joseph mcstay surviving son

Chase, you are a low-life coward and a baby killer. We're just the clowns," Imes said. What lack of sleep REALLY does to your face: Expert reveals the warning signs your skin is suffering, My Daily Horoscope: What does March 2nd hold for MY star sign? "The gruesome and brutal details of the crime that you committed are his family," she said to Merritt. He told me when they had first got together they had a great sex life, but she just lost interest. A jury recommended the death penalty for Merritt for the murders of Summer McStay and the children, and life without the possibility of parole in the killing of Joseph McStay. How the Princess of Wales recreated her 2006 outfit from Prince William's Sandhurst graduation Behind-the-scenes at fashion week with the Spencers! The attorney argued a motion to reduce Merritt's sentence in the killings of Summer McStay and the children to life in prison without the possibility of parole rather than the death penalty previously recommended by the jury that convicted Merritt. ", Missing McStay family killed, buried in desert, sheriff says, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=McStay_family_murders&oldid=1138842709, This page was last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:11. We're just the clowns.". The bodies of two members of a family that went missing in 2010 have been identified. The attorney stopped Merritt, saying, "You can't.". Hes considering motion of insufficient evidence to support verdict. #McStay family visibly frustrated. Investigators testified they believed the victims were tortured before they were killed. Why? Imes asked, and Michael broke down on the witness stand. For years, police speculated they. Crying for mommy and daddy? Charles "Chase" Merritt interrupted his attorney Friday during legal proceedings. Mystery:Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished from their home in Fallbrook, California, on February 4, 2010, Tragedy: Joseph'sparents, Patrick McStay and Susan Blake, have opened up about the murders on the second season of the Oxygen true-crime series Killer Motive. Queen Letizia of Spain is polished in a recycled Reiss skirt as she joins King Felipe VI at Repli-Kate! Alex Murdaugh Is Guilty! Just a monster. - Susan Blake, Joseph McStays mother. I just dont remember very much because I fell to the office floor. she said. "So unnatural. The comments below have not been moderated. In 2010, Joseph McStay (age 40) and his wife Summer (age 43) lived in Fallbrook, California, with their sons Gianni (age 4) and Joseph Jr. (age 3). Sheriffs officials announced that the remains of the four people found buried in the desert belong to the McStay family, a Fallbrook family missing since 2010. In a preview clip from the episode about the McStay family, Patrick recalled speaking to his son in the morning on the day they disappeared. "I did not do this thing. I would never have hurt him in any way. 'And then as the days went by, you start thinking, "Okay, something's not right here." She had asked to get the money back, she said, But I never saw any., Blake had told an investigator that Merritt told her he completed a job for a customer in Saudi Arabia and was paid $17,000. [13] Dean stated in her blog she had just finished producing a radio show for San Diego station KNSJ when she received the call, and that she asked whether she could tell her followers what he had told her. Joseph and Summer McStay had two sons Gianni and Joseph Jr. Mother of Joseph McStay describes moment she, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Mother of Joseph McStay describes moment she learned son, family were dead, San Bernardino mountain residents grow worried as they cant access medicine, supplies, LA man arrested, suspected ofcarjackinga vehicle in Corona and firing shots at police during pursuit, Teacher at high school in Menifee arrested, suspected of inappropriate relationship with student, Baby girl Winter of Lake Arrowhead is born amid raging blizzard, her son, his wife, and their boys aged 3 and 4, Dine 909: New restaurants coming to San Bernardino, Upland and Redlands, Snow collapses roof of Goodwin and Sons, Crestlines only grocery store, Plow the roads, mountain residents say, as San Bernardino County vows to do better, San Bernardino mountain residents frustrated after volunteer helicopter efforts are restricted, Obernolte: Newsom must declare state of emergency for San Bernardino Mountains, 55-hour closures on 210 Freeway in Redlands and San Bernardino postponed again, We are coming, San Bernardino County officials tell trapped mountain residents, Shake Shack sets date for Victoria Gardens grand opening, Monday, March 13, Desperate Crestline residents help one another while awaiting assistance from San Bernardino County, Conditions for snowed-in Crestline mobile home park pretty bleak, As Adderall shortage continues, DEA plans