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

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.