FILE – In this Nov. 20, 2013, file photo, people place crosses near the graves where the McStay family was found in Victorville, Calif. Opening statements are expected on Monday, Jan. 7, 2019, in the trial of Charles “Chase” Merritt for the murders of Joseph McStay, McStay’s wife Summer and their 3- and 4-year-old sons. The family disappeared from their San Diego County home in 2010. Three years later, their bodies were found in the remote desert location. (James Quigg/The Victor Valley Daily Press via AP, File)
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) – Greed drove a Southern California man to kill his business partner’s family with a sledgehammer and bury their bodies in the desert, prosecutors said Monday.
Sean Daugherty, supervising deputy district attorney for San Bernardino County, said in opening statements at Charles “Chase” Merritt’s trial that the defendant wrote checks for more than $21,000 on his partner’s online bookkeeping account after the family was last seen alive, the Sun newspaper of San Bernardino reported .
Merritt is charged with killing Joseph McStay; McStay’s wife, Summer; and their 3- and 4-year-old sons. The family’s disappearance in 2010 perplexed investigators for years, with no signs of forced entry at their San Diego County home.
Three years later, their bodies were found more than 100 miles (160 kilometers) away in a remote area of San Bernardino County, along with a 3-pound (1.5-kilogram) sledgehammer and a child’s pants and diaper.
Merritt “desperately tried to cover his tracks after the murders,” Daugherty told jurors.