In her new book, Caitlin Rother explains a most difficult case to us.
On or around February 4, 2010, the McStay family, Joseph (40), Summer (43), Gianni (4) and Joey (3) went missing from their home on Avocado Vista Lane, Fallbrook, San Bernardino, California.
Their remains were found in two shallow graves in the desert near Victorville, California, on November 11, 2013.
On November 15, 2024, the two adult sets of remains were officially identified as the McStays. The children were identified later.
Too many questions remain unanswered.
Main Unanswered Questions
When or where was the family murdered and when were they buried.
How were they transported to the desert from their home? Was there a secondary crime scene where they or their bodies were kept until the burial?
How were they taken from their home?
Joseph McStay had two business associates. Charles “Chase” Merritt and Dan Kavanaugh. Merritt, a welder, made custom fountains. Kavanaugh built and maintained the company’s website.
The business structure is unclear due to too many accounts, transferring of property, and from what it seems, a lack of proper documentation.
Some Issues of concern
- Neighbor Jennifer Mitchley’s surveillance video capturing the bottom of a vehicle on Feb 4, 2010, around 747pm. The video does not prove that vehicle was Chase Merritt’s.
- People entered the crime scene, removed items, cleaned, and in doing so, disturbed the crime scene potentially destroying evidence.
- The family car, a white Isuzu Trooper, was towed from a San Ysidro strip mall in San Diego on Feb 8 around 11pm. When was it parked there? By whom? The second family car, a green Dodge truck, was parked in the family’s driveway.
- Where is Joseph’s laptop?
- DNA did not provide the answers needed. It feels like the entry of the DNA samples in CODIS was mishandled and afterwards, neglected.
- Cell phone triangulation can only work as well as the cellphone towers’ reach and the archiving of records by the provider. When they are incomplete you cannot confirm nor deny a person’s whereabouts.
- Joseph suffered from a mysterious illness that had plagued him for several months. What exactly was wrong with him? Did his autopsy answer that question?
- Who left the black light device in the McStay home?
- If Merritt drove the vehicle seen in the surveillance video on Feb 4, 2010, around 747pm then who was working on a design on the computer?
Authorities never found physical evidence to connect Merritt to the murders at the McStay home (if they occurred there) or the two shallow graves. His truck did not show any evidence either. Yet here we are.
On June 10, 2019, Chase Merritt was found guilty of murdering the McStay family. He was sentenced to death on Jan 21, 2020. In 2024, he was transferred to the R.J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego County.
The Book
The book starts with a narrative that leaves the reader overwhelmed and frustrated. This must reflect how the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department (SDCSD) felt when their missing persons case turned into a quadruple murder investigation.
Thankfully, Deputy Michael Tingley had taken a few pictures when he first entered the house. After that, too many people entered, removed items, and even cleaned up. In other words, Deputy Tingley’s pictures are the purest resemblance we have of the first crime scene.
Sadly, before Tingley’s first entrance of the house, Merritt and Joseph’s brother Michael had already been inside to check up on the family.
Tingley did not see any signs of violence such as blood, broken or upended furniture, etc. when he was there the first time. Despite that, the deputy knew something was wrong, not in the least because the family dogs were left behind.
After the initial waterfall of information, the author guides us through the evidence and the trial with a steadfast hand. It is a complicated trial not in the least because of the many call records, money transfers, and bickering from both the prosecution and the defense.
She meticulously exposes us to every detail and questions its validity. She never does so with bias or with contempt. Rother remains the professional, objective independent reporter she has been for two decades.
Because of Rother’s steady hand, we experience the turbulent mess of a trial as if we were there. We feel the judge’s frustration, the effect the trial had on the lawyers’ mental health, but it also leaves the reader wondering what else there was. A lot was presented at trial but not always in order. A lot was not clearly worded by either party but built upon, nonetheless.
Wishes
Parts in the book could be condensed to make the evidence pieces clearer for the reader. In particular, the parts about the cell phone triangulation and the messy finances of the company are hard to read. I hope the definitive version of the book will have plenty of timelines and will show all the cash deposits, withdrawals, etc. in order and side by side.
Another wish would be a side-by-side timeline of what the prosecution contends happened, the finances of both Merritt and Kavanaugh, and the cell phone records.
In the end, you cannot help feeling that somewhere misconduct shaped the trial strategy far more than the evidence. Early on, the investigation zoomed in on Merritt even though others deserved to be checked as well and to the same extent as Merritt.
Appreciation
Down to the Bone is a compendium of the McStay case. When Rother writes about the family, especially the parents, she never speculates about or demeans their relationship.
Her respect for the victims is also apparent in not dwelling on their remains. This is a sensitivity that I highly appreciate in a true crime writer. As difficult as this book sometimes was to read, this is a must read. Down to the Bone will come out June 24, 2025.
My other book reviews are here.
Notes
I received an advance uncorrected proof of this book from Kensington Publishing Corporation in exchange for an honest review. I therefore do not know what the ultimate book will look like as to index, photography, recommended reading, sources, timelines, maps, etc.