CA - Joey, Summer, Gianni, Joseph Jr McStay Murders - Feb 4th 2010 #9

[Plumeria5]

I have to say, as I now am leaning hard toward Chase being 100% innocent, that I hope the jury sees him the way you do.

I kind of like the guy, but then I'm a sucker for the underdog who remains indefatigable in the face of defeat.

I have no words.

 

[JMarsh]

I have no words.

Then why post a reply?

 

[Longtimenoc]

I think he is a hero. Chasing this perp for years after year. Good versus evil

 

[JMarsh]

yep! LOL When he looks up when he's thinking, he looks like Dumb and Dumber Lloyd.

Well then, I'll say it again. Chase will be acquitted. Smith was the DA's only hope.

 

[Plumeria5]

Then why post a reply?

That is why I have the emoticons. And I am allowed to do so.

 

[MichaelCorleone]

Are we certain that the prosecution is such a mess, or is it that this is a no-evidence case. Where is the evidence? The DA didn't do the investigation. This seems like it falls on the investigators, and former DA Mike Ramos.

Oh come now. Of course the prosecution is a mess. I’ve been watching trials for a loooong time and I cannot recall one I’ve seen where the prosecution’s witnesses were more ill-prepared. I have pages of notes of errors and/or missteps they’ve managed to step into. Not the least of which was the photo of the vehicle. They used a still frame from the neighbor’s footage which made the truck lights look round, ffs. If they would have used a frame either one second before or one second after the one they used, at least you could claim it was Merritt’s truck without seeming ridiculous. That was sheer stupidity on their part.

 

[QueenBofOB]

I think Smith said it was recorded. I don't know if that would be a good thing to play it or not lol

That was pretty brutal to watch. She said she was not in her right mind during that interview, couldn't even pick out that it was Smith that was interviewing her, he is in the courtroom. She has had a few strokes, and had just had back surgery and was heavily medicated with pain killers, to the point she was drooling (her words).

Hmmm, I've had major back surgery-right lung was deflated, ribs pried apart to access my spine for a fusion. I was on morphine for months and NEVER "drooled." As a matter of FACT, my mouth was constantly DRY, from all of the narcotic painkillers I was on.

 

[JMarsh]

Oh come now. Of course the prosecution is a mess. I’ve been watching trials for a loooong time and I cannot recall one I’ve seen where the prosecution’s witnesses were more ill-prepared. I have pages of notes of errors and/or missteps they’ve managed to step into. Not the least of which was the photo of the vehicle. They used a still frame from the neighbor’s footage which made the truck lights look round, ffs. If they would have used a frame either one second before or one second after the one they used, at least you could claim it was Merritt’s truck without seeming ridiculous. That was sheer stupidity on their part.

Yes, but isn't it possible they didn't have anything better to present? They can only produce evidence that exists, right?

 

[geevee]

Well, he’d have to be pretty darn unlucky to just happen to have been thieving from Joseph on the day the McStays disappear. I think the checks and the QB calls are damning, but probably not enough for murder. The cell pings, along with the going off the proverbial cell phone grid are bad too. I just think we need more than that for a murder conviction.

Welcome MC, nice to have you join the conversation!

I personally think CM signed a confession when he endorsed the check on the 5th that was nearly identical to the one created in QB the night before. Only the person who killed the family could have made that check on the night of the 4th, and it literally had CM's name written all over it.

Moooo

 

[MichaelCorleone]

Where is the evidence that Chase was thieving?

Joey McStay isn't here to confirm one way or the other. Is it just that the DA's take on that activity makes more sense to you than the defense's take?

<snip>

Do you think Joseph gave him those checks? Do you think it wasn’t him who called Intuit? I think they botched the computer evidence, but I think it is pretty clear he wrote those checks to himself after Joseph went missing.

 

[QueenBofOB]

I have to say, as I now am leaning hard toward Chase being 100% innocent, that I hope the jury sees him the way you do.

I kind of like the guy, but then I'm a sucker for the underdog who remains indefatigable in the face of defeat.

Yeah. The "underdog," who swung a kitten around, by it's tail, like a depraved psycho? I'd pull the plug on him, just for that alone. TRUST.

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Did you watch it? lol She was almost laughing at the question about not seeing Chase for a long period of time.

That will not go over well with the jury, no way, no how. IMO.

Jurors already look with a very deep yellow jaundice eye anyway when any family member of the accused testifies.

Her inconsistent statements from when it was much fresher in her mind, until the sudden change now will not help her brother.

Her flippant attitude won't either.

Imo

 

[Bernina]

Hmmm, I've had major back surgery-right lung was deflated, ribs pried apart to access my spine for a fusion. I was on morphine for months and NEVER "drooled." As a matter of FACT, my mouth was constantly DRY, from all of the narcotic painkillers I was on.

