GIANNI and JOSEPH MCSTAY - 4 and 3 yo - San Diego County CA/MEXICO alerted

LOS ANGELES --     A middle-class family of four vanishes, leaving their dogs unattended and rotting food in their San Diego County home.Their abandoned car is later found near the Mexico border.It might sound like a TV mystery, but the reality has relatives of the McStay family pleading for help and law enforcement searching both sides of the border for clues.    

       On Wednesday, the San Diego County Sheriff's Department released photographs of Joseph McStay, 40; his wife Summer, 43; and their sons Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3.





The family has not been seen or heard from since Feb. 4. Their white, 1996 Isuzu Trooper was found four days later in a strip mall in San Ysidro, about 70 miles from their home in Fallbrook, sheriff's Lt. Dennis Brugos said."It's
all a mystery," he said. "Is the vehicle down by the border a ploy?
Were they voluntarily missing? Were they taken against their will? ...
Just for a family of four to disappear, I've never seen anything like
it."Joseph's brother, Michael, went to the home on Feb. 14 to
check on the family but only found the dogs. He called authorities the
next day, and investigators found no signs of a struggle.Still, Michael McStay said he fears for the lives of his family members and feels helpless to do anything.Neighbors
said they had been feeding the animals but had heard nothing from the
family. Acquaintances told investigators the McStays never would have
left on vacation or for any other reason without telling someone.San Diego County Crime Stoppers is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.Relatives
have set up a Web site seeking information about the family's
whereabouts. It's full of pictures of the couple and their children,
snacking on ice cream, smiling and posing formally."Joseph,
Summer, Gianni, and Joseph Mateo McStay are sweet people, loving, fun,
genuine," the Web site said. "Summer is an incredible mom. Joey is one
of a kind. Anyone that knows Joe has a Joey-ism and (a) story sure to
make you smile and laugh. Let's bring them home safe!!!!!"McStay
worked out of his home, designing and installing indoor water
fountains. Investigators were checking the family's phone and financial
records and have spoken to acquaintances, but so far have found nothing
to explain why they vanished or indicate they ran afoul of criminals.Neighbors didn't recall any major marital disputes.The
Sheriff's Department also is working with authorities in Mexico and has
contacted Interpol to ask for help. They also were checking
border-crossing surveillance tapes.

SAN DIEGO — The National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children has joined in the search effort for a
missing Fallbrook family whose disappearance three weeks ago continues
to baffle law enforcement.

The national group is expected to assign volunteers to the case to
lend a hand to sheriff’s investigators, including helping sift through
numerous hours of border surveillance tapes to determine if the family
crossed into Mexico.

“There’s hours of video,” said sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Brugos. “It’s
tedious to have one of my people assigned to do that when they could be
chasing down other leads.”

The nonprofit organization released its own flier Wednesday with
photos of Joseph McStay, 40, his wife Summer, 43, and their two boys,
Gianni, 4, and Joseph, 3. The younger Joseph has a distinctive red
birthmark on his forehead, and his father has tattoos on each shoulder.

No one has seen or heard from the foursome since Feb. 4. They were
reported missing Feb. 15 when deputies conducted a welfare check at
their Avocado Vista Lane home and found evidence suggesting the family
had not planned to be away. Their two dogs were left uncared for.

Their white Isuzu Trooper was found abandoned in a San Ysidro parking lot near the border on Feb. 8.

Sheriff’s investigators who have combed through the home and car
have released few details about possible evidence but said there were
no signs of violence.

The disappearance has garnered national media attention, including
interviews this week with the Sheriff’s Department on CNN and Inside
Edition.

The missing children center, based in Alexandria, Va., has also
helped with the search for Amber Dubois, a 15-year-old Escondido girl
who has been missing for a year. Staff members came to San Diego County
the first few weeks of her disappearance last February to help with the
search and also helped review police reports and transcribe case notes
into a computer.

Anyone with information on the McStays is asked to call the
Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200 or leave an anonymous tip with
Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 or sdcrimestoppers.com.

Tim Miller knows
what it's like to have a child go missing, so when the father of a San
Clemente businessman who has been missing three weeks called him for
help, he decided to involve his search agency in the hunt for Joseph
McStay and his family.
Miller said his nonprofit organization called Texas Equusearch
didn't plan on jumping into any new cases because of tough economic
times. But "when I hear a father's or mother's voice at the other end
of the phone, I can't say no," he said.


