CA - Joey, Summer, Gianni, Joseph Jr McStay Murders - Feb 4th 2010 #15

[smr]

2 months before the disappearance, someone used SM's account and a computer in the house to inquire about purchasing Spanish language tape. Maybe it's SM herself, maybe someone else. Any thoughts on this? Did SM or anyone in the family express an interest to learn Spanish?

 

[tmar]

Absolutely, the killer did it.

One case I remember when LE arrived at the murder scene they found the victim's dog tied up on the front porch. Neighbors, and friends said the dog was always kept inside of the home as a much beloved inside pet, and the dog was never tied up outside.

The murderer had placed the dog outside.

The police should have immediately asked neighbors, and family or anyone who knew the family if the McStays would have ever abandoned their dogs putting them on the outside to fend for themselves, and this was happening day after day to their two beloved pets.

That alone should have raised red flags showing something was very wrong at the McStay home.

None of it pointed to them just leaving without a care in the world, and everything found did not support it either. It supported the total opposite. Immediately the police should have been very alarmed.

Imo

The way owners treat their dogs varies.
Neighbours would be aware if the 2 dogs were left outside in the past.
If this was a new occurrence, the dogs may have whined in the evenings, alerting neighbours.
Surely this would have been investigated.
MOO.

 

[katydid23]

2 months before the disappearance, someone used SM's account and a computer in the house to inquire about purchasing Spanish language tape. Maybe it's SM herself, maybe someone else. Any thoughts on this? Did SM or anyone in the family express an interest to learn Spanish?

For people living in southern Cali thst is very common. It helps in any job and if she was going to get her real estate license, it’ would be important to speak Spanish.

She may have wanted to teach her boys Spanish as well. My DIL has my 4 yr old granddaughter in Spanish classes and the classes are full

 

[citygirl]

The way owners treat their dogs varies.
Neighbours would be aware if the 2 dogs were left outside in the past.
If this was a new occurrence, the dogs may have whined in the evenings, alerting neighbours.
Surely this would have been investigated.
MOO.

Good point. The problem is , IMO, they were new to the neighborhood. I'm thinking shy of 3 months? They had little time to connect or set any pattern of life style. And it is unclear how many close neighbors they had. As I recall when Mikey spoke with the neighbors it was rather fractured. No one had really met them.They saw the children. They saw a man that they thought actually lived with them. Initially I thought they meant McGiver. Now it seems it was CM.

 

[travelbug]

2 months before the disappearance, someone used SM's account and a computer in the house to inquire about purchasing Spanish language tape. Maybe it's SM herself, maybe someone else. Any thoughts on this? Did SM or anyone in the family express an interest to learn Spanish?

Either SM or JM purchased 2 Rosetta Stone tapes from Craigslist a couple of weeks before the disappearance. There was a picture of 2 guys dropping them off at one of JM's soccer games.

 

[Mony Mony]

Chilling coincidence Joey met the two timed felon at a trade show, and McGee met Suzanna at a trade show too.

MOO

 

[smr]

Chilling coincidence Joey met the two timed felon at a trade show, and McGee met Suzanna at a trade show too.

MOO

What's chilling? CM went on to work for Joey, Suzanna would be serving as an expert witness for McGee's defense team.

 

[MrsPC]

interesting in Part 1, Ryan testified she did notice what appeared to be bleach on an item she tested - A1. I'm not sure which item that was.

edited to add - later in testimony - A1 is identified as Summer's panties.

 

[Cricket28]

We don't know the family dynamic, and it hasn't come up in the investigation or at Trial, and there is only Merritt on Trial for the murders. The rest of it is irrelevant IMO.

There are so many comments regarding the delay of MM to file a missing person's report and comments about SB cleaning the Fallbrook home before the search warrant was issued, that I just wanted to give another angle to the possible reasons why. It's all MOO of course!

By all accounts, Summer was not the easiest person to get along with. MM testified to the falling out he had with her and the rift it created in the family.

And from Patrick McStay's book “McStays, Taken Too Soon”

A witness actually saw Summer light into Joey's mother one time, telling her “you will never be one of us, you will never be part of my Circle of 4.”

So IMO relationships were strained.

Then, a few months before the disappearance, Summer McStay filed a Child Protective Services complaint against McFadden, according to Joseph McStay's father, Patrick McStay. "I have evidence that there were threats made, after the CPS report, to Joey and Summer." He told CBS News 8.
According to PM, McFadden told JM that Joey needed to shut Summer up or he was going to do it for him.

