NewsCalifornia News

Actions

Southern California man convicted of killing family of four, family found buried in desert

MCSTAY FAMILY TRIAL
Posted
and last updated

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) — SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (KABC) — Charles "Chase" Merritt was found guilty of murder in the killing of a family of four, who disappeared in 2010 and were later discovered thee years later near Victorville.

Merritt is accused of killing the McStay family of four in 2010. The 62-year-old Merritt had pleaded not guilty to charges he murdered his business partner, Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and the couple's four and three-year-old sons.

The family vanished from their home in 2010 in Fallbrook. The remains of the family were discovered in two shallow graves in 2013 near Victorville. Merritt was arrested a year later.

A verdict was reached Friday by jurors, but it was not announced publicly until Monday.

,

Weather

Daily Forecast

View Hourly Forecast

Day

Conditions

HI / LO

Precip

Saturday

05/31/2025

Partly Cloudy

-° / 77°

1%

Sunday

06/01/2025

Clear

101° / 68°

0%

Monday

06/02/2025

Clear

94° / 64°

1%

Tuesday

06/03/2025

Clear

92° / 67°

0%

Wednesday

06/04/2025

Clear

95° / 66°

0%

Thursday

06/05/2025

Clear

95° / 68°

0%

Friday

06/06/2025

Clear

97° / 70°

0%

Saturday

06/07/2025

Clear

99° / 70°

0%