Patrick McStay, Joseph's father, knew about Miller's agency because
he lives in Texas and the group has made a name for itself there,
Miller said.
Texas Equusearch has been involved in several high-profile cases. It offered its free services to help search for Natalee Holloway, who went missing in 2005 during a high school graduation trip to Aruba, and Caylee Anthony, a Florida 2-year-old who was missing and later found slain. Her mother is awaiting trial on murder charges.
Miller's group spent $108,000 on the Anthony case and $2 million in
the search for Holloway, who has not been found. The group is funded
through donations and sponsorships, according to its Web site.
Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and their two sons, Gianni,
4, and Joseph, 3, were last heard from Feb. 4, according to police. The
family, who had lived in San Clemente for years, moved to Fallbrook in
December. Joseph McStay operated a water-fountain business in San
Clemente called Earth Inspired Products.
The family's car was towed as an abandoned vehicle from a San Ysidro
parking lot near the Mexican border Feb. 8. A worried family member
reported them missing Feb. 15. Police have searched their Fallbrook
home and said it looked like the family left in a hurry because they
left their cell phones behind and their two dogs outside without food
or water.
As authorities continue to mine phone and financial records,
Miller's group will be carrying out ground searches. Miller plans to
fly to California on Friday from the nonprofit's headquarters in
Dickinson, Texas. He said Texas Equusearch takes cases only if a family
member asks for help and law enforcement agrees.
"We talked to the detectives for a long time on the phone about the
case," Miller said. "They're scratching their heads, too. They're
really frustrated."
Miller's group uses state-of-the art aerial and sonar technology to
help find missing people. Miller plans to use a drone airplane that
weighs about 4 pounds and is flown remotely. It flies at about 500 feet
and captures thousands of high-resolution images. The group will then
piece those images together to search for clues.
"If we know the person was wearing blue jeans and a red shirt, we
can wash out all the colors except red and blue and find the GPS
coordinates for all the spots that show red and blue," Miller said. The
technology is made by RP Flight Systems.
Michael Hennig, RP's West Coast director, said he plans to fly the
drones this weekend over the off-road areas in the roughly 60-mile
distance between the McStays' home to where their car was found. He
said the drones can capture infrared imagery that highlights man-made
materials.
Miller said his group may take its search over the border, as San
Diego County law enforcement has asked for help from Mexican officials.
Texas Equusearch also will be looking for any mounds or graves.
"I pray to God they're OK, but I'm not going to sugarcoat anything," Miller said. "This does not look good."
The National Center for Exploited & Missing Children
also is helping with the case and has circulated a flier about the
family. The center focuses more on spreading awareness, while Texas
Equusearch is more hands-on, Miller said.
Lt. Dennis Brugos, a spokesman for the San Diego County Sheriff's
Department, which is leading the investigation, said Texas Equusearch
will not be working under his department's direction. When asked
whether police plan to use search technology similar to that used by
Texas Equusearch, Brugos said, "We're not doing that."
In 1984, Miller's daughter Laura went missing. Her remains were
found months later about two blocks from Miller's Texas home. In 2000,
Miller started helping families search for missing loved ones using his
horses. That small operation has grown into a team of thousands of
volunteers that has carried out about 1,100 searches. About 300 missing
people have been found with the group's help, many of them dead, Miller
said.
"If someone told you they wanted to help bring your family home,
would you say no?" said Joseph McStay's brother, Michael, 37, who lives
in San Clemente.
Some have said the McStays bought granite for their new home from a
store close to where their car was found. But Michael McStay said he
doesn't think that's why the car was there.
Summer McStay's white Isuzu Trooper was found near the border with
child seats inside, while Joseph McStay's pickup was left in the
family's driveway.
"If you needed to pick up materials, would you take a little SUV or a pickup truck?" Michael McStay said.
Before Joseph McStay operated Earth Inspired Products, he owned a
store called Naturally Dana Point, which has been closed for years,
Michael McStay said. His mother and stepfather (who have since
divorced) operated a deli in Dana Point while Michael and Joseph
attended Dana Hills High School. The brothers grew up in Texas but
moved to Dana Point during their high school years, Michael McStay said.
Family members have organized a fund that may be used as a reward or
for other purposes, depending on what happens. Donations can be made
through www.McStayfamily.com.
Michael McStay said he doubts his brother would just pick up and
leave his business behind, jeopardizing his source of income, because
he had three children to support. In addition to the missing boys,
Joseph McStay has a 14-year-old son, Jonah, from a previous marriage.
"This just absolutely drains me emotionally," Michael McStay said.
"Everybody's leaning on me. My mom is devastated. My dad is rattled.
All his friends are rattled. I don't know what the future holds. I just
got to keep my legs moving and my ear to the ground."

