VERDICT WATCH Closing Arguments- Chase Merritt Charged W/Murder of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joe Jr McStay

[Tricia]

On Feb 4th, 2010 the McStay Family, Joey, Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr vanished from their home. It looked like the family simply got up and left their home never to return.

Law Enforcement was convinced that the McStay family ran away to Mexico.

Patrick McStay, Joey's father, along with other loved ones knew there was no way Joey and his family would never flee to Mexico. There was no reason for this scenario presented by law enforcement.

Up until the remains of the family were found buried in the desert on November 11, 2013, Patrick McStay searched for his son and his family.

Family friend Chase Merritt was arrested for the McStay family murders on Nov 7th, 2014 and finally, Merritt's first-degree murder trial is underway.

The McStay forum is in our private section. However, we are making the discussion of the trial public.

Link to prior general discussion threads:

Thread #1
Thread #2
Thread #3
Thread #4
Thread #5
Thread #6
Thread #7
Thread #8
Thread #9
Thread #10
Thread #11
Thread #12
Thread #13
Thread #14
Thread #15
Thread #16
Thread #17
Thread #18
Thread #19
Thread #20

Closing Arguments:

Thread #1

 

[Tricia]

Hey Everyone,

We are lucky that two members are going to make it possible to know what is going on during the closing arguments.

La2Cabo and Frankie Hellis with work hand in hand to post updates from the courthouse.

eeLa2Cabo will be in the courthouse and sending messages to Frankie Hellis who will then post the information.

Thank you both for helping Websleuths members and visitors have a better understanding of the is really going on in court.

What we will do is start a new thread tomorrow for closing arguments and go from there.

What do you think?

Will we get a guilty verdict? If so how fast?

Or will it be an aqquital? If so how fast?

 

[Niner]

Tuesday, May 28th:
*Trial continues (Day 56) (@ 9am PT) - CA - McStay Family: Joseph (40), Summer (43), Gianni (4) & Joey Jr (3) (Feb. 4, 2010, Fallbrook; found Nov. 11, 2013) - *Charles "Chase" Ray Merritt aka Charles Ray Mandel aka Charles Ray Morritt aka Chase Meredith aka Chase Jarvis (57/now 62) arrested (11/5/14) & indicted (11/7/14) of 4 counts of murder with special circumstance; plead not guilty. DP case.
Trial started 1/7/19. Dark on all Fridays. 7 women & 4 men & 1 ? (alternates include 4 men & 2 women-minus one).
Trial Days (1-55: 1/7/19 thru 5/23/19) reference post #32 here:
CA - Joey, Summer, Gianni, Joseph Jr McStay Murders - Feb 4th 2010 #20
5/28/19 Day 56: Closing Arguments!!! Finally!!
Tentative Schedule for week of May 27th thru May 31st: NO court-Memorial Day Holiday: May 27th (Monday). May 28th (Tuesday)-Closing Arguments, May 29th (Wednesday)-Jury deliberates, May 30th (Thursday)-Jury deliberates or Verdict? Dark on May 31st (Friday).



@Tricia - when you make a new thread - could you please move this over there? TIA!

 

[Tricia]

Please continue the discussion here. Thank you

 

[mrjitty]

First page

Does anyone know the timetable and when we might be able to get the videos of closing?

Big Thanks to Cabo & Frankie

With me on board, the State is guaranteed to lose

my .02

 

[Tortoise]

I predict

closing arguments will go to tomorrow -Weds,
jury will get the case Weds noon/afternoon,
deliberations will last two days
guilty verdict Monday 3rd June.

 

[Tortoise]

Putting the POLL here on page 1 so it's easy to find later for anyone who hasn't voted yet.

POLL - Did Chase Merritt murder the McStay family?

 

[mrjitty]

I'll be very interested how aggressive the State is on the whole DK issue now that the defence failed to come up to brief.

There were a few inaccuracies in the closing stages of the last thread which I won't copy over here

tldr

The state did investigate DK and found a cast iron alibi in the form of financial and travel documentation and corroborating witness

IIRC it was the state that produced DKs financial records - these were in the 2016 discovery bundle, received by Forensic Dude. On the overhead you can see DKs bank statements are in there as exhibits.