I think MM and SB might have thought the family needed/wanted to get away for a while due to the intense CPS situation. Not going to LE sooner and cleaning the house were, obviously, not good choices. But they thought they were coming back. Who would EVER think this would be the outcome?

As far as Chase goes:

McCargar testified that Summer was territorial but she had good intuition. She was protective of Joseph and the kids. It angered her when Chase would bring up how she wasn’t raising her children properly.
(That would anger me too. Just who does he think he is)?

According to PM (his book):
Chase and other friends of Joey's were often greeted by Summer telling them exactly what negative things she thought of them, or their unwanted opinions.
(Can't blame her).

Chase has said so many negative things about Summer. His disdain for her has to come in play somewhere when it comes to motive. That's relevant IMO.

I just wish the jury could hear them all.

All Just MOO

Defense Parries As Prosecution Proceeds In McStay Family Murder Trial | SBCSentinel

Who killed Joey and Summer McStay – Review of the case, Part Two

Ok... moving on to read the discussion at hand.

 

[Cricket28]

How would finding anybody's dna on the popcorn bowls have helped the investigation?

To see if there was DNA not belonging to the family. If so, it could indicate a staged scene.

MOO

 

[la2cabo]

There are so many comments regarding the delay of MM to file a missing person's report and comments about SB cleaning the Fallbrook home before the search warrant was issued, that I just wanted to give another angle to the possible reasons why. It's all MOO of course!

By all accounts, Summer was not the easiest person to get along with. MM testified to the falling out he had with her and the rift it created in the family.

And from Patrick McStay's book “McStays, Taken Too Soon”

A witness actually saw Summer light into Joey's mother one time, telling her “you will never be one of us, you will never be part of my Circle of 4.”

So IMO relationships were strained.

Then, a few months before the disappearance, Summer McStay filed a Child Protective Services complaint against McFadden, according to Joseph McStay's father, Patrick McStay. "I have evidence that there were threats made, after the CPS report, to Joey and Summer." He told CBS News 8.
According to PM, McFadden told JM that Joey needed to shut Summer up or he was going to do it for him.

I think MM and SB might have thought the family needed/wanted to get away for a while due to the intense CPS situation. Not going to LE sooner and cleaning the house were, obviously, not good choices. But they thought they were coming back. Who would EVER think this would be the outcome?

As far as Chase goes:

McCargar testified that Summer was territorial but she had good intuition. She was protective of Joseph and the kids. It angered her when Chase would bring up how she wasn’t raising her children properly.
(That would anger me too. Just who does he think he is)?

According to PM (his book):
Chase and other friends of Joey's were often greeted by Summer telling them exactly what negative things she thought of them, or their unwanted opinions.
(Can't blame her).

Chase has said so many negative things about Summer. His disdain for her has to come in play somewhere when it comes to motive. That's relevant IMO.

I just wish the jury could hear them all.

All Just MOO

Defense Parries As Prosecution Proceeds In McStay Family Murder Trial | SBCSentinel

Who killed Joey and Summer McStay – Review of the case, Part Two

Ok... moving on to read the discussion at hand.

I think another reason Merritt disliked Summer is because she saw right through his BS. No doubt Joey and Summer had more than one discussion about Merritt taking advantage of Joey and their "friendship".

 

[Karinna]

There are so many comments regarding the delay of MM to file a missing person's report and comments about SB cleaning the Fallbrook home before the search warrant was issued, that I just wanted to give another angle to the possible reasons why. It's all MOO of course!

By all accounts, Summer was not the easiest person to get along with. MM testified to the falling out he had with her and the rift it created in the family.

And from Patrick McStay's book “McStays, Taken Too Soon”

A witness actually saw Summer light into Joey's mother one time, telling her “you will never be one of us, you will never be part of my Circle of 4.”

So IMO relationships were strained.

Then, a few months before the disappearance, Summer McStay filed a Child Protective Services complaint against McFadden, according to Joseph McStay's father, Patrick McStay. "I have evidence that there were threats made, after the CPS report, to Joey and Summer." He told CBS News 8.
According to PM, McFadden told JM that Joey needed to shut Summer up or he was going to do it for him.

I think MM and SB might have thought the family needed/wanted to get away for a while due to the intense CPS situation. Not going to LE sooner and cleaning the house were, obviously, not good choices. But they thought they were coming back. Who would EVER think this would be the outcome?

As far as Chase goes:

McCargar testified that Summer was territorial but she had good intuition. She was protective of Joseph and the kids. It angered her when Chase would bring up how she wasn’t raising her children properly.
(That would anger me too. Just who does he think he is)?