Poster's Note: An article from NewsBlaze.com by John Kays

I reviewed everything I had last night. Two dozen articles, photos,
a half dozen videos, the McStay web site and some notes of my own,
mostly random speculation or theories of mine about what might have
happened. There have been very few new developments in the past two
weeks, but rather only a consolidation of what we already know.

Tim Miller with Texas Equusearch is conducting a search of the
nearly 40 miles of isolated terrain between San Diego and the Mexican
border of San Ysidro, where the McStay vehicle had been parked. Note
that it's 80 miles from the McStay house that is in Bonsall, Ca., north
of San Diego.It was reported yesterday that Lt. Dennis Brugos of the San Diego
Sheriff's Office wanted to interview the brother again, Michael McStay.
Perhaps there are still loose ends that could use some tying up.
Michael was interviewed by phone on Jane Velez-Mitchell on Monday,
February 22nd. Michael's theory is: "I think my family was kidnapped!"

Jane asked him about the large gap of time from when the family
seemingly disappeared, and when family members became aware enough of
this problem that it was time to report it to the police. This is an 11
day gap of time, from Feb, 4th to Feb. 15th. On the 6th the cell phones
went dead. The Isuzu trooper was towed on the 8th, but connecting the
vehicle with the family occurred much later.

The McStay Family missing persons' flier. Did they ever drive to San Ysidro and park their Isuzu Trooper?

Again, why wasn't there more panic in the family or friends right
after the 4th? It's been said that family members were close to the
McStay's? Yet no action was taken until 11 days later. Michael gives us
a timeline, but it's incomplete. He says that by the 9th they were
calling the house constantly. This would include the business partner
of Joseph, whose name I haven't heard mentioned so far.

Michael says the house was checked on the 9th and again on the 12th.
Does this just mean that the doorbell was rung? If no one was home and
they wouldn't answer their cell phones, I don't see why they weren't
reported missing, at least by the 9th? I don't believe family
considered it feasible that they had gone on vacation and yet didn't
tell anyone.

As far as the vehicle being left in a parking lot of a popular
shopping center strip mall in San Ysidro, I don't believe it was Joseph
and his family that drove that vehicle there and parked it. What I'd
like to know, is what fingerprints did the police find on the steering
wheel or anywhere on the car? Granted, there were two child safety
seats intact in the Isuzu, but those could have already been there.

The reason I don't believe that the family ever drove down to the
border, is that they wouldn't have left the dogs, Bear and Digger,
without food and water. The mother, Summer would have put the fruit and
vegetables back in the refrigerator. And the most telling sign that
they never drove away on a short day trip, is that Summer left her
prescription sunglasses on the counter. This just didn't happen!

Therefore, the culprit or culprits must have planted the car in San
Ysidro to make it look like the family went to Mexico. The perpetrator
probably wore gloves so as to not leave any fingerprints. I'm sure San
Diego detectives are working this angle, but will not reveal these
vital clues to the public. The McStay's never left Falbrook/Bonsall!

I've heard also that the mother Summer changed her name around
frequently. Was she hiding something from her past? Or was there
someone who she was trying to avoid? For one thing, it's been reported
(on Jane Velez-Mitchell) that she had a fake birth certificate. Her age
is 42, but I've seen it different in various articles I've read.

Here are some mutations of her name: Lisa Aranda, Virginia Lisa
Aranda, Summer Martelli, Summer McStay and Lisa Aranda Martelli. On
Jane's show Issues, Dale Archer said that if we can answer why she
changed her name, we will have the key to the whole mystery. The
question of a changing name does make you wonder why 'Summer' would
want to do this, if she wasn't trying to dodge someone?

So we don't really have any new hard facts that will help us solve
this missing persons case. What could the motive possibly be to cause
some bad people to do such a bad thing? Sex, drugs and money are the
usual reasons given for such misdeeds. Drugs and money can be tied
together as one and the same, in a sense.