to limit some telemedicine prescriptions, House where JonBenet Ramsey was found dead listed for sale for almost $7M, Columbia University permanently drops SAT, ACT admissions requirement, The Waterbed Doctor: California retailer lays claim to retro bed with nearly 40 years of service, sales, Felonious Florida podcast: Missing teenage girl leads to several cases of child sex trafficking, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Joseph McStay and his wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr., were a fun-loving, happy family who'd recently settled into a comfortable life in Fallbrook, California. [32] On June 24, the jury recommended that Merritt be sentenced to death. On February 19, California police notified Interpol to be on the lookout for the family. They said that he wrote checks totaling more than $21,000 on Joseph's business account in the days after the family was killed and then went on a gambling spree at nearby casinos, where he lost thousands of dollars. #nbc7 https://t.co/muZXjqJBFT. The mother of Joseph McStay provided emotional testimony on the second day of the McStay murder trial. The 58-year-old Merritt is. He was the last known person to see Joseph alive, during an hour-and-a-half long meeting in Rancho Cucamonga, California just hours before the family vanished into thin air. Patrick McStay, Joseph McStay's father told CBS 8 in San Diego that authorities informed him two of the bodies found in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert on Monday were that of his son and his son's wife, Summer. During the lull, NBC 7 spoke with prosecuting attorney Britt Imes about the continuing delays. Chase, you are a low-life baby killer, Blake said as Merritt stared at her impassively. The clip appeared to show a family of four crossing the border into Mexico -- a family that looked like they could have been the McStays. How to trick yourself slim: Top nutritionist reveals her tips including shrinking your cutlery, sniffing Meghan's (very expensive) date night look! Charles "Chase" Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for the killing of his former business associate, Joseph McStay, 40. Investigators said they also traced Merritts cellphone to the area where the bodies were buried in the days after the family disappeared and to a call seeking to close McStays online bookkeeping account. She said they clashed in front of her as they argued how to keep the business going. Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished from their home in Fallbrook, California, on February 4, 2010. They said McStay told friends Merritt was doing shoddy work and pilfering money from him. No one can explain how a seemingly normal suburban family who only moved into their new home in Fallbrook, California, three months earlier, could be living a regular life one day and then vanish the next. In the summer of 2021, shocking news rocked the state of South Carolina. Vanished: Mike also discovered Summer's prescription sunglasses on the kitchen counter, Looking back: Summer is pictured wearing her prescription sunglasses prior to the family's disappearance, Case to crack:There were no signs of forced entry or any foul play, which baffled investigators and suggested the family left on their own accord, First clue: Their neighbor's surveillance camera had captured what appeared to be the family's Isuzu trooper leaving the cul de sac at 7:47 p.m. on the night they went missing. The show features new suspects, witnesses, evidence, and theories regarding the case, as well as the trial from both the defendant's and prosecutor's points of view. "Our family has already received a life sentence. Homicide investigators search the family's home on Avocado Vista Lane and found no sign of a struggle. Trademark and Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. Defense attorney Rajan Maline produced a check to Merritt for $3,300 that was issued in April 2010 and signed by Blake, not on her personnel account, but on an account for Earthinspiredproducts.com. She had once told him she wanted that song played at her funeral. A grainy video captured at a nearby border crossing deepened the mystery. Everything with her seemed to be done for gain.. [2][12], On November 11, 2013, a dirt biker found four sets of human remains buried in two shallow graves in the desert near Victorville, California. [3] Merritt was charged with four counts of murder, and the district attorney sought the death penalty. I would have never raised my hand for a woman or child. Charles "Chase" Merritt was convicted in June of killing his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStay's wife, Summer, and their 4- and 3-year-old sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr.. Joseph McStay's mother Susan Blake addresses the court during the sentencing of Charles Chase Merritt on Jan. 21, 2020. Three years later, the remains of the family were discovered in a shallow grave in a remote desert in Southern California. A license plate search for the vehicle led to the discovery that the McStay's SUV had been towed from a parking lot near San Ysidro, California, right near the U.S.