According to PM (his book):
Chase and other friends of Joey's were often greeted by Summer telling them exactly what negative things she thought of them, or their unwanted opinions.
(Can't blame her).

Chase has said so many negative things about Summer. His disdain for her has to come in play somewhere when it comes to motive. That's relevant IMO.

I just wish the jury could hear them all.

All Just MOO

Defense Parries As Prosecution Proceeds In McStay Family Murder Trial | SBCSentinel

Who killed Joey and Summer McStay – Review of the case, Part Two

Ok... moving on to read the discussion at hand.

I agree, that no one knows what was really going on at the time with why the family waited to call this in as a missing persons case initially. MM was in contact with CM, so perhaps because of CM's daily contact with JM he was the go to person as to why the family weren't able to be contacted? They probably thought he knew something they didn't as family members that didn't have daily contact with each other? I also think the CPS issue was probably talked about with Patrick and the investigators, and would of been investigated further to find out exactly what it was all about, to rule anything out with it. JMO.

 

[Karinna]

And IMO the lunch meeting at CFA didn't happen. Why would Joey have the need to shake Merritt's hand? They had known each other for about 3 years. I don't think Joey did that IMO.

 

[Mony Mony]

McGee snarkily stated if money was no object, they would have tested the sledgehammer for DNA. He also let it slip the cost is $900. As in 9 HUNDRED dollars! Seriously! How much was Suzanna's bill? And they couldn't spare $900? BS! They strategically opted not to test it. MOO IMO

 

[Karinna]

McGee snarkily stated if money was no object, they would have tested the sledgehammer for DNA. He also let it slip the cost is $900. As in 9 HUNDRED dollars! Seriously! How much was Suzanna's bill? And they couldn't spare $900? BS! They strategically opted not to test it. MOO IMO

That's messed up, Maybe they were too worried the ex felon CM's DNA could of been detected on the murder weapon?

 

[missy1974]

McGee snarkily stated if money was no object, they would have tested the sledgehammer for DNA. He also let it slip the cost is $900. As in 9 HUNDRED dollars! Seriously! How much was Suzanna's bill? And they couldn't spare $900? BS! They strategically opted not to test it. MOO IMO

Pretty sure we knew the cost from her testimony on Thursday, nothing slipped.

Of course they didn't test it, why would they? Do you think there is a reason that the State didn't use their own MVac machine to test it? I am going to guess that it's the same reason the defense didn't. Any result would have to be shared with the other side, neither would want to do that.

And while we are on what they did and didn't do... it's still sounding like the State didn't check to see if it was their own employee's could be excluded from the data that was found by Bode/Cybergenetics. Ryan did check and found she was excluded.

I will have to go and listen again because I listened while doing other things and didn't take notes (I missed the bleach thing that @MrsPC mentioned... anyone else catch it?)

I'm feeling kind of neutral with this testimony... not feeling like it helped or hurt either side. I was thinking that some of the things the prosecutor brought up was odd, like how Jones tested something from the Trooper with Merritt's DNA on the same slide, the defense didn't even bring that up, but Daughtery did? She said it doesn't mean it was contaminated and she isn't saying it was, but it does allow for that error. Also I think it was a fingernail and/or some other items, I think a red strap, that had low level DNA. Again, items the defense didn't even bring up, but now it's out there that low levels were found.

I think the testimony about the actual results from Bode/Cybergenetics will be way more informative. JMO

 

[missy1974]

That's messed up, Maybe they were too worried the ex felon CM's DNA could of been detected on the murder weapon?

Not sure what is messed up about it... the State also has the ability to test it with an MVac machine. I am 99.9% positive that Jones said they had one.

 

[Karinna]

Not sure what is messed up about it... the State also has the ability to test it with an MVac machine. I am 99.9% positive that Jones said they had one.

It's messed up that neither side tested the sledgehammer. I think any DNA from the graves is fairly sketchy anyway IMO. The State has more than that to get a conviction as i see it.

 

[Force Ten]

I could envision the possibility of a heated argument, maybe even coming to blows, resulting in DNA swapping, but can't entertain the possibility that JM left a scene like that and then someone else killed him and his wife and two children that same day. Far too much coincidence for my mind.

EXACTLY.

 

[Mony Mony]

Not sure what is messed up about it... the State also has the ability to test it with an MVac machine. I am 99.9% positive that Jones said they had one.

Well the prosecution has stated on multiple occasions they felt the DNA would be too degraded to yield usable results. It's the defense that has been banging the drum that you never know if there is any viable DNA. And yet they chose not to test it. Hmmmm