McStay Family Arrest - The McStay family disappeared in 2010. Last year, their bodies were found and now, a suspect was arrested and taken to court.
According to ABC News, the family simply vanished from their San Diego home. There were no signs of forced entry, and there were rotting eggs in the kitchen counter and two dogs in the backyard. This was a sign that the family left unexpectedly.
This was on February 3, 2010. The family's car was found near the border of Interstate 15. After that, there were no signs from them once again until last year.
In November 2013, a motorcycle rider found the bodies in remote desert graves, CBS News reported. Said bodies included: Joseph McStay, 40, Summer McStay, his wife, 43, and their two boys, Gianni, 4 and Joseph, 3.
The sheriff said at the time that the bodies were intact and clothes were found in the graves, as well. There was no further elaboration about other elements.
The authorities announced today that they arrested the man they believe is the responsible for the deaths of the McStay family, CNN noted. Said man is Charles "Chase" Merritt.
Merrit, 57, was arrested on Wednesday in Chatsworth, California, which is not too far away from the location where the bodies were found before.
The police believes the family died from "blunt force trauma," while in their San Diego home. They didn't reference a motive or further specifics on the matter.
Merritt had already an interview with CNN before during the case and he reported he had received a phone call from the father of the family the night they disappeared, but didn't respond because he was "too tired."
"There are hundreds of scenarios. I have gone over all of them in my head. Of course I regret not picking up the phone," he said at the time.
"Joseph was a great brother, a great father. He would have done anything to protect those boys and Summer. He tried to help Chase and provide work for this guy and this is how he was repaid," Joseph's brother said in a press conference today.
Merritt is in custody at the moment and will be arraigned on Friday afternoon.