And yet this family seems so normal, wholesome and happy! It does
not fit. Yet there is another story under the surface. It's our job to
expose that story that's sequestered between the lines of the 'public
version.' What we're hearing now is not the True Version. It can't be
because it does not jive with what we know has happened.

Michael's theory is that it's economic. He knows the family best, so
I'll agree with him. "With what's going on in today's economy and how
close his car was found to the border, the first thing I'm thinking is
that it has something to do with money." More of the brother's words:
"People do stupid stuff for money, but I'm praying for the best."

Aren't we all!

SAN DIEGO—San Diego County
sheriff's investigators say surveillance video may have captured images
of a missing Fallbrook family crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into
Tijuana on foot last month. Sgt. Roy Frank said Friday that the
video was shot at the San Ysidro Port of Entry on Feb. 8, four days
after Joseph and Summer McStay and their two small boys were last seen.
The tape shows a family casually strolling across the border.
The McStays' white Isuzu Trooper was found in a parking lot nearby
later that day. Relatives say it's out of character for the
family to disappear, leaving their dogs at home and rotting food in
their kitchen. Detectives say they have found no evidence that the McStays had financial problems or were facing threats.

For the first time, relatives take the media inside the McStay's house.
Joseph and Summer McStay and their two boys -- Gianni, 4, and Joey, 3
-- have been missing since Feb.4.
Mike McStay, Joseph's brother gave reporters a tour of the
home located on the 3400 block of Avocado Vista Lane in North County. He
said the home has been cleaned and vacuumed in the time since the
family disappeared.
Inside, the house is in a moderate level of disarray
-- mostly because the home was in the process
of being remodeled, according to Mike. Four upstairs bedrooms are, for
the most part, empty. Several children's toys, including a large
playhouse remain in the house.
The master bedroom is empty. Furniture had yet to be
delivered, said Mike McStay. In a walk-in closet, Mike Mcstay said,
several purses were found but did not appear to be currently being used.
Downstairs, strips of masking tape protect the edgings of several walls
--- the kitchen was being repainted. Two sets of sunglasses, one of
which has prescription lenses, were found on a counter.
In the garage, a double stroller sits with several wetsuits resting on top of it. Mike McStay
said his brother would always take the stroller on planned trips.
Earlier this month, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Dept released surveillance video that may have
captured the McStay family entering Mexico.
The video was recorded at the San Ysidro border crossing Feb. 8, the same day the Mcstay's
white Isuzu Trooper was found illegally parked at a nearby strip mall.
At the bottom left corner of the video, you can see a man walking hand in hand with a child.
Following him is a woman in a white jacket, holding the hand of another child.
San Diego County Sheriff's investigators say this could be Joseph McStay and his wife Summer with their
two kids, crossing the border into Tijuana.
"There's a very high probability it's them,” said Sheriff's Homicide Lt. Dennis Brugos.
Detectives showed the video to their family. Some recognized the white jacket that the woman is
wearing in the video, but other family members aren't sure it's them
because of the poor quality of the video.
"It's very grainy, overshadowed, there's no definition to shape,” said Mike McStay.
Since their disappearance, investigators said, the McStays haven't used their bank accounts, credit
cards or cell phones.
"They could be down there on their own volition, and just wanted to drop out for awhile, that's one
theory,” said Brugos. "They could have gone down there for the evening
and got into a situation they couldn't get out of."
Anyone with information about the case is being urged to call deputies at 858-974-2321 or
858-565-5200 after-hours. Tips can also be called in anonymously to
CrimeStoppers at 888-580-TIPS(8477). A reward of up to $1,000 is being
offered by CrimeStoppers for information leading to an arrest.