Yep, I notice that "drooling" is usually a by-product associated with taking more than the recommended amount of said narcotics.

 

[MichaelCorleone]

Welcome MC, nice to have you join the conversation!

I personally think CM signed a confession when he endorsed the check on the 5th that was nearly identical to the one created in QB the night before. Only the person who killed the family could have made that check on the night of the 4th, and it literally had CM's name written all over it.

Moooo

Yes, I agree. I do not think one can blow this check writing off as innocent.

Thanks for the welcome. It’s nice to have somewhere to discuss the case. My family and friends are tired of hearing about it. Lol.

 

[JMarsh]

Do you think Joseph gave him those checks? Do you think it wasn’t him who called Intuit? I think they botched the computer evidence, but I think it is pretty clear he wrote those checks to himself after Joseph went missing.

The defense isn't denying that Chase wrote checks by way of the CUSTOM account, which was separate from Joey's more important and personal account CONTACTS. An account that Chase apparently already had the password to.

That is being admitted to.

What the defense claims is that YES, Joey did give Chase checks to use to pay himself and apparently Metro. The only way those checks are a problem, is if they are cashed, and we know that one check was cashed prior to Joey going missing and Joey never changed his passwords, or spoke to his bank rep of fraud. This indicates that he was OK with the check writing.

And Chase only accessed that one account. He wrote checks in keeping with what was owed to him. He never accessed the CONTACTS account. He never used credit cards. The total stolen was about 20K, and he was expecting so much more that year in work. Doesn't make sense to kill a guy for 20k, when the work you might do with him over that year could add up to a few 100 K

The arrangement was a little unconventional, but makes sense to me.

 

[MichaelCorleone]

If you go to the "McStay Forum", there is YEARS of information, debate, possible suspects, theories, warrants, people of interest......it's pretty massive.
There's several points that I don't believe the prosecution has nailed down, but I think the defense's witnesses might inadvertently help hammer those nails with the State's cross. Rebuttal witnesses could seal the deal. The biggest issue is this is a trial of circumstantial evidence. No eye witnesses, and the only person who can explain his behavior is the defendant (CM) because the McStay family is dead, JM can't say he did or did not give Chase permission to do anything, that he gave Chase checks, that Chase was going to be fired at the meeting on Feb. 4th, Chase can say what he wants because the eye witness is conveniently dead.
It ain't over til the fat lady sings........

I agree, Bernina. I have been following this case for quite some time and I have a notebook full of notes on it, so I am sure I have seen pretty much all of the information. I hope you are right that the rebuttal witnesses will seal the deal. I, too, want to be more sure of his guilt than I feel I am now. I was more sure of it before the trial started.

 

[cobalt sky]

Yeah. The "underdog," who swung a kitten around, by it's tail, like a depraved psycho? I'd pull the plug on him, just for that alone. TRUST.

I don't want to speak for @JMarsh but I think she/he was referring to Sgt Smith as the "underdog", not Chase. Please correct me if I'm wrong @JMarsh!

Now what is this about swinging kittens? I don't recall ever hearing about this!

 

[Tortoise]

I think this is where it is interesting to look at the profiling and staging

IMO this is an organised killer

He took with him, things to do the murder, drove his own truck, turned his phone off

He lured the victims/staged the murder scene, dumping location and crime scene

An extremely important point is that he involved himself in the investigation - the very first person to do so - so he could be on top of developments

I actually disagree with the prosecution that the motive was greed.

The overkill and likely sexual assault of summer speaks against it

he hated them.

It was about control and power

I agree with you.

And I do think he also imagined that he would be able to keep the business contracts that were in the pipe-line all to himself. He just didn't have the work ethic or the resourcefulness of Joey to manage that part. I think he resented Joey having control.

 

[MichaelCorleone]

The defense isn't denying that Chase wrote checks by way of the CUSTOM account, which was separate from Joey's more important and personal account CONTACTS. That is being admitted to. What the defense claims is that YES, Joey did give Chase checks to use to pay himself and apparently Metro. The only way those checks are a problem, is if they are cashed, and we know that one check was cashed prior to Joey going missing and Joey never changed his passwords, or spoke to his bank rep of fraud.

And Chase only accessed that one account. He wrote checks in keeping with what was owed to him.

It was a little unconventional, but makes sense to me.

Go back and read that email Joseph sent to him on the first. How do you reconcile that email with Chase being owed money?

 

[JMarsh]

Go back and read that email Joseph sent to him on the first. How do you reconcile that email with Chase being owed money?

I believe that the defense will speak to this. They have already signaled that the state's interpretation of that email is flawed.