VERDICT WATCH Closing Arguments- Chase Merritt Charged W/Murder of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joe Jr McStay

[oceanblueeyes]

For a defense that doesn’t have to prove anything. They sure have spent a hella lot of time trying to muddy the water.

McGee! I don’t believe a word he says. I wonder how many jurors know he was a former prosc. They might hold that against him even thought they shouldn’t. Nature of the beast.

Boy his sound affects I can’t stand either.

Jmo, moo, IMO

Well Maline told the media in a news article he has to prove CM innocent. Lol! Good luck with that!

Maybe he meant they knew they would have to prove to the jury what they promised they would in OS.

Imo

 

[LadyL]

POLL - Did Chase Merritt murder the McStay family?

 

[missy1974]

I never saw this Missy! Have only tapped into the afternoon. Was he yelling this morning?

He did quiet down and slow down in the afternoon... but yes, IMO he was yelling the whole time LOL I will have to watch it again though because I was only listening, I want to see if he was actually turning his back to the jurors now. I know he did it lots during questioning of witnesses...

 

[LadyL]

@missy1974 did you vote yet?

 

[missy1974]

POLL - Did Chase Merritt murder the McStay family?

still waiting... LOL

 

[SeesSeas]

I am really hoping that L&C uploads the jury instructions, I wanted to hear them and we were without sound for the first little bit, I hope they have sound on their recording. Probably not... lol

Law & Crime Network
Streamed live 7 hours ago
McStay Family Murder Trial Jury Instructions 052819

 

[Texas Red]

POLL - Did Chase Merritt murder the McStay family?

7 not guilty verdict votes here on the most unfavorable forum for CM. Hung jury.

 

[MissJames]

I along with many others don't think so, take this fact and extrapolate it to the jury, what do you have?

Is there any evidence proving DK was not in HI? Anything ?
The defense had over five years to come up with something and they didn’t .

 

[UndiscoveredTruth]

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 1h1 hour ago
#McStay - The judge offered for defense to start their closing tomorrow morning. McGee, "I"m ready to start now your honor." Short break then defense begins.
Watch Live: Closing Arguments in McStay Family Murder Trial

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 56m56 minutes ago
NOW: Defense closing argument from James McGee. Watch Live: https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/charles-merritt/watch-live-mcstay-family-murder-trial/ …

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 55m55 minutes ago
#McStay - McGee: "They tried his character and not the facts of this case."

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 53m53 minutes ago
"Based on the plain language of the law, not guilty" McGee said. He said prosecutors want jurors to concentrate on "hatred and emotion" of Merritt, saying mention of one young son's birthday near the date of the murder was only to "pull at heart strings."

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 51m51 minutes ago
"Let's focus on facts," McGee said. "I want to talk about how they avoid talking about the murder," he says of the prosecution case. Outlines to jurors the part of jury instruction that says they must follow the law, not be swayed by emotion.

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 47m47 minutes ago
#McStay - McGee on Imes saying multiple times Merritt was "off the grid". "Apparently you're off the grid if no one calls you. Apparently, you're off the when you're sleeping at night."

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 43m43 minutes ago
#McStay - McGee tells jurors if they can draw two or more reasonable conclusions from the circumstantial evidence, and one of those reasonable conclusions points to innocence they "must" accept innocence. @KenneyBaden and @rossi4va talked about that today on @LawCrimeNetwork

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 37m37 minutes ago
#McStay - McGee accuses Imes of lying to the jury during his closing argument. "Do you like being lied to?" He talks about Imes turning his back to the jury while he's talking, "It's easier to lie when my back's to you."

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 35m35 minutes ago
Merritt and McStay had jobs to fill. "If Chase is fired on the Fourth, who's going to do them? Haven't heard that yet," McGee said, using Merritt's nickname.

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 28m28 minutes ago
Says after the Feb, 4 meeting, Joseph called Merritt 7 times, saying if he fired Merritt, it wouldn't make sense to call him, like repeating pulling off a bandage.

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 27m27 minutes ago
Says Merritt called McStay during the time the QuickBooks action Feb. 5, 8, 9 leaving messages about what he was doing.