A newly uncovered surveillance videotape shows a glimpse of a missing
family's activities before leaving their home and two unattended dogs
behind, a relative says.
San Clemente businessman Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and
their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph, 3, have been missing since
Feb. 4. Michael McStay, Joseph's brother, said a video from a neighbor's
home security camera shows the family leaving their Fallbrook house at
7:47 p.m. that day in their white Isuzu Trooper.
On Feb. 8, the Isuzu was found abandoned in a parking lot a few blocks
from the Mexican border, according to police reports.
The McStays had moved from their longtime home in San Clemente to a
bigger home in Fallbrook in December. Joseph McStay has operated a water
accessories business, Earth Inspired Products, since 1996, according to
its Web site.
"What makes me nervous is the four days between the video and the car
showing up at the border," said Michael McStay, who has taken over the
everyday business of Earth Inspired Products in order to finish orders
left behind by his brother.
Michael McStay, a San Clemente resident, said he is organizing a trip
to Fallbrook to distribute fliers Saturday. He would like to do the
same in San Ysidro, near the border, at a later date. The National
Center for Endangered and Missing Children released a flier about the
family last month and asked retailers in several states to post it.
A private agency, Texas Equusearch,
joined the search by flying small drones about 60 miles between
Fallbrook and the border to take thousands of infrared images. Tim Miller,
director of the agency, has said the drones did not uncover any useful
clues.
Michael McStay said he hopes RP Flight Systems, the company that
makes the drones, will try again near the Fallbrook home sometime soon.
This month, the San Diego County
Sheriff's Department, which has been heading the investigation, said
the McStays may be on a surveillance video taken near the border. See
the video on www.youtube.com.
About 30 seconds in, a man holding a child's hand and a woman holding
another child's hand walk on screen. Though police have said they are
using the video as a possible lead, Michael McStay said he is not
convinced the people in the video are his relatives.
"The bottom line is, if that's them crossing the border, with all the
media coverage all over this thing, my brother would have called me
right now. My brother would have picked up the phone and said, 'Mikey,
I'm all right,'" Michael McStay said. "If he was across the border
drinking mai tais with $500,000 in the bank, like some people are
saying, he would have picked up the phone and said, 'Tell Mom and Dad
I'm OK.' We are a tightknit family."
Items at the Fallbrook home indicated a quick departure. Eggs were
left on the counter, paint rollers were in pans with wet paint and the
family's two dogs were left in the back yard without food or water –
something that friends and relatives have said the family would not
normally do. Several recent reports have said the family left their cell
phones behind, but Michael McStay said those phones were old. When
searching the house, he did not find his brother's new phone, a T-Mobile G1.
He said his brother made his most recent call the night of Feb. 4 to
an associate. It lasted a minute, according to phone records. Summer
McStay had sent a few text messages to a friend who helped paint the
house earlier that day. There has been no activity on their bank
accounts, Michael McStay said.
Friends and relatives have held several vigils at a Laguna Niguel
park where Joseph McStay played soccer every Friday.
"My fear is that I'm looking for two adult shallow graves and ... my
two nephews' crosses," Michael McStay said. "If there's no evidence of
foul play at the house, like police said, it doesn't mean there's not a
crime scene elsewhere."
Calls to police seeking comment for this story were not returned.
To help distribute fliers, send a message to Michael McStay via the
"Contact us" page at www.mcstayfamily.com.

