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

[Tortoise]

I missed the first hour. Nothing impressive then I gather from the posts.

 

[Bernina]

I missed the first hour. Nothing impressive then I gather from the posts.

Well, get your hip waders on, the muck is deep.

 

[Force Ten]

This pic speaks VOLUMES.

 

[NMurphy02]

I don't understand why this trial isn't getting more coverage on news stations! It's bizarre to me.

 

[asyousay]

This pic speaks VOLUMES.

Why because they look like tweedle dee and tweedle dumb?



IMO

 

[Tortoise]

Did I miss anything said about the backdating?

 

[Tortoise]

What because they look like tweedle dee and tweedle dumb?



IMO

Everyone looks so.............so..............riveted?

 

[ab01]

Mcgee seems lost and almost reaching doesn't sound very confident its almost like he's asking questions rather than giving factual statements.....

JMO

 

[geevee]

20% of DNA found on steering wheel was CM's.....but it's only transfer, folks.

 

[Mony Mony]

Did I miss anything said about the backdating?

Nothing too earth shattering. He admits the two timed felon backdated the checks to the 4th because that is when he got the blank checks from Joey (during the Chik Fil A meeting) and then CM called Joey after he wrote and deleted the checks to let him know "it is done" (per the phone records)

 

[asyousay]

Everyone looks so.............so..............riveted?

I couldn’t get past them wearing matching shirts and ties.

 

[Mony Mony]

This pic speaks VOLUMES.

To me, Taylor looks shocked or surprised and Cathy looks pi$$ed. Imo

 

[Tortoise]

I thought as much, San Diego swabbed the Trooper but didn't process the results. San Diego didn't want to see if a crime had been committed IMO.

 

[UndiscoveredTruth]

Good morning everyone! I'll get straight onto posting the tweets for those who're unable to watch the live streaming of the trial.

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2h2 hours ago
Good morning. I’m in San Bernardino County Superior Court this AM to cover more final arguments in the capital murder trial of Charles Ray Merritt, charged with the 2010 bludgeoning deaths of the four-member McStay family #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2h2 hours ago
The defense began its final argument Tuesday afternoon. Defense attorney James McGee will continue this morning. When he is finished, the prosecution, which has the burden of proof, gets a rebuttal. The case goes to the jury after that. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2h2 hours ago
Merritt, 62, has pleaded not guilty to the charges that he killed former business associate Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, in their San Diego County home on Feb. 4, 2010. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2h2 hours ago
Their remains were found more than three years later in two shallow graves in the Mojave Desert, near Victorville. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2h2 hours ago
Testimony began Jan. 7, and with delays that included one of the defense attorneys falling ill, the trial before San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael A. Smith that was forecast to end in April has lasted into late May. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2h2 hours ago
McGee has started. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2h2 hours ago
Now will challenge prosecution contention that Merritt drove down to Fallbrook the night of Feb. 4 to kill McStay family. Recalls testimony that Merritt was in Rancho Cucamonga, did not take call from Joseph McStay, was later chastised by partner. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2h2 hours ago
Says that time off cell phone grid Feb. 4 was because he had a "crappy" phone, says there are other instances of that happening, shows graphic on screen of cell connection records. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2h2 hours ago
Reminds jurors with audio of police testimony that slayings took place in the house on Feb. 4, notes that prosecution theory means that bodies were not buried in desert until two days later.#mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2h2 hours ago
Now on to the security video that caught a truck passing the home of the McStay's neighbor in Fallbrook the night of Feb. 4 2010. Says government got rid of first expert witness when he would not affirm for them the position of a truck marker light. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 1h1 hour ago
Paces in front of the jury to demonstrate how fast the truck was moving.#mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 1h1 hour ago
"Talk about square peg in a round hole. All of this is nonsense," McGee says when attacking testimony that a reflection caught on the camera matched a tool box latch of Merritt's truck, saying another latch on the same plane did not reflect. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 1h1 hour ago
"You can literally walk in and say, 'they didn't prove, you can go home,' " McGee says of defense contention that Merritt was in Rancho Cucamonga Feb. 4. Also, if Merritt came home from killing in Fallbrook "he would be covered in blood." #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 1h1 hour ago
McGee says family not killed on Feb. 4. Says they were active in house on Feb. 5. "The clothes they are wearing are the clothes that you sleep in," McGee says of the remains found. Says it appears from what was found in kitchen that it was breakfast time. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 1h1 hour ago
Now says family was attacked on morning Feb. 5 by "multiple people ...had to be multiple people," at least three, McGee says. Merritt in Upland and on his way to Los Angeles at that time, McGee says. Calls Joseph McStay twice. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 1h1 hour ago
McGee says family was taken from home, not killed there. No one knows when or where they were killed, he says. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 59m59 minutes ago
The Feb. 6 burial of the family in the desert: McGee says Merritt cell phone pings that puts him in the desert area on that date shows Merritt north of the gravesites, moving, making calls to family members. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 56m56 minutes ago
McGee notes prosecution says Merritt shut off phone to go to Fallbrook and kill McStays, but then keeps his phone on Feb. 6, and makes calls, when they say he is burying the bodies. "Their theories contradict themselves," McGee says. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 49m49 minutes ago
Prosecutors might say if there were more people involved in the killing, Merritt was one of them, McGee says. He says that doesn't work. No evidence of contacts w/others who might have been involved, he says. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 36m36 minutes ago
"This all happened to the McStay family. who did it?" McGee said he was confident Merritt did not do it, got DNA tests. "We went in with low, low, low expectations." The technique used by defense expert was different than prosecution. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 34m34 minutes ago
"The evidence in the grave say it's not him. If that's not reasonable doubt, I don't know what is," McGee says. "They got the wrong guy." #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 34m34 minutes ago
and we are in recess