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 27m27 minutes ago
If Joseph did not fire Merritt, this case is over, McGee says.

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 31m31 minutes ago
#McStay - James McGee using our trial footage to replay testimony in his closing argument. Here is McStay family friend, McGyver McCargar testifying about Merritt and Joseph talking about future business.

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 26m26 minutes ago
In recess until 9 a.m. Wednesday

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 24m24 minutes ago
#McStay - Court adjourned until 9am pdt/12pm edt tomorrow morning. James McGee will continue with is closing argument.

 

[LadyL]

still waiting... LOL

that's good actually
I admire your restraint lol

 

[missy1974]

@missy1974 did you vote yet?

ok... so here is my dilemma with voting... I think there is a chance he could be guilty... but I'm not convinced ... and I don't think the State proved it BARD... so, I don't feel like I can vote either with any confidence. I was hoping for a poll once they started deliberating with what we think the jury will come back with... guilty 1st degree, guilty 2nd degree, not guilty, hung.

 

[Meemaw12]

I never saw this Missy! Have only tapped into the afternoon. Was he yelling this morning?

I didn't have to adjust my earbuds one-time. With defense it was up and down.

 

[katydid23]

No, just consistent, he'd been taking advantage of JM all along so, why stop, the only reason for him to do so would be if he had been the one who killed them. The fact that his MO hadn't changed is indicative of him not being the killer.

His MO had changed. He had just begun creating checks from Joey's account, deleting and cashing them. That was a totally new thing.

And Joey was going to see those checks when the hit his bank.

That is motive right there.

 

[missy1974]

7 not guilty verdict votes here on the most unfavorable forum for CM. Hung jury.

how many guilty? LOL I can't see the results unless I vote

 

[Texas Red]

Is there any evidence proving DK was not in HI? Anything ?

The prosecution needs to prove he was there, which they have not done. The defense doesn't need to prove anything.

 

[Texas Red]

how many guilty? LOL I can't see the results unless I vote

83 guilty.

 

[missingm]

Is there any evidence proving DK was not in HI? Anything ?
The defense had over five years to come up with something and they didn’t .

It looked like the defense gave up on accusing DK in closing, or did I miss something?

When McGee was trying to say that Chase was the only person in the world who could do the pumps on a waterfall, I was surprised that he said Chase was ticked in response to (as he claims) MSM trying to muscle in on his business. Showing the defendant getting angry is a mistake.

It seems like the entire defense strategy relies on the story that Chase was told to write checks to himself and was never getting fired... oh and he was told by Joey to delete QB to hide all of the records. Not sure the jury will buy it.

 

[missy1974]

It looked like the defense gave up on accusing DK in closing, or did I miss something?

When McGee was trying to say that Chase was the only person in the world who could do the pumps on a waterfall, I was surprised that he said Chase was ticked in response to (as he claims) MSM trying to muscle in on his business. Showing the defendant getting angry is a mistake.

It seems like the entire defense strategy relies on the story that Chase was told to write checks to himself and was never getting fired... oh and he was told by Joey to delete QB to hide all of the records. Not sure the jury will buy it.

I'm sure we will hear way more tomorrow, I think McGee just didn't want to end with the State today, he got in a half hour or so and they ended with the defense rather than the State (smart on his part IMO). I will be shocked if they don't take a better part of the day tomorrow.

 

[katydid23]

well, he just clarified something that I thought I heard the judge say this morning.. that the defense doesn't have to prove anything LOL they don't have to give an alibi, etc. I still want to hear the words of the judge again, but it was something that took me off guard when listening to jury instructions ..

They don't have to. But if they could have shown evidence he was in a poker tournament the night of the 4tth, he would be walking away from this a free man.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I never saw this Missy! Have only tapped into the afternoon. Was he yelling this morning?

I'm not Missy of course, but I watched all of Imes closing.

I thought he was very calm most of the time, and very prepared.. especially without notes.

I certainly never saw him yelling. At times he was more passionate than other times ...when he should have been.. when it was very appropriate to do so.

It's a horrible case for any prosecutor knowing two of the victims were little children.

Imo