SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) – It was a case that stumped investigators for years. A family of four, with two young boys, vanished mysteriously from their California home in 2010, leaving eggs to rot in the kitchen, their dogs without food and freshly made popcorn on the counter.
The family’s skeletal remains were discovered three years later in a shallow grave in Victorville, nearly 100 miles north of their San Diego County home. Authorities did not make an arrest for another year.
At a preliminary hearing Tuesday, prosecutors are expected to reveal for the first time the evidence that led them to file murder charges against Charles “Chase” Merritt, the sole suspect in the case.
A judge previously denied a media request to unseal investigative filings, and authorities have said little about the killings of Joseph McStay, 40; his wife, Summer, 43; and their sons, 4-year-old Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph Jr.
Merritt’s name first surfaced in the investigation in 2011. He was a business associate of Joseph McStay’s, who designed and installed home water features. Merritt owned a waterfall company.