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 14m14 minutes ago
Recess is over and defense attorney James McGee resumes his closing argument in trial of Charles Ray Merritt, accused of slaying the four-member McStay family in 2010. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 8m8 minutes ago
McGee said prosecution did not elicit much pathological testimony about the injuries the McStay family suffered, McGee says to keep out testimony about blood. He now replays for jurors audio of defense questioning of the pathologist about pooling of blood. #mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 6m6 minutes ago
The prosecution did not bring up blood evidence, McGee said, "because if there's blood evidence, their case falls apart....because it doesn't go with their story," he said, referring to the lack of blood evidence in the home.

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 5m5 minutes ago
The prosecution did not bring up blood evidence, McGee said, "because if there's blood evidence, their case falls apart....because it doesn't go with their story," he said, referring to the lack of blood evidence in the home.#mcstay #chasemerritt

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 1m1 minute ago
McGee says if Merritt drove the McStay family Isuzu Trooper for the 90 minutes to San Ysidro, where it was found abandoned, there should have been a lot more Merritt DNA on the Trooper steering wheel than was found, he tells jurors. #mcstay #chasemerritt

 

[Tortoise]

Dummy - it's a spare key.

 

[UndiscoveredTruth]

Tweets from Cathy Russon:

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 2h2 hours ago
#McStay - WATCH LIVE: Defense closing arguments. https://lawandcrime.com/live-trials/live-trials-current/charles-merritt/watch-live-mcstay-family-murder-trial/ …

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 2h2 hours ago
#McStay - James McGee continues his closing argument. He states it's not the defense's responsibility to prove an alibi. "We don't have to prove anything", saying it's the state's burden.

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 2h2 hours ago
#McStay - McGee: "The prosecution's theory of the killing is interesting, for one they don't have one, but what they are trying to say is he's off the grid. He turned off his phone.....to hide his activity."

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 2h2 hours ago
#McStay - McGee then showed jurors history of Merritt's phone having no activity for long periods of time in other months. "I guess he's out killing people all the time...."
Cathy Russon on Twitter
(GIF at the link above)

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 1h1 hour ago
#McStay - McGee says the family was attacked the morning of Feb. 5th He saID from what was found in the kitchen it was breakfast time.

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 1h1 hour ago
#McStay - McGee: The family was attacked by multiple people...had to be multiple people. He said Merritt was in Upland on his way to L.A. at that time and he called Joseph McStay twice.

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 1h1 hour ago
Cathy Russon Retweeted Cathy Russon

#McStay -McGee suggesting to the jury that the McStay family was kidnapped the morning of the 5th.
Cathy Russon on Twitter

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 1h1 hour ago
#McStay - McGee: Feb 6, 2010 - the date the state says he buried the bodies. Merritt's phone is on. He's making calls. This doesn't fit with prosecution theory that on the 4th he turns his phone off to do some illegal, but when burying them he leaves phone on, makes calls?

Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 50m50 minutes ago
#McStay - McGee says Joseph McStay was wrapped in a blanket, "easier to transport that way". Summer's pants/panties were off. She fought for her life....fractured jaw. Bra cut off with a knife. One side outside the grave, one in. McGee says shows it happened at the gravesite.

 

[Force Ten]

To me, Taylor looks shocked or surprised and Cathy looks pi$$ed. Imo

Russon has a reason to be, McGee is failing.

 

[UndiscoveredTruth]

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2m2 minutes ago
McGee tells jurors Merritt is urging McStay family members to call police as days went by without contact from Joseph. #mcstay #chasemerritt

 

[missy1974]

I was wondering about the 2 'same key' thing lol I read it here in a post this morning, but I don't recall that from testimony...

I know most that post here will disagree, but I think McGee is doing a good job of using State witnesses to show other reasonable explanations, and if the jury applies the law...

224.Circumstantial Evidence: Sufficiency of Evidence
Before you may rely on circumstantial evidence to conclude that a fact
necessary to find the defendant guilty has been proved, you must be
convinced that the People have proved each fact essential to that
conclusion beyond a reasonable doubt.

Also, before you may rely on circumstantial evidence to find the
defendant guilty, you must be convinced that the only reasonable
conclusion supported by the circumstantial evidence is that the
defendant is guilty. If you can draw two or more reasonable conclusions
from the circumstantial evidence, and one of those reasonable
conclusions points to innocence and another to guilt, you must accept
the one that points to innocence. However, when considering
circumstantial evidence, you must accept only reasonable conclusions
and reject any that are unreasonable

This was read to the jury yesterday and McGee keeps repeating it.

JMO

 

[missy1974]

Richard K. De Atley‏Verified account @RKDeAtley 2m2 minutes ago
McGee tells jurors Merritt is urging McStay family members to call police as days went by without contact from Joseph. #mcstay #chasemerritt

thanks for sharing the tweets I have enough windows open LOL