-Mexico border, on February 8, 2010, four days after they went missing. He went to the doctor a number of times, but they just didnt know what was wrong with him. Joseph was his older brother, by three years, two months, three days, he toldSan Bernardino County Supervising Deputy District Attorney Britt Imes. Prosecutors told jurors Merritt killed the family after learning McStay was cutting him out of his business making and selling custom water fountains. Susan explained that her son and daughter-in-law would often go on 'little mini-trips' with their kids in California, so they weren't alarmed at first. You cannot get back time. He was given the death penalty for killing Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. Now, Merritt is on San Quentin Death Row. He maintained his innocence, saying something has always been "amiss" in this case. I would never raise my hand to a woman or a child.". "I want to psychologically mess you up," he said to Merritt. The hearing, which consumed more than 10 hours, concluded with several emotional statements from McStay's mother, brother, in-laws and surviving son, as well as from Merritt himself, who . Joseph McStay the father of the family of four found dead in the California desert after vanishing nearly four years ago had suspicions his wife was POISONING him in the days before their disappearance, according to an explosive new book. She also touched on the media attention and pressures her family has coped with for years, including questions from strangers. I dont remember bouncing a check, she said. On Monday, more than four years since his arrest in connection with the slayings, the family's accused killer, Charles "Chase" Merritt, is scheduled to go on trial on murder charges in San. #nbc7 #mcstay He told Merrit, I want to psychological mess you up. https://t.co/0xbSXeb9kX. The case has sparked endless speculation, with both the police and amateur sleuths coming up with countless theories, some plausible, some wild and outrageous. Note:A previous version of this story misidentified the prosecutor who questioned Michael McStay. "It didn't just mark me that day," Michael McStay said. Joseph McStay; his wife, Summer; and their two children, Gianni and Joseph Mateo, have not been heard from since the night of Thursday, February 4, 2010. Summer and Joseph McStay as well as their sons Joseph Mateo and Gianni had vanished without leaving much behind in terms of clues or without really informing any of their kith and kin. Speaking exclusively to MailOnline Merritt who worked with Joseph in his fountain business - said: I was extremely close to Joseph. "From Day One, I just had this gut feeling that I was never going to see them again," he said, swallowing tears. 09:19 EST 04 Jan 2014 On February 15, Michael phoned the San Diego County Sheriff's Department (SDSD) and reported that his brother and his family were missing. "No more surfing; no more anything., Michael McStay said the court should never forget what this case is really about: "Those four innocent people and the lives they never got to live.". , updated He was sentenced to the death penalty for the slayings of Joseph McStay's wife, Summer McStay, 43, and the couple's two sons, Gianni McStay, 4, and Joseph McStay, Jr., 3. Charles Chase Merritt, l'associ du pre de famille retrouv mort avec femme et . After 8-Hour Day in Court, Sentencing Delayed for Man Who Killed McStay Family. Don't worry, your fate will be way less tragic than that of the family you murdered. Indiana Man Charged After Son In Diapers Points Gun At . He would often come up and visit me and we would go out for dinner with my wife at the time, but Summer never came. Jurors in San Bernardino. See also Other Works | Publicity Listings | Official Sites [3] The trial began on January 7, 2019, in San Bernardino. Just stop all the appeals, all the shenanigans. Charles Merritt was convicted of killing Joseph and Summer McStay along with their two sons. [1][2] Their disappearance was widely reported by the national news media. The two children were very young a three-year-old and a four-year-old. He was in a really bad way. Patrick McStay was there, too, along with other members of the McStay family, including Joseph McStay's brother, Michael McStay. California has not executed anyone since 2006. Joseph, 40, was suffering from a mystery illness in the months before he went missing with Summer and their two young children, and would spend days in bed barely able to walk. As recently as April, the FBI believed the family went to Mexico voluntarily. Will Payne [35], Last edited on 11 February 2023, at 23:11, "Business partner arrested in McStay family