For an officer to call travel authorities to confirm travel matched purchases is 100% acceptable to produce as affidavit

Do we really think they lied to the officer as part of the conspiracy? The defence accepted these records and did not challenge them on the face.

As is usual in an investigation, when you come up against a brick wall and find a fully exculpatory alibi the person is excluded. This is why the sale of EIP is not relevant. It happened over a year after the murders and says precisely nothing about guilt. As has been covered before, creating a motive without direct evidence of involvement is not acceptable.

The only thing to link DK to the murders was witness Riccobene - but quelle surprise she didn't turn up.

So call me crazy, but I prefer the State's evidence on this topic, as they didn't come to Court making wild claims that couldn't be supported.

Will the state go full muppet on this aspect? Because it really goes straight to credibility.

 

[Tortoise]

I think if I was the prosecutor I would ignore DK completely in the first part of closing arguments. He's not relevant so talk about what is relevant. Then take down the defense case, point out the smoke screen, if they raise it, in rebuttal.

 

[mrjitty]

I think if I was the prosecutor I would ignore DK completely in the first part of closing arguments. He's not relevant so talk about what is relevant. Then take down the defense case, point out the smoke screen, if they raise it, in rebuttal.

I'd be tougher than that because I think this is all about who to believe.

The accused has no credible alibi. The defence promised to call a witness that DK confessed to the crime. Then they didn't call the witness.

So the smokescreen is because they don't have any real answers.

 

[mrjitty]

In passing, its worth remembering that not everything that is in discovery makes it to the trial.

We know DK assisted LE and apparently had his computers taken. So the fact that the police chased down dead ends on him, doesn't make it into evidence

 

[oceanblueeyes]

Morning all!

I'm so glad this trial is finally coming to a close soon.

Today is the beginning of the end to a very long painful journey for Summer, and Joey's family, and friends.

I pray they will finally get justice, and CM will be found guilty soon in the coming days.

My heart, warm thoughts, and prayers are with all of them like it's been throughout.

They are the ones who really matter. They have suffered so much unimaginable pain losing the 4 victims they all cherished knowing they can't ever be replaced.

Imo, they are the ones who should remain in our thoughts this week .

With us trials come, and go, and we move on. But for the effected families this is a lifetime sentence of pain, and neverending loss.

I believe JS will give each side wide latitude to put on their closings. Within reason of course.

The state's first stage of closing may be relatively short. This way it gives them longer to address the defense closing when they address the jury for the last time.

As for the location of the murders it's a side issue for me.

No matter where he brutally murdered them the evidence presented shows he did. IMO

However, I think there is quite a bit of evidence showing the jury the most likely location than any other place was inside of their home.

The jury is not there to decide the location where they occured.

They are there to ONLY decide the G or NG verdict of CM.

I also pray for the prosecutors who were handed a very hard case because of the ineptness of SD LE, yet went forward to seek justice for the McStay family of 4.

Jmho

 

[Tortoise]

I'd be tougher than that because I think this is all about who to believe.

The accused has no credible alibi. The defence promised to call a witness that DK confessed to the crime. Then they didn't call the witness.

So the smokescreen is because they don't have any real answers.

I think there might be some direction from the judge on the issue. I'm fairly sure an attorney cannot refer to evidence they didn't produce, so there is nothing there for the jury to believe.

I think the only angle the DT can pursue is to ask the jurors if they believe the police didn't investigate DK, or only investigated CM. I see it crumbling.

I don't think it does the PT any favors to try to make the DT look stupid or whatever adjective, that looks defensive and personal to me, and I think DT does that on their own, so I say let the evidence do its thing. Direct them back to the case they are trying not the one that never made it to court, for obvious reasons.

My opinion might change after I've heard the DT, if the judge doesn't step in.

 

[mrjitty]

I think there might be some direction from the judge on the issue. I'm fairly sure an attorney cannot refer to evidence they didn't produce, so there is nothing there for the jury to believe.

