Closing Arguments- Chase Merritt Charged W/Murder of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joe Jr McStay #2

[smr]

Yes of course. No one wants to think someone they trusted and let into their home, around their family would steal from them ever. But if you discovered they had?

You know, like CM did in fact do?

Well, I suppose no one would let someone into their home if they had suspected theft. And Joey and Chase were calling each other discussing google sketch the last day. Stealing? What stealing? They were on good terms, excited about the new business deal. Zero motive for Chase to murder his best friend and let DK profit from the deaths of the family.

 

[MsRyber]

Wasn't Chase the one that alerted Mike, who was the brother of the victim, and insisted that Mike go and check on his brother?

Sure. Setting up the "concerned friend" angle...days after he killed them, buried them, printed off some cheques, cashed some cheques, tried to cancel a Quickbooks account, went gambling, drove by the gravesite on his way to visit a sister who said she hadn't seen/talked to him in ages, among other activities. But weird, none of those activities included calling his best friend numerous times a day (as was his prior routine), going by his friend's house (as was his most recent routine), maybe emailing his friend to see where he was, texting his friend to see where he was, calling Joey's other associates (whom Chase knew) to see if they knew where he was, knocking on a neighbour's door to see if they had seen them, maybe leaving multiple voice messages for Joey, or even calling and hanging up when voicemail picked up, you know, anything that showed GENUINE concern? Instead, days and days later, he alerts Mike and has Mike go check on the brother. Hadn't Chase been there to see if anyone was home? Maybe left post-it notes on the door? Maybe a message in the mailbox? Weird.

 

[MsRyber]

Comparing to a friend/business associate and relatives, who are supposed to be more concerned? Chase had no obligation yet he raised alert.

Wonder if it was payday?

 

[smr]

Wonder if it was payday?

What if not? What if Chase was genuinely concerned for his best friend?

Dan K. called Patrick seemingly concerned about Joey. Was that a payday?

 

[smr]

Sure. Setting up the "concerned friend" angle...days after he killed them, buried them, printed off some cheques, cashed some cheques, tried to cancel a Quickbooks account, went gambling, drove by the gravesite on his way to visit a sister who said she hadn't seen/talked to him in ages, among other activities. But weird, none of those activities included calling his best friend numerous times a day (as was his prior routine), going by his friend's house (as was his most recent routine), maybe emailing his friend to see where he was, texting his friend to see where he was, calling Joey's other associates (whom Chase knew) to see if they knew where he was, knocking on a neighbour's door to see if they had seen them, maybe leaving multiple voice messages for Joey, or even calling and hanging up when voicemail picked up, you know, anything that showed GENUINE concern? Instead, days and days later, he alerts Mike and has Mike go check on the brother. Hadn't Chase been there to see if anyone was home? Maybe left post-it notes on the door? Maybe a message in the mailbox? Weird.

Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe Chase is innocent.

 

[missy1974]

From the link you posted, how would this work?

Please provide one of the following documents to prove the applicant’s position:

• A letter addressed to the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington, D.C. by the applicant’s employer in the U.S., which confirms the applicant’s position and that he is being sent on a business visit related to his/her company.
• A copy of the company’s business registration, in Saudi Arabia and in the U.S

I don't know? The letterhead letter would be easy IMO. The business registration, it was registered, wasn't it? Or it could have been under the one that Mike did in March 2010? Who knows. More importantly, no one really provided proof either way of whether he went or not, which is somewhat odd if it was being disputed. JMO

 

[la2cabo]

Wonder if it was payday?

Well we know Merritt was concerned about how he was going to pay rent at the end of the month.

What if not? What if Chase was genuinely concerned for his best friend?

Dan K. called Patrick seemingly concerned about Joey. Was that a payday?

The biggest difference is DK and Joey didn't speak dozens of times every day, Merritt and Joey did.

 

[MsRyber]

Maybe, maybe, maybe, maybe Chase is innocent.

And if he is found guilty BARD, I am sure he'll make a strong candidate for The Innocence Project. They'll research the grave injustice and work tirelessly to free him. Lucky for him!

 

[la2cabo]

I don't know? The letterhead letter would be easy IMO. The business registration, it was registered, wasn't it? Or it could have been under the one that Mike did in March 2010? Who knows. More importantly, no one really provided proof either way of whether he went or not, which is somewhat odd if it was being disputed. JMO

Merritt wasn't employed by anyone so not sure how that would work.

I don't really think he went or even had a passport. He got the money from SB for a passport but that doesn't necessarily mean much.

 

[smr]

The biggest difference is DK and Joey didn't speak dozens of times every day, Merritt and Joey did.

rsbm

Exactly, Joey was not on speaking terms with DK. He got rid of DK. Any calls between the two early 2010 was initiated by DK, not Joey. Whereas Joey and Chase would call each other many times every day, a sign that they were in great relationship, as opposed to the alleged "Joey wants to fire Chase" rumor spread by Dan K.

 

[smr]

And if he is found guilty BARD, I am sure he'll make a strong candidate for The Innocence Project. They'll research the grave injustice and work tirelessly to free him. Lucky for him!

And if not?

 

[la2cabo]

rsbm

Exactly, Joey was not on speaking terms with DK. He got rid of DK. Any calls between the two early 2010 was initiated by DK, not Joey. Whereas Joey and Chase would call each other many times every day, a sign that they were in great relationship, as opposed to the alleged "Joey wants to fire Chase" rumor spread by Dan K.