slaying, desert burial", "Trial underway for man accused of killing 4 from San Diego", "Charles Merritt Sentenced to Death for Killing McStay Family, Burying Their Bodies in Mojave Desert", "Authorities distribute 'endangered missing' flier pertaining to missing McStay family", "Buried bodies identified as members of missing McStay family", "Man last phoned by McStay father says he took polygraph test", "Author of McStay book criticized by victim's family", "After discovery, mystery of McStay family's disappearance deepens", "Investigators say Missing McStay family left voluntarily", "McStay Family Update: FBI Joins Search for Missing Family", "Search for Missing Fallbrook family continues", "McStay family Mystery: Who is Chase Merritt", "Tentative trial date set for McStay family murder suspect 'Chase' Merritt", "Backlash over book's new theory on McStay murders", "Merritt attorneys want McStay case dismissed", "McStay family murder suspect Charles 'Chase' Merritt fires attorneys", "McStay family murder suspect Charles 'Chase' Merritt wants new attorneys", "San Bernardino judge allows McStay family murder suspect to have more case files in his cell", "Lawyers for defendant in McStay family murder case want some evidence tossed", "San Bernardino judge delays ruling in bid to exclude key evidence in McStay family murder case", Charles Merritt Found Guilty Of Slaying McStay Family, "Jury recommends death penalty for man who killed McStay family", "Southern California man sentenced to death for killing family of 4", "ID's Two Shallow Graves: How did Charles "Chase" Merritt know the McStay family and where is he now? In October 2009, Joseph McStay excitedly e-mailed a friend about the house he and his wife had purchased in the San Diego suburb of Fallbrook, Calif. His words were a precursor to the deep pain the rest of the McStay family's loved ones would share Tuesday in court. The mother of Joseph McStay wept on the witness stand Tuesday as she recounted the moment in November 2013 when she learned the remains of her son, his wife, and their boys aged 3 and 4, missing for more than three years, had been found buried in the High Desert near Victorville. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts. There were no signs of forced entry or any foul play, which baffled investigators and suggested the family left on their own accord. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. Prosecutors say he bludgeoned them with a sledgehammer. She said the day detectives told her they had found her family's bodies, it felt as if she'd been hit by a boulder. She would shout at him in the privacy of their own home, but then put on a front like he was the most important person in the world when they were in public. Authorities said they traced his cellphone to the gravesite area. In further sensational claims, Merrits new book Afraid of the Light will detail how the couple were having major problems in their relationship and had not had sex for more than a year before they went missing. Crying for mommy and daddy?" [31] The trial finally began on January 7, 2019, in a San Bernardino court, with both sides making opening statements. A license plate search for the vehicle led to the discovery that the McStay's SUV had been towed from a parking lot near San Ysidro, California, right near the U.S.-Mexico border, Gone: The family was considered missing, and detectives notified Interpol, the International Criminal Police Organization, to be on the lookout for headin to Mexico, Can't tell: Deputies released a video of a group of people similar to the McStay family entering Mexico hand in hand through the pedestrian gate around 7 p.m. on February 8, 2010, Devastating: Joseph's parents headed to Mexico to hang flyers and search for them but never found anything. Il ne rpond pas au . He will focus on a number of key incidents and characters and try to paint a picture of what really happened in the lead up to that fateful day. And when four skeletal remains were found in shallow graves in the remote Mojave Desert, San Bernardino County, it put an end to any belief the McStays had started a new life in the sunshine. It cant be, Susan Blake testified after she regained herself. Ill never get another conversation with him. The McStays' skeletal remains were unearthed along with a three-pound rusted sledgehammer believed to be the murder weapon a bra and a child's pants and diaper. Joseph was 40 years old while his wife Summer was 43 making them a rather young family. San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael Smith upheld the jurys recommendation of death following a two-day sentencing hearing that included a flurry of last-minute motions from Merritt and his lawyer, who accused prosecutors of misconduct, Merritts earlier attorneys of incompetence and, on Tuesday, tried to remove the judge himself from the case. Video recorded the evening of February 8, released