California man to be sentenced for killing family of 4

A man convicted of killing a family of four with a sledgehammer and burying their bodies in the California desert will learn Friday whether he will face the death penalty.

Charles “Chase” Merritt, who has maintained his innocence, was convicted in June of the murders of his former business associate Joseph McStay, McStay’s wife Summer, and their 4- and 3-year-old sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr.

Jurors who convicted him of first-degree murder recommended death for the killings of Mrs. McStay and the children but life in prison without possibility of parole for the death of Joseph McStay.

The family vanished from their home in northern San Diego County in 2010. Their disappearance puzzled investigators until 2013, when an off-road motorcyclist found skeletal remains in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, about 100 miles (160 kilometers) miles north of the McStay home.

In one grave, authorities unearthed a rusty 3-pound (1.36-kilogram) sledgehammer that they said was used to kill the family.

Merritt was arrested the following year. Authorities said they believed Merritt killed the family as McStay was cutting him out of his business making and selling custom water fountains.

Investigators said they traced his cellphone to the area of the desert graves in the days after the family disappeared and to a call seeking to close McStay’s online bookkeeping account. Merritt also had referred to McStay in the past tense during an interview with investigators.

Merritt’s attorneys didn’t call any witnesses during the penalty phase.

“From the very beginning, this case screamed doubt,” defense attorney Raj Maline told jurors. “This case is filled with unanswered questions.”

California has not executed anyone since 2006. Voters approved a ballot measure to speed up executions in 2016, but last year Gov. Gavin Newsom placed a moratorium on executions while he’s in office.

Image Source: AP