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

[asyousay]

Ok, I have a question...

How was CM able to print a check on the 2nd? This was when we all know Joey was still alive. How did he access the QuickBooks to do that?

He did it on a computer as his home I think or his phone and got into the account and set up a new payeee chase merritt (all lower case letters) and wrote the cheque.

Joey found out on the morning of the 4th when he realised money was missing and you can see in his call logs he rings the bank.

 

[Emi]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 4m4 minutes ago
#McStay - I'm in the courtroom. We should get started in 10-15 mins. Patrick McStay is here for the first time.

 

[missarmchair]

Not only a long time straight away afterwards Joey rings Chase I think 3 times. It doesn’t make sense how you can speak for 2 hours and then leave said lunch and call him straight away.

I agree. It's strange Joey would call Chase right after their lunch meeting. I've never been able to come up with a scenario for that. Did they get into an argument at the end, so now they are on the phone to smooth it over? Several calls though. Several short calls...I never pictured Joey making it home after the Chick Fil A meeting. So my big question is- where was he assaulted on his way home? Was he followed? The Chick Fil A parking lot would be too busy. Something happened right after that meeting though.

 

[missy1974]

He did it on a computer as his home I think or his phone and got into the account and set up a new payeee chase merritt (all lower case letters) and wrote the cheque.

Joey found out on the morning of the 4th when he realised money was missing and you can see in his call logs he rings the bank.

So he somehow had access before the 4th, the login details. I wonder if there is any indication from Quickbooks that Joey changed his password when he found out? Logically, if you find out a friend or employee accessed your Quickbooks to steal from you, wouldn't changing your password or security be your first priority? It would be mine. JMO

 

[asyousay]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 4m4 minutes ago
#McStay - I'm in the courtroom. We should get started in 10-15 mins. Patrick McStay is here for the first time.

I am so glad Patrick has managed to make it. He obviously loved his son very much and has been though hell to get justice for the family.

 

[asyousay]

So he somehow had access before the 4th, the login details. I wonder if there is any indication from Quickbooks that Joey changed his password when he found out? Logically, if you find out a friend or employee accessed your Quickbooks to steal from you, wouldn't changing your password or security be your first priority? It would be mine. JMO

Maybe that’s why Chase had to access the account that night from the home.

I have never used quick books so no idea if it was password protected but if it was that makes sense as to why Chase went onto the Quickbooks account in Fallbrook.

 

[missy1974]

Watch Live: McStay Family Murder Trial

Just a reminder that we only have a half day today because a juror has an appointment this afternoon.

Let's hope that the feed is better today!!!

 

[missarmchair]

I am so glad Patrick has managed to make it. He obviously loved his son very much and has been though hell to get justice for the family.

Yes. And if Patrick can tell someone isn't being very forthcoming, he's had no problem severing his relationship with that person. Much respect for him. Finding answers to what happened to his family is his main priority. Sad that he doesn't really have a relationship now with Mike, but I assume he has his reasons.

 

[missy1974]

Maybe that’s why Chase had to access the account that night from the home.

I have never used quick books so no idea if it was password protected but if it was that makes sense as to why Chase went onto the Quickbooks account in Fallbrook.

But we have never heard anything about Joey changing the password or anything like that, so I find that strange is all. They know who logged in from where, but they don't know about a pswd change?

 

[SuziQ]

I agree. It's strange Joey would call Chase right after their lunch meeting. I've never been able to come up with a scenario for that. Did they get into an argument at the end, so now they are on the phone to smooth it over? Several calls though. Several short calls...I never pictured Joey making it home after the Chick Fil A meeting. So my big question is- where was he assaulted on his way home? Was he followed? The Chick Fil A parking lot would be too busy. Something happened right after that meeting though.

I think the meeting went sour and that CM was afraid Joey was going to report him to LE for fraud and theft. CM couldn't let that happen. Could have been "Ok Joey, you got me. Come to my house and I will get you some money. Just don't call the cops".