There is zero proof that Joey and DK weren't on speaking terms. If you have any proof I would be grateful for a link.

I think some posters are forgetting the last couple of days Joey was alive were not the norm. Once Joey discovered the theft the entire relationship changed.

 

[Mony Mony]

And if not?

Perhaps some caring individuals can invite the two timed felon into their home while he gets back on his feet. I would imagine he is going to need some help assimilating back into polite society.

IMO

 

[Bennettfit]

And if not?

One of the other posters here suggested that they or one of the other compassionate members here may allow Chase to stay with them when he's released.

 

[floridagrrl]

Well, I suppose no one would let someone into their home if they had suspected theft. And Joey and Chase were calling each other discussing google sketch the last day. Stealing? What stealing? They were on good terms, excited about the new business deal. Zero motive for Chase to murder his best friend and let DK profit from the deaths of the family.

Oh my, you do know he stole, right?

I hate to be the one to break the news, but...

 

[Karinna]

I thought this in the beginning, but from what I have been able to see in the trial, I just don't see it, unless there is something wrong with the QB logs, which I don't believe at all.

Let's say Merritt does the cheque on the 2nd and it's cashed by him... somehow Joey sees it? I wonder how? Maybe online? Let's go with online banking, he see's a cheque goes through. There was no way that the cheques once printed were distinguishable between the Custom and the Contact account, they used the same cheques, the same bank account info on the bottom, etc. So Joey sees a cheque goes through the bank, what does he do? He checks the Custom account, which he has never written a cheque on before? Why? What would make him check the Custom account and not the Contact account? And at first glance, he wouldn't see anything on the Custom account because it was deleted... so then he didn't go check his regular Contact account. The Contact account hadn't been logged into since 12:08 pm on Feb 2nd, just after the cheque was done on the 2nd on the Custom account at 11: 30-11:40ish am.

As @la2cabo mentioned, some think the bank would have flagged it... I am of the opinion that the bank would have logged that call someway, somehow if he was inquiring about his account and it wasn't just a general call, not necessarily flagging it because he may not have voiced a concern right at the moment. To me, if a bank employee in any bank can just go looking at accounts and it's not logged, that would raise concern and I would be changing banks LOL But that's JMO.



I'm with you @Mica .... I just don't believe it. *shrug*

We know for a fact from trial closing statement as MR nicely laid out for the jury, that CM after the email from JM that he was owed in the proximity of amost $43,000, that the defendant began writing checks for $15,845 from Feb. 1st -Feb. 8th.
There were assumptions about a lengthy business meeting on Feb. 4th. where JM handed CM checks he could write.
Why on earth is JM going to give financial responsibility to a convicted felon with a gambling problem?
There was also testimony by SB that JM had bailed CM out for a $20.000 gambling debt per the prosecutor MR.
CM calls QB's on the 9th. pretending to be JM and wants info. deleted.
Why would anyone want to delete their company with pending jobs in it?
The Custom side is relevant to CM only because that is relevant to the forged checks by him.
There was no reason to backdate checks if JM knew CM was writing them. So what reason then to backdate checks if JM knows?

 

[Karinna]

There is zero proof that Joey and DK weren't on speaking terms. If you have any proof I would be grateful for a link.

I think some posters are forgetting the last couple of days Joey was alive were not the norm. Once Joey discovered the theft the entire relationship changed.

Wasn't DK still maintaining JM website for him? I'm sure i read about that somewhere.

 

[missy1974]

Merritt wasn't employed by anyone so not sure how that would work.

I don't really think he went or even had a passport. He got the money from SB for a passport but that doesn't necessarily mean much.

So what do you think happened with the water fountain?

I don't believe we ever heard that it wasn't shipped and installed, or a complaint, or a charge back and it was paid for in full, which included the installation $.

 

[KALI]

I just want to bring up a few things.
Joey was under tremendous pressure at this time. Summer from accounts, did not want to move to Fallbrook, which was too far from the beach in her opinion. You can hear her talking about this with him on an old audio which is online.
Both of them agreed to remodel this house. *
They had been renting until now.
Moving is stressful, remodeling a house is stressful and....takes Money.
During all of this, Joey landed some big contracts. The biggest being the one for the fountains in Saudi Arabia.
Many thousands of dollars were on the line.
With potential for more.
This business was their ticket to a better life.
Not renting, but owning a home for themselves and their two little boys.
I am bringing this up because there is a poster here, that thinks that Joey should have replaced Chase.
In my opinion, I'm sure that Joey came to realize that he had hired a nightmare, but with all that was going on, he was trying to push those feelings down.
Which might well explain Joey's. attacks and illnesses.
I do keep thinking about this lovely, hard working little family that were brutally murdered and tortured.
No matter how you think about it, they were tortured. They lived long enough to see their loved ones die
a brutal death.
This crime really is up there in the worst of the worst.

 

[missingm]

Well, I suppose no one would let someone into their home if they had suspected theft. And Joey and Chase were calling each other discussing google sketch the last day. Stealing? What stealing? They were on good terms, excited about the new business deal. Zero motive for Chase to murder his best friend and let DK profit from the deaths of the family.

Hmmmm, the checks CM wrote to himself and cashed.