TomTerrific0420 wrote:A newly uncovered surveillance videotape shows a glimpse of a missing
family's activities before leaving their home and two unattended dogs
behind, a relative says.
San Clemente businessman Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43, and
their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joseph, 3, have been missing since
Feb. 4. Michael McStay, Joseph's brother, said a video from a neighbor's
home security camera shows the family leaving their Fallbrook house at
7:47 p.m. that day in their white Isuzu Trooper.
On Feb. 8, the Isuzu was found abandoned in a parking lot a few blocks
from the Mexican border, according to police reports.
The McStays had moved from their longtime home in San Clemente to a
bigger home in Fallbrook in December. Joseph McStay has operated a water
accessories business, Earth Inspired Products, since 1996, according to
its Web site.
"What makes me nervous is the four days between the video and the car
showing up at the border," said Michael McStay, who has taken over the
everyday business of Earth Inspired Products in order to finish orders
left behind by his brother.
Michael McStay, a San Clemente resident, said he is organizing a trip
to Fallbrook to distribute fliers Saturday. He would like to do the
same in San Ysidro, near the border, at a later date. The National
Center for Endangered and Missing Children released a flier about the
family last month and asked retailers in several states to post it.
A private agency, Texas Equusearch,
joined the search by flying small drones about 60 miles between
Fallbrook and the border to take thousands of infrared images. Tim Miller,
director of the agency, has said the drones did not uncover any useful
clues.
Michael McStay said he hopes RP Flight Systems, the company that
makes the drones, will try again near the Fallbrook home sometime soon.
This month, the San Diego County
Sheriff's Department, which has been heading the investigation, said
the McStays may be on a surveillance video taken near the border. See
the video on www.youtube.com.
About 30 seconds in, a man holding a child's hand and a woman holding
another child's hand walk on screen. Though police have said they are
using the video as a possible lead, Michael McStay said he is not
convinced the people in the video are his relatives.
"The bottom line is, if that's them crossing the border, with all the
media coverage all over this thing, my brother would have called me
right now. My brother would have picked up the phone and said, 'Mikey,
I'm all right,'" Michael McStay said. "If he was across the border
drinking mai tais with $500,000 in the bank, like some people are
saying, he would have picked up the phone and said, 'Tell Mom and Dad
I'm OK.' We are a tightknit family."
Items at the Fallbrook home indicated a quick departure. Eggs were
left on the counter, paint rollers were in pans with wet paint and the
family's two dogs were left in the back yard without food or water –
something that friends and relatives have said the family would not
normally do. Several recent reports have said the family left their cell
phones behind, but Michael McStay said those phones were old. When
searching the house, he did not find his brother's new phone, a T-Mobile G1.
He said his brother made his most recent call the night of Feb. 4 to
an associate. It lasted a minute, according to phone records. Summer
McStay had sent a few text messages to a friend who helped paint the
house earlier that day. There has been no activity on their bank
accounts, Michael McStay said.
Friends and relatives have held several vigils at a Laguna Niguel
park where Joseph McStay played soccer every Friday.
"My fear is that I'm looking for two adult shallow graves and ... my
two nephews' crosses," Michael McStay said. "If there's no evidence of
foul play at the house, like police said, it doesn't mean there's not a
crime scene elsewhere."
Calls to police seeking comment for this story were not returned.
To help distribute fliers, send a message to Michael McStay via the
"Contact us" page at www.mcstayfamily.com.

Something very hinky about this case. Seems like they're running from a threat of some kind, to leave at that time of the evening and, leave the house as it was found, very strange for sure. Just because they haven't touched the money in their bank account doesn't mean they didn't have money elsewhere. I will be very, very surprised if there isn't some type of drug or other illegal deals involved. JMO of course.

San Diego
County sheriff's investigators say a missing Fallbrook family's computer
records show they had been looking into passport rules for children
traveling to Mexico.Homicide
Lt. Dennis Brugos says investigators found e-mails indicating Joseph
and Summer McStay were asking about entry into Mexico shortly before
they disappeared.Last month, investigators said surveillance
video may have captured images of the missing couple and their two young
sons crossing the border on foot. The McStays' white Isuzu Trooper was
found in a nearby parking lot.

Relatives have called the disappearance out of character especially
since the couple left their dogs at home and food rotting in their
kitchen.Detectives have found no evidence that the McStays had
financial problems or were facing threats.

The FBI will be briefed Friday on a San Diego County family that has
been missing for almost two months.Sheriff's Lt. Dennis Brugos
said investigators are focusing their search for the McStay family in
Mexico, where the FBI has more resources.Businessman Joseph
McStay, his wife, Summer, and their two young sons - Gianni 4, Joseph
Jr. 3 - were last heard from Feb. 4.Investigators said
surveillance video may have captured images of the Fallbrook family
crossing the border on foot. Their white Isuzu Trooper was found in a
nearby parking lot.Investigators also found e-mails indicating
the couple had asked about passport requirements for traveling to Mexico
with children shortly before they disappeared.Relatives said
it's uncharacteristic of the McStays to simply pick up and leave the
country without telling family members.Tracy Russell, Summer
McStay's sister, said the idea that the family may have planned to go to
Mexico has made her even more worried."I know I should feel a
little bit better, but I don't," Russell said. "My mother is distraught.
I don't think my sister would torture my mom like that."She last
spoke to her sister on the phone Feb. 4.Mike McStay, Joseph's
brother, said he set up a Web site to field tips about the family's
whereabouts and has forwarded any promising information to
investigators.Neither Joseph nor Summer McStay is fluent in
Spanish, relatives said. Summer McStay's passport is expired. Their
youngest son's birth certificate, required for re-entry to the United
States by minors under 16, is with a grandmother, relatives said.Detectives
have no evidence that the family had financial problems or were facing
threats.The couple left their dogs at home and food rotting in
their kitchen.

