AI Summary
5 min readMcStays Episode 6: Life or Death
In 2019, more than four years after his arrest, Charles Chase Merritt finally stood trial for the murders of Joseph, Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Jr. McStay. He pleaded not guilty. Outside court after a pre-trial hearing, Joseph's brother Michael McStay told a local TV station: "Finally, somebody is gonna have to take responsibility for what they did to my loving family." Joseph's mother Susan Blake added: "I did want to stand up, and I did want Chase to look at me in the eyes. I wanted him to see us and the pain we've been through." With Merritt facing four counts of first-degree murder, the death penalty was on the table.
A Case Built on Circumstance
Prosecutor Britt Himes told ABC News that in nearly 30 years as a prosecutor, the McStay case was the most personal he'd worked on. He described almost losing his composure on the stand when a crime scene specialist displayed Joseph Jr.'s car seat for the jury: "It was the same car seat that I put my kids in."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:00) **Opening & Case Setup** - The episode sets the stage for the trial of Charles Chase Merritt, charged with four counts of first-degree murder for the McStay family.
- 2 (03:03) **The Prosecution's Challenge: A Circumstantial Case** - Prosecutor Britt Himes explains the emotional weight and difficulty of the case, which relied entirely on circumstantial evidence.
- 3 (05:24) **The Defense's Counter: Confirmation Bias** - The defense team argues the state’s case is based on confirmation bias, twisting facts to fit their suspect.
- 4 (06:17) **Argument 1: The House – No Blood, No Crime Scene** - The defense argues the lack of a bloody crime scene at the McStay home proves the murders didn't happen there.
- 5 (08:03) **Argument 2: The Truck – A Key Piece of Evidence** - The prosecution and defense clash over a nine-second security camera clip showing a truck leaving the McStay home.
- 6 (09:47) **The Centerpiece: Cell Phone Records** - The prosecution presents cell phone tower data as key evidence, placing Merritt near the gravesite two days after the disappearance.
- 7 (12:21) **A Surprise Witness: Juanita Merritt** - The defense's case gets a boost when Merritt's sister, Juanita, changes her story on the stand.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
The McStay case goes to trial, with a man's life hanging in the balance.
To keep listening, follow 'What Happened to the McStays?' for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Or subscribe to 20/20 True Crime+ to get access to new episodes early and ad-free, plus unlock exclusive bonus content from 20/20 and hundreds of episodes from the 20/20 true crime vault. Visit apple.co/2020truecrime to subscribe now. Terms apply.
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