on March 5, showed a family of four resembling the McStays crossing the border. Gunfire at 7-Eleven stores killed a clerk in Brea and a 24-year-old man in Santa Ana and injured three others in La Habra and Riverside early Monday, July 11, authorities said. [29] Merritt's attorney filed a motion in San Bernardino Superior Court on April 7, 2018, arguing that Joseph's business and accounting records were hearsay evidence and therefore inadmissible. And when we were out she would call him constantly. NBC 7's Jackie Crea has more. His mother was not available to speak to MailOnline about Merritt's latest revelations. He was a big part of my life and my familys life. ", Chase Merritt watching and listening. [17] Because their car was found so close to the Mexican border, police reviewed surveillance footage of the pedestrian gate into Mexico. Our lives were intertwined both on a business and a personal level. [8], On February 4, 2010, at 7:47pm, a neighbor's surveillance system captured the bottom eighteen inches of a vehicle, thought at the time to be the McStay family's 1996 Isuzu Trooper. Son of Patrick McStay and Susan Blake. Joseph and Summer McStay were found buried in shallow desert graves along with their two young sons nearly four years after they vanished from their suburban California home (San Bernardino. The case initially puzzled. ', Getting worried:Susan had her son Mike stop by the family's San Diego County home on February 13, 2010, nine days after her son was last heard from, Confusing: Upon Mike's arrival, he noticed that Joseph's 1996 Isuzu Trooper was missing, but their dogs were in the backyard, Abandoned: When Mike crawled through a window of the San Diego County home, he discovered food rotting in the kitchen. Finally, Joseph McStay's only surviving son from a previous marriage, Jonah McStay, took the podium. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges that he killed McStay, 40, a former business associate; his wife, Summer, 43, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, in their Fallbrook home on Feb. 4, 2010, then buried their bodies more than 100 miles away in two shallow graves in the Mojave Desert, north of Victorville and west of the 15 Freeway. [5], In 2010, Joseph McStay (age 40) and his wife Summer (age 43) lived in Fallbrook, California, with their sons Gianni (age 4) and Joseph Jr. (age 3). The break came, defense attorneys said, when Merritt and McStay separately worked on a custom-fountain side of the business that did not include Kavanaugh. Blake said, speaking to Merritt. List of journal articles on the topic 'Kirkland House (Cambridge, Mass.)'. Joseph McStay, 43-year-old Summer McStay and their two sons, Gianni, 4, and Joey, 3, vanished without a trace in February 2010 shortly after moving to Fallbrook from Orange County. (Will Lester . He has been the entertainment editor, a features writer, a business writer and is now a courts and breaking news reporter. Pavement where disabled woman gestured at cyclist before fatal crash, TN residents say Jack Daniel's distillery spews black mold, Incredible footage of Ukrainian soldiers fighting Russians in Bakhmut, Pro-Ukrainian drone lands on Russian spy planes exposing location, 'Buster is next!' "It marked my kids.". And they told me they were also gone. All rights reserved, Jury Recommends Death Penalty for Business Associate Convicted of Killing McStay Family, Business Partner Found Guilty in McStay Family Killings, Check Your Pockets: These Coins Can Be Worth Up To $24,000, Glendale Neighborhood Frustrated After an Illegal Hostel Moves In, NASA Images Show Southern California Mountains Before and After Winter Storm, Tax Deadlines Extended to October for Most Californians Due to Storms. During the last stretch of Friday's marathon day in court, only one person was able to deliver a victim impact statement: Patrick McStay, Joseph McStay's father. Michael McStay's wife spoke next, talking about the pain her family and husband live with every single day. All of the motions were denied. Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished from their home inFallbrook, California, on February 4, 2010. "We don't run this circus. "You had a choice. Although a search of the house found no evidence of a struggle or foul play, there were indications of a hasty departure: a carton of eggs had been left on the counter, and two child-size bowls of popcorn sat on a sofa. Chase Merritt, 62, is facing a potential death sentence, or life in prison. Merritt is fully aware that his book will ruffle feathers and anger certain people, but he believes his intimate knowledge of Josephs life means he may be able to shed some light on the mystery. Joseph McStay - the father of the family of four found dead in the California desert after vanishing nearly four years ago - had suspicions his wife was POISONING him in the days before their . The McStays, their two boys Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3, vanished in 2010, leaving food on the table and a massive mystery. Arent you tired, man? he asked. Sentencing still has not happened. 