhaps.

Obviously the defense team would not be invited at that time....although if it was an acquittal, the Merritt family might have asked to meet the jury and thank them, as well.

I think it is common that family members ask to meet with the jurors after a long trial. I don't see how that is problematic.

 

[Karinna]

It's the latest nonsense from CM and Small Suit. He said it during his address to the Court.

@cathyrusson
#McStay - Charles Merritt says following the verdict, in the jury room, there was high-fiving and celebrating. He said the judge, prosecutors and Summer/Joseph's family members were in there.

Oh right, and thanks for clarifying. I missed that part. Of course they would say something like that IMO. Figures.

 

[Karinna]

His address targeting Mike and Susan was a disgrace.

But also quickly hilarious when he started implying the Judge was part of the prosecutors corrupt scam. Then the fake crying, only to have not one tear on his cheeks at the end.

We saw exactly how this man operates every single day

I just couldn't watch that part of the hearing. Don't want to hear any excuses at all from such a subhuman,

 

[Funky funky]

Hello Everyone! Holy Moly, I was watching this thread but didn’t get any notifications, can believe what I have missed! I happened to see the story on MailOnline.
It’s nice to see everyone back on here, I’ve missed everyone’s insights. This is a phenomenal forum for the McStay murders.
I’m shocked by the behaviour of Chase and his counsel, you couldn’t make it up! This ‘man’ is a deluded fool! It’s been ten long years but justice has been served, may the McStays rest in peace.

 

[mrjitty]

Didn't Maline say that The McStay family asked the prosecution if they could meet the jurors, AFTER the verdict had been reached. And he said the judge accompanied them----which makes sense because the judge would be there as protocol, perhaps.

Obviously the defense team would not be invited at that time....although if it was an acquittal, the Merritt family might have asked to meet the jury and thank them, as well.

I think it is common that family members ask to meet with the jurors after a long trial. I don't see how that is problematic.

Just lying as usual

 

[mrjitty]

Interesting to see Maline was spouting the CODIS conspiracy on the Court House steps

So irresponsible

 

[katydid23]

Interesting to see Maline was spouting the CODIS conspiracy on the Court House steps

So irresponsible

I guess he thinks 'The Innocence Project" is going to come to the rescue and save his poor victimised client

 

[katydid23]

Just lying as usual

Do you think Maline made that all up and is lying?

He would be lying about the judge and accusing him of something that never happened? Couldn't he get charged with a crime for something so egregious?

I could see that happening but wouldn't the judge do something if he was accused in open court of doing something he never did?

[ I am going to have to fins that part and listen to it again to see what the exact accusation wAs---does anyone remember when Maline made this claim? Was it right before sentencing?]

 

[Tortoise]

<RSBM>How did he have the emotional rage necessary to kill 2 innocent kids?

I think he had built up a lot of resentment and anger towards Joey and his family. Joey had a nice new house, that his wife was renovating. His kids had a happy life and all of the things they needed.

Chases's horrible gambling lifesyyle left his family on the brink of eviction many times. His home life was a shambles compared to Joey's. And Chase blamed Joey for that.

Chase believed Joey was getting all of the credit and the money while Chase was the artistic creator and the one doing the work.

in my opinion.

I've snipped your post to focus on this, because I think it highlights his victim mentality.

We've seen that same pathology, victim mentality, displayed from his arrest to his sentencing. The list of his alleged persecutors has been added to by the day -

His former [7?] attorneys
Trial counsel James McGee - ineffective
Detectives - out to get him
Prosecutors - lied about the evidence, misbehaved
Judge - biased
Jury - incapable and lynch mob
Trial counsel Raj Maline - presumably ineffective
Joseph's mother and brother - Susan Blake and Michael McStay - lied

He is an injustice collector. Summer knew the trouble he was, Joey had caught onto it when he started using MSM, and imo he hated their children by association with Summer. This was a murder that was a long time in the planning. His phone went off and he was in and back out of Fallbrook like a flash. LE did not use luminol, they didn't take the cadaver dogs inside the house, the flooring had been replaced by the time of his arrest.

One of the biggest pieces of evidence against him (aside from QuickBooks, and his phone in the desert) was him suddenly not calling Joey any more. I know the judge said in his summary that there were no voicemails from him but I think the change in call patterns deserved a mention too. It was massive to go from 20, 30 calls a day to none.

All IMO.

 

[Tortoise]

Do you think Maline made that all up and is lying?

He would be lying about the judge and accusing him of something that never happened? Couldn't he get charged with a crime for something so egregious?

I could see that happening but wouldn't the judge do something if he was accused in open court of doing something he never did?

[ I am going to have to fins that part and listen to it again to see what the exact accusation wAs---does anyone remember when Maline made this claim? Was it right before sentencing?]

I heard the judge responding to Maline saying defense counsel were invited to the jury room too. I have no idea if they did go back but I have a vague recollection that McGee did. It was their time to ask if jurors would be willing to give them interviews I believe.

 

[Tortoise]

IMO Detective Smith deserves recognition for his timely placing of the bugs in the jail visiting booth, when CM stopped using the visitor's phone and began shouting through the glass. I think it seriously impacted defense trial strategy, bringing the focus back squarely on CM as opposed to DK, and I think it prevented CM taking the stand. It produced some real treasures - like CM not denying he was out on the road on the night of the murders, saying he and Joey agreed he would repay him, setting up the clubhouse alibi, disagreeing with Cathy over receving the last call from Joey's phone.

Also the early bugged phone conversation with Cathy just after the bodies were found, showing exactly what she thought of him. He couldn't wait to find out what the police had said to Cathy, phoned her immediately next morning, woke her up from sleep, under the pretext of making arrangements to stop by later and take their son to the park.