I think Cm took a lot more money from the business, behind Joey's back, than we are aware of. Look at what he turned right around and did to Susan. He didn't skip a beat.

 

[missy1974]

They have started, Dugal still on the stand on direct.

 

[Emi]

https://twitter.com/kitkat2409/status/1085230794329767942
kitkat2409‏ @kitkat2409 1m1 minute ago
#McStay - Charles Merritt is in the courtroom wearing a blue shirt again, haven't seen the color of tie yet. Jury coming in. WATCH LIVE: @cathyrusson @LawCrimeNetwork

 

[missarmchair]

I think the meeting went sour and that CM was afraid Joey was going to report him to LE for fraud and theft. CM couldn't let that happen. Could have been "Ok Joey, you got me. Come to my house and I will get you some money. Just don't call the cops".

I think Cm took a lot more money from the business, behind Joey's back, than we are aware of. Look at what he turned right around and did to Susan. He didn't skip a beat.

That makes sense. So frantic calls from CM to Joey, once he realizes Joey is done and ready to report him. Maybe he talked Joey into following him somewhere, a more private location. And then he attacked him. At that point, he would have access to the Mcstay house, where he showed up and caught Summer by surprise. I always pictured her in the house, maybe in the kitchen. She hears the car pull up. She assumes any second she's going to see Joey walk through the door. But it's not him

 

[Emi]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 2m2 minutes ago
#McStay - Ret. Detective DuGal is back on the stand under direct examination. He's detailing the items collected when he went in on the 19th with a search warrant.

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 2m2 minutes ago
#McStay - They collected the desktop and laptop at the McStay home. Remember, Michael McStay had taken those from the house and returned when DuGal told him to. Mike testified he took them to see if he could help keep the business running while his brother was missing

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 31s31 seconds ago
#McStay - The search warrant included the green dodge truck in the driveway. Inside was a soccer uniform, kids' clothing, no car seats. There was a video camera in the dodge. A Nikon and Kodak camera also seized from inside the home.

 

[Emi]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 1m1 minute ago
#McStay - DuGal said he did not find keys to the Isuzu Trooper but also doesn't remember if he ever located the keys to the Dodge truck.

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 2m2 minutes ago
#McStay - DuGal said they never located Joseph or Summer's cell phones.

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 17s18 seconds ago
#McStay - Cadaver dogs were brought to the home on the 19th. The dogs didn't alert to any signs of deceased persons. DuGal said he didn't believe the dogs went inside the house. They were in the back and the sliding door was open.

 

[Emi]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 49s49 seconds ago
#McStay - DuGal said he didn't have any evidence that there were remains in the house so he didn't have the cadaver dogs go inside.

 

[asyousay]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 49s49 seconds ago
#McStay - DuGal said he didn't have any evidence that there were remains in the house so he didn't have the cadaver dogs go inside.

God he was thick (sorry if this offends some posters on here)

The dogs were at the house so what harm would it of done to let them look in the house for 10 mins?

Just seems like pure laziness and a piss poor detective.

 

[Emi]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 3m3 minutes ago
#McStay - DuGal said in a missing persons case, without any evidence that a murder happened, they don't pull up carpets, cut into walls, etc... so that did not happen.

 

[Emi]

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 2m2 minutes ago
#McStay - The last call made from Summer's cell was at 2:11pm on Feb. 4. Last call from the home phone was to Joseph's cell at 4:25pm

Cathy Russon on Twitter
Cathy Russon‏ @cathyrusson 2m2 minutes ago
#McStay - DuGal said he didn't obtain Charles Merritt's phone records as he didn't have probable cause at that point.

 

[missy1974]

God he was thick (sorry if this offends some posters on here)

The dogs were at the house so what harm would it of done to let them look in the house for 10 mins?

Just seems like pure laziness and a piss poor detective.

IF they were killed in the home, they had to get out of the home somehow, I would think the dogs would have hit on the scent even outside the home, no?

I'm not really impressed with Dugal... JMO I am sure I am biased though because I recall after they went missing, it felt like they weren't doing enough.