2023.03.03 04:09 oz2usa I'm so bummed out after realising my diagnosis made a few years ago is legitimate. ', Gruesome: The McStays' skeletal remains were unearthed along with a three-pound rusted sledgehammer believed to be the murder weapon, Crime: Charles 'Chase' Merritt, who was a partner in Joseph's water-fountain business, was arrested for the murders in 2014 and found guilty in 2019 (pictured), Criminal: In January 2020, Merritt was sentenced to death for bludgeoning the couple and their children to death inside their home because he owed them $30,000. 'He told me he was in a hurry because he had a lunch meeting,' the dad told Killer Motive host Troy Roberts. The correct identity is San Bernardino CountySupervising Deputy District Attorney Britt Imes. His face was stoic. (File photo by Kurt Miller, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG), In this file photo Susan Blake, mother of Joseph McStay, breaks down while speaking at a press conference at the San Bernardino Sheriff Headquarters on Friday, Nov. 7, 2014. Now Merritt who actually took a voluntary lie detector test at the time of their disappearance and was the last person to see Joseph alive has decided to write a tell all book, in an effort to clear up the mystery. Murdaugh is heckled as he leaves court, Two Russian tanks annihilated with bombs by Ukrainian armed forces, Ukraine soldiers shoot down enemy drones with drones of their own, Dozens stuck in car park as staff refuses to open gate for woman, Missing hiker buried under snow forces arm out to wave to helicopter, Insane moment river of rocks falls onto Malibu Canyon in CA, Fleet-footed cop chases an offender riding a scooter, Isabel Oakeshott clashes with Nick Robinson over Hancock texts. He maintains his innocence. The book will be released later this year. Joseph and Summer McStay were found buried in shallow desert graves along with their two young sons nearly four years after they vanished from their suburban California home (San Bernardino. I know you dont believe me and thats what kills me, he added. During that period, she got an early-morning call from someone in Saudi Arabia, demanding his fountain, she recalled. They make up a small part of Merritts new book, which is due to be released later this year. By Michael McStay said watching his parents bury his brother was the most "unnatural" thing he could've ever witnessed. I remember one woman in particular was all over him for a while. McStay says he's felt all along that multiple people were involved in the February 2010 disappearance of his son, Joseph; Joseph's wife, Summer; and their children; 3-year-old Joey and. ', Merritt showed no emotion as she said she felt like she'd been hit by a boulder when she was told the bodies were found: 'It's just a nightmare.'. The back of the check said endorsement cancelled, he pointed out. Prosecutors eventually discovered that about the time the family vanished thousands of dollars in checks allegedly from McStay to Merritt had been written and cashed. Indian lodge motel in joseph oregon. "Ultimately, I hope to be a father and when I am, I will hold my children close," he continued. Obviously there wasnt money coming in, cause I was paying for money going out., So to your knowledge, Maline said, there is no money coming in, or you didnt learn of any money coming in.. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. On the surface, while tragic, it may not seem all that crazy. After Joseph, along with his wife and kids, suddenly went missing in February 2010, the authorities didn't have many leads. In the gallery sat Merritt's daughter and brother. January 21, 2020 Merritt, 62, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Joseph McStay, 40. Description. After three years of suspicion, the family's bones were discovered in a desert over a hundred miles from their house. She talked about how the slayings of her son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons have destroyed her family. The McStay family disappeared from their Fallbrook home in San Diego's North County in 2010. As recently as April, the FBI believed the family went to Mexico voluntarily. Investigators believed the murder weapon was a 3-pound sledgehammer, which was found in the grave containing the remains of Summer and her son. 'Are you that family? The 30 Best Shows on Netflix for Kids. And now, victim impact statements before formal sentencing. His most recent felony conviction, in 2001, was for the theft of $32,000 worth of welding and drilling equipment from San Gabriel Valley Ornamental Iron Works in Monrovia, California. His son, Joseph, his daughter-in-law, Summer, and their two little boys - Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3 .