I think the jailhouse tape knocked the defense flying. And Rodriguez was seriously good with their financial expert too.

 

[mrjitty]

IMO Detective Smith deserves recognition for his timely placing of the bugs in the jail visiting booth, when CM stopped using the visitor's phone and began shouting through the glass. I think it seriously impacted defense trial strategy, bringing the focus back squarely on CM as opposed to DK, and I think it prevented CM taking the stand. It produced some real treasures - like CM not denying he was out on the road on the night of the murders, saying he and Joey agreed he would repay him, setting up the clubhouse alibi, disagreeing with Cathy over receving the last call from Joey's phone.

Also the early bugged phone conversation with Cathy just after the bodies were found, showing exactly what she thought of him. He couldn't wait to find out what the police had said to Cathy, phoned her immediately next morning, woke her up from sleep, under the pretext of making arrangements to stop by later and take their son to the park.

I think the jailhouse tape knocked the defense flying. And Rodriguez was seriously good with their financial expert too.

Yes - the Jailhouse tape was seriously good.

And I agree about Rodriguez. Finance guy was one of the supposed jewels in the crown along with the DNA stuff. IMO Rodriguez sank their case right there.

McGee had muddied the waters a lot on the crime scene, the DNA and the cell evidence. But the cheque evidence was super incriminating.

Ironically the trouble with finance guy is he opened a window to how Joe's finance's worked, as he attacked the debt allegation. So while he enjoyed some success there as the guy who shone a light, unfortunately at the very end, he had to resort to wild speculation about Joe giving Chase blanks.

yet he had just demonstrated how Joe was controlling all the $$ very carefully.

I am not sure if the Jury would have considered this, but it was painfully obvious finance guy had left out Joe's ordinary course of conduct re cheques

And it also spotlighted how CM wasn't simply telling the jury how this had all supposedly worked. e.g. Where were the cheques CM supposedly had?

 

[mrjitty]

imo he hated their children by association with Summer.

In my experience, psychos like this are completely comfortable with using your kids as pawns in the game.

They don't develop relationships with the kids in their own right. They exist only in the bigger picture.

So I would not be surprised for a psycho like Chase to be a "great mate" to the kids - to increase his control and attack summer

 

[Tortoise]

In my experience, psychos like this are completely comfortable with using your kids as pawns in the game.

They don't develop relationships with the kids in their own right. They exist only in the bigger picture.

So I would not be surprised for a psycho like Chase to be a "great mate" to the kids - to increase his control and attack summer

Yes, there's something about the popcorn, the little backpack in the grave, and the kids spoons and toothbrush out on the kitchen counter (next to the black light) that could lead one towards thinking he had the children busy planning an adventure.

 

[Tortoise]

It's such a shame media didn't show any interest in the trial. Prosecutors sunk the defense case, but even the trial pundits weren't following. I remember the early days of L&C presenters chatting over the QB evidence and complaining how boring it was, completely missing key evidence about the stolen deleted cheques. It seems the prosecutors now have to explain how and why they got a conviction, and defend themselves against baseless allegations by the whining losing attorney. There was so much evidence, and great prosecution strategy in the trial which moved in step with the defense, and yet it seems that because no one was paying attention the defense can get away with hoodwinking the media at sentencing.

I wonder if Two Shallow Graves will ever see the light of day, and what will be left on the cutting room floor.

 

[mrjitty]

Yes, there's something about the popcorn, the little backpack in the grave, and the kids spoons and toothbrush out on the kitchen counter (next to the black light) that could lead one towards thinking he had the children busy planning an adventure.

I guarantee you if we could take a time machine back to the year before the murders we would find all this stuff

Summer lessened his control over Joe, so everything was on the table

 

[Force Ten]

God that would be sick and show premeditation. He'd have to know what he was doing to prevent blood being picked up from luminol. I'd hope someone who helped laid tarps would notice some were missing but he could have replaced them.

To add to your theory, maybe he went there as a friendly visit, maybe to even help with something to do with remodelling, and he brought and laid more tarps with him. He could have been like, "dude, your contractor has it all wrong, I figured while I was in the area, I'd help fix it up, but I gotta lay some more tarps first" then whacked him from behind.

I’m of the belief that there may have been a minimal amount of blood actually. You’re not going to get the same amount of blood spray as you would from a knife or axe. The victims were pummeled and actual lacerations could have been minimal as well. The forensic coroner testified to such. Also, there was no luminol used in the house as Dugal stated the warrants wouldn’t allow it, which seems crazy. There is also the suggested blood spatter across the kitchen table that the defense claimed it was part of the wood grain, but there is no wood with that kind characteristic. Merritt had plenty of opportunity to return and clean up as well.

 

[Force Ten]

I guarantee you if we could take a time machine back to the year before the murders we would find all this stuff

Summer lessened his control over Joe, so everything was on the table

He disparaged her even after her death, the wife of his “best friend” and Cathy did as well. How do you do that? It just tells me Summer was the catalyst for his rage. He didn’t kill the kids because they were witnesses but because he despised them as much as well.

 

[asyousay]

I went away for a few days so missed him being sentenced.

I am happy he has been found guilty. I still have so many unanswered questions though unfortunately as I still think he had some help at some point and I’m not convinced the house was the crime scene it was too clean IMO

But all that aside he is definitely guilty and I hope he can grow a conscience and reveal what he did one day.

 

[thelmadawg]

F10: I agree with SM being a catalyst of rage, but I'm of the belief that he didn't despise the kids. He simply didn't care about them other than as a tool to inflict maximum emotional pain on Summer. I can't even imagine the horror she went through. I wonder if we will ever know how it all transpired.

After 10 years the only thing left to close this hideous chapter is his transport to San Quentin and mug shot.