IIRC the Judge discussed in a hearing that the State would likely produce argument about the failure to call logical witnesses to support their case. i.e. witnesses specifically referred to in opening.

This is why the judge allowed process server dude, so the defence could argue in response they tried to call Riccobene

I think the only angle the DT can pursue is to ask the jurors if they believe the police didn't investigate DK, or only investigated CM. I see it crumbling.

I don't think it does the PT any favors to try to make the DT look stupid or whatever adjective, that looks defensive and personal to me, and I think DT does that on their own, so I say let the evidence do its thing. Direct them back to the case they are trying not the one that never made it to court, for obvious reasons.

My opinion might change after I've heard the DT, if the judge doesn't step in.

I agree it is not about attacking the attorneys. I see it more about trust. They came with big talk but didn't deliver. On the other hand, the state made calm claims about DK that were not rebutted. So who to believe?

I agree they shouldn't focus too much on this aspect.

I also am attracted to the last man standing aspect. The defence went fairly all in on DK. So if he didn't do it...

 

[Tortoise]

RSBM
I also am attracted to the last man standing aspect. The defence went fairly all in on DK. So if he didn't do it...

If DK didn't do it...

I go back to my earlier thinking on this (ignoring the evidence against CM) that murders and staging was so blatantly personal and this needs to be emphasized - the killer was invited in as opposed to forced entry - known to family and known to the dogs - standing in personal space to attack at arms length - parked in their driveway - and to have buried them and staged the vanishing act with the Trooper.

MOO

 

[Funky funky]

Waiting in anticipation. Deep breaths....

 

[oceanblueeyes]

I think there might be some direction from the judge on the issue. I'm fairly sure an attorney cannot refer to evidence they didn't produce, so there is nothing there for the jury to believe.

I think the only angle the DT can pursue is to ask the jurors if they believe the police didn't investigate DK, or only investigated CM. I see it crumbling.

I don't think it does the PT any favors to try to make the DT look stupid or whatever adjective, that looks defensive and personal to me, and I think DT does that on their own, so I say let the evidence do its thing. Direct them back to the case they are trying not the one that never made it to court, for obvious reasons.

My opinion might change after I've heard the DT, if the judge doesn't step in.

Usually in closings each side remains respectful without declaring objections.

However this DT has been anything but ethical throughout, and have continued to thumb their nose to JS ignoring his repeated warnings.

Since it's THIS DT... I expect the state will be forced into making objections. Imo, if any objections are made it will be based on 'facts not in evidence.'

Imo, There is going to be so much smoke, and mirrors by the DT in closing the jury will be choking on all of the smoke filling the room. Imo,

We already know they have no ethical boundaries. Imo, they are hoping the state wont be able to catch all of the BS. Imo, the state will.

Imo

 

[Karinna]

I think if i were a juror i would find it a bit odd that the DT were implicating DK in this crime yet never subpoenaed/produced him at Trial to put him on the stand to defend himself and tell his side of what he knew. IMO.

 

[Tortoise]

Usually in closings each side remains respectful without declaring objections.

However this DT has been anything but ethical throughout, and have continued to thumb their nose to JS ignoring his repeated warnings.

Since it's THIS DT... I expect the state will be forced into making objections. Imo, if any objections are made it will be based on 'facts not in evidence.'

Imo, There is going to be so much smoke, and mirrors by the DT in closing the jury will be choking on all of the smoke filling the room. Imo,

We already know they have no ethical boundaries. Imo, they are hoping the state wont be able to catch all of the BS. Imo, the state will.

Imo

I agree. We should equip La2Cabo with a gas mask.

 

[missy1974]

In passing, its worth remembering that not everything that is in discovery makes it to the trial.

We know DK assisted LE and apparently had his computers taken. So the fact that the police chased down dead ends on him, doesn't make it into evidence

What makes you think he had his computers taken by LE in this case?

The only mention of his computer that I recall is that his probation officer took one when he was on probation, because the defense was trying to get a hold of the probation officer. I don't believe it was a computer from 2010. JMO