Chase Merritt SENTENCED TO DEATH for murder of McStay Family POST TRIAL THOUGHTS

I’m glad it’s ‘over’ too and that justice has been served, but I don’t think we have heard the last of Chase Merritt.
Does anyone know roughly how long the automatic appeal can take?
I just read the other day that the average time in California for an appeal is 17 years. Merritt is 62 years old with health issues so there's a very good chance he'll be dead before his first appeal is ever finalized. Oh well.
 
Did any of you see that they dismantled the graves site today? Apparently Imes and Melissa Rodriguez and Daugherty, as well as some jurors all helped. A Chase cheerleader tweeted a picture. He said he got it off Facebook but didn’t say where on Facebook.
 
Did any of you see that they dismantled the graves site today? Apparently Imes and Melissa Rodriguez and Daugherty, as well as some jurors all helped. A Chase cheerleader tweeted a picture. He said he got it off Facebook but didn’t say where on Facebook.
Who on earth gave the say, and had the right, to do that? And, frankly, why? The last I read they were being very carefully kept up.
 
Who on earth gave the say, and had the right, to do that? And, frankly, why? The last I read they were being very carefully kept up.
Michael McStay was there as well and spoke to the people who put it up and they were good with it being taken down. I'm happy it was dismantled. That was a place of evil, not the peaceful resting place the McStays deserve.
 
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Michael McStay was there as well and spoke to the people who put it up and they were good with it being taken down. I'm happy it was dismantled. That was a place of evil, not the peaceful resting place the McStays deserve.

True, it wasn't their grave site, it was their dump site. I am happy that they felt it was time to emotionally let go of it. jmo
 
True, it wasn't their grave site, it was their dump site. I am happy that they felt it was time to emotionally let go of it. jmo

Exactly. It wasn't like they died of sunstroke or a car accident, and their place of passing was being memorialised. It was the desert hellhole that their vile killer hid them in. Tearing down the remnants seems like a good thing for everyone.

Their souls have moved on, transcended and they'd be glad to see it torn down, imo.
 
Exactly. It wasn't like they died of sunstroke or a car accident, and their place of passing was being memorialised. It was the desert hellhole that their vile killer hid them in. Tearing down the remnants seems like a good thing for everyone.

Their souls have moved on, transcended and they'd be glad to see it torn down, imo.
Agree, and if that is what the family decided on then perhaps they want to put that part behind them now. At least they can move forward some now the killer is where he belongs and that justice has been served.
 
and just a reminder! :)

Friday, Sept. 27th:
*Sentencing Hearing (@ 9:30am 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. Held without bond. DP case.
Trial started 1/7/19. Dark on all Fridays. Jurors started with 8 women & 4 men; now have 9 women & 3 men (alternates started with 4 men & 2 women-alternates left 1 men & 1 woman). 6/10/19: Took about 22 hours of deliberations for guilty verdict on all 4 counts of 1st degree murder with special circumstance.
Trial Days (1-63: 1/7/19 thru 6/7/19) & Verdict (6/10/19) & Penalty Phase (Day 1-5: 6/11/19 thru 6/21/19) reference post #998 here:
GUILTY - Chase Merritt Charged W/Murder of Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joe Jr McStay #4

6/24/19 Day 6: Jurors started deliberations about 9:37am to 11:32am. (2 hrs). Lunch until 1:30 pm. Jurors have reached a verdict after 5.5 hours of deliberations. It will be read at 4pm. Verdict: Count 1 LWOP (Joey), Count 2 Death (Summer), Count 3 Death (Gianni), Count 4 Death (Joey, Jr.). Judge dismisses jurors. Judge Smith sets sentencing on Sept. 27.
Schedule for Penalty Phase-Week of June 24 thru 28th: Jury deliberations-6/24, Monday: Jurors have deliberated: 6/20-Day 1: 11:50am-3:53pm (1.5 hr lunch right after start) = ~ 2 ½ hrs. 6/21-Day 2: 8:36am-9:48am = 1 hr. & 9 mins. 6/24-Day 3: 9:37am-11:32am = 2 hrs. (2 hour lunch). Came back with verdict at 1:51pm. Total hours of deliberation: ~5 hours, 30 minutes, give or take a few minutes.
 
Who on earth gave the say, and had the right, to do that? And, frankly, why? The last I read they were being very carefully kept up.
Further to my post, the responses as to why the site was dismantled are certainly well taken and understandable. Actually, there was talk of it being done a long time ago.

That being said, the family lay there, in two shallow graves, for four years. The crosses were erected by the good people of Victorville to acknowledge, and pay homage to, that fact. I stood in front of them, and prayed. My prayers were answered.

The horrible reality is, if it were not for the biker, this may very well have been the McStays' final resting place.

Those crosses, and that place, will never leave my mind.
 
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Further to my post, the responses as to why the site was dismantled are certainly well taken and understandable. Actually, there was talk of it being done a long time ago.

That being said, the family lay there, in two shallow graves, for four years. The crosses were erected by the good people of Victorville to acknowledge, and pay homage to, that fact. I stood in front of them, and prayed. My prayers were answered.

The horrible reality is, if it were not for the biker, this may very well have been the McStays' final resting place.

Those crosses, and that place, will never leave my mind.

I have dreamed for years that if I could have just one superpower, it would be that of being able to find the missing, dead or alive. If I were that dirt biker, my life would be completely disrupted because for one brief, shining moment, I would have that superpower. So I work in SAR to hone my human power in the same direction as my imaginary superpower. I would love to see the story on exactly how he came across the remains, and what the experience was like for him, and what it has been like since.
 
When I look at their pictures it is still hard for me to make that leap. Just doesn't seem real. Breaks my heart for Susan and Mikey and Tracy and Blanche.
I almost feel worse for Patrick. He's so far away in Texas and seems to get excluded from the local happenings. I admire him for dedicating so many years of his life to finding out what happened to his family. I'm so relieved the family's ordeal is finally over and they can begin to move forward.
 

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