March 31, 2010 1:02 PM McStay Family
Update: Missing Family May Have Planned Mexico Disappearance, Say Police

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20001494-504083.html

no real updates on them

Investigators in Baja California are knocking on doors on Wednesday in
search of the missing McStay family after new clues give family members
hope that the McStays are still alive.New information suggests
the McStays may have been spotted in late February in a Mexican town
about 230 miles from the parking lot where their car was found abandoned
Feb. 8. a few blocks from the San Ysidro border crossing.A
waiter at a restaurant in El Rosario Baja California told a McStay
family friend who was distributing missing flyers there in late April
that a child who looked just like Joseph McStay, Jr. stepped in for a
bite to eat in late February with a family that closely resembled the
McStays.
“This brings a ray of hope because you know, it takes the worst out of
the equation,” said Michael McStay, the brother of Joseph McStay.The
ray of hope is a map that the family may have left behind. Staff at
Mama Espinosa’s restaurant said the family that resembled the McStays
left the map after they ate.Michael McStay said the FBI is now
testing fingerprints found on the map and expects the results within a
few days.“If they can get a partial or anything then I’m gonna
know they definitely had their hands on it,” said McStay.
The Baja California State Police Department
is taking the tip seriously. Seven investigators were sent
yesterday. They arrived last night and they’re going to spend the next
couple of days just combing the area looking for clues, looking for more
concrete evidence..Baja California State Police
also said that they want people to confirm sightings of the family.“Look,
it was late February. We don’t expect them to be there. It’s unlikely
they’ll be there, but we’re just hoping to find people who can just tell
us, yes, they were here.”

I hope this family is not forgotten!

With no signs of life for six months and a looming foreclosure,
relatives of a missing family collected items last week from a home that
was left in disarray when the family disappeared.
Blanche Aranda-Martelli grabbed finger paintings and toy dinosaurs to
hold onto something tangible when she thinks of her missing
grandchildren. Michael McStay took his brother's guitar, the one they bought together years ago.
San Clemente businessman Joseph McStay, 40, his wife, Summer, 43,
and their two children, Gianni, 5, and Joseph, 3,
have been missing since Feb. 4, just months after moving from a San
Clemente beach bungalow to a house on a cul-de-sac in Fallbrook.
"Unfortunately we have to do these types of things," said Michael,
who helped clean out his brother's home. "It's very final. I could see
Blanche working with her eyes all watery. The stress has been horrible.
There's been no word, there's been nothing."
Back in February, items at the family's new home indicated a quick
departure, with eggs left on the counter and paint rollers in pans. The
family's two dogs, which are now being taken care of by friends and
family, were left in the backyard without food or water.
On Feb. 8, the family's Isuzu was towed as an abandoned vehicle from a
parking lot near the Mexican border. A video surveillance tape released
a month later by police show a family of four that looked like the
McStays—backs turned to the camera—crossing the border. Another
surveillance video has surfaced and police are currently reviewing it,
said Tracy Russell, Summer's sister.
Calls to police about the new tape were not immediately returned. The
San Diego Sheriff's Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation
are working on the case, which will remain open until a conclusive
discovery is made, Michael said. Summer was supposed to visit her
newborn nephew for the first time the week she disappeared. She never got the chance.
Now the family's home may face foreclosure as the house payments were
linked to automatically withdraw from the family's checking account,
Michael said. Police have frozen the accounts and Michael expects a
notice of default is on the way.
Since their disappearance, there has been no activity on the bank accounts or the family's cell phones.
The McStay's story has made national news, with an eight-minute
feature on America's Most Wanted in June, which sparked about a dozen
tips, coming from Michigan to mainland Mexico. None panned out. Aerial
drone searches following the disappearance failed to find anything, too.
An "endangered missing" flier created by the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children will continue to run in Mexican
newspapers and future television specials are in the works, Michael said.
The house didn't have much in it as the McStays were in the middle of
moving when they disappeared. Sentimental items have been collected,
and remaining furniture and appliances sold. The money is going to
support Joseph McStay's 14-year-old son from another mother. The teen
took his father's surfboards and iPod a few weeks ago. His half-brother,
Gianni, turned five in July, five months into the search.
"You have good days and you have bad days. You have strong ones and
weak ones," Russell said. "You have to try and move on. It's so hard. It's a huge hole."
A business partner is taking care of Joseph's business, Earth Inspired Products,
which sells outdoor water fountain accessories.
"We're keeping it afloat so Joey can have it when he comes back," his brother said.

nothing new found 5-4-12

Remains in Desert ID'd as Members of Missing San Diego Family: Sheriff



A motorcyclist found the skeletal remains of what turned out to be four people earlier this week


Friday, Nov 15, 2013  |  Updated 1:38 PM PST

Human remains found in a Southern California desert were identified Friday as members of a San Diego family who have been missing since 2010.

