The McStay family consisted of Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two young sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr. In February 2010, the family mysteriously disappeared from their home in Fallbrook, California. Their car was later found abandoned near the U.S.-Mexico border, and no signs of struggle were initially found at their home. In 2013, the remains of the McStay family were discovered in shallow graves in the Mojave Desert near Victorville, California. The cause of death for all four victims was blunt force trauma, and a sledgehammer was found at the burial site. After investigation, Charles "Chase" Merritt, Joseph McStay's business partner, was arrested in 2014. He was financially troubled due to a gambling problem and owed Joseph McStay money for failed business work. Merritt was convicted of the murders in 2019 and sentenced to death in 2020. He had previously passed a lie detector test but used past tense referring to Joseph McStay, which raised suspicion. Merritt maintained his innocence and expressed strong disapproval of prosecutors. A new book released in 2025 called "Down to the Bone" by Caitlin Rother brought new light to unanswered questions in the case, covering details from the disappearance to the trial. In summary, the McStay family was tragically murdered by Charles Merritt, and he was held legally responsible and sentenced to death for this crime.