McStay Family Mystery: Timeline of Events

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said the remains of Summer and Joseph McStay were identified through dental records. The other remains found nearby earlier this week are believed to be those of their children, McMahon said.
McStay family members attended the Friday news conference at which the Sheriff's Department announced the findings.
"It gives us courage to know that they're together and they're in a better place," said Mike McStay, Joseph McStay's brother. "It's been a tough road."

The deaths have been ruled homicides, but the cause of death will not be released to "protect the investigation," the department said in a news release.

A motorcyclist found skeletal remains Monday morning in the area between Quarry and Stoddard Wells roads, just north of Victorville, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Victorville Station said. When investigators began to analyze the bones, they came across another set of remains in a shallow grave about 6 to 8 feet away, sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller said.
Investigators said they believed the remains were that of four people, and it appeared that the remains had been there for "an extended period of time."

The announcement is a key development in solving the 4-year-old mystery about what happened to the San Diego family.  McMahon said he could not confirm that the deaths are linked to a drug cartel after being asked several times about that possibility at the news conference.

"We're looking at all options in investigating who the suspects are," said McMahon. "It's too early for us to identify anybody as a suspect."

Joseph McStay, of Fallbrook, Calif. and his wife Summer were last seen with their two children, then ages 3 and 4, in February 2010, NBC7 San Diego reported. A group resembling the McStay family were spotted on surveillance footage crossing into Mexico at the San Ysidro border crossing on Feb. 8, 2010.

Investigators with the FBI, which is handling the family’s case, said it’s believed the family went to Mexico of their own free will.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Skeletal-Human-Remains-Found-San-Bernardino-County-Desert-Bodies-Grave-Missing-San-Diego-Family-McStay-232012651.html

Remains in Desert ID'd as Members of Missing San Diego Family: Sheriff
A motorcyclist found the skeletal remains of what turned out to be four people earlier this week

Friday, Nov 15, 2013  |  Updated 1:38 PM PST

Human remains found in a Southern California desert were identified Friday as members of a San Diego family who have been missing since 2010.

McStay Family Mystery: Timeline of Events

San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon said the remains of Summer and Joseph McStay were identified through dental records. The other remains found nearby earlier this week are believed to be those of their children, McMahon said.

McStay family members attended the Friday news conference at which the Sheriff's Department announced the findings.

"It gives us courage to know that they're together and they're in a better place," said Mike McStay, Joseph McStay's brother. "It's been a tough road."

The deaths have been ruled homicides, but the cause of death will not be released to "protect the investigation," the department said in a news release.

A motorcyclist found skeletal remains Monday morning in the area between Quarry and Stoddard Wells roads, just north of Victorville, the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Victorville Station said. When investigators began to analyze the bones, they came across another set of remains in a shallow grave about 6 to 8 feet away, sheriff's spokeswoman Jodi Miller said.
Investigators said they believed the remains were that of four people, and it appeared that the remains had been there for "an extended period of time."

The announcement is a key development in solving the 4-year-old mystery about what happened to the San Diego family.

McMahon said he could not confirm that the deaths are linked to a drug cartel after being asked several times about that possibility at the news conference.

"We're looking at all options in investigating who the suspects are," said McMahon. "It's too early for us to identify anybody as a suspect."

Joseph McStay, of Fallbrook, Calif. and his wife Summer were last seen with their two children, then ages 3 and 4, in February 2010, NBC7 San Diego reported. A group resembling the McStay family were spotted on surveillance footage crossing into Mexico at the San Ysidro border crossing on Feb. 8, 2010.

Investigators with the FBI, which is handling the family’s case, said it’s believed the family went to Mexico of their own free will.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Skeletal-Human-Remains-Found-San-Bernardino-County-Desert-Bodies-Grave-Missing-San-Diego-Family-McStay-232012651.html

After almost 4 years I'm sadly moving this from missing  to murdered children.

 Twinkletoes, I can't believe you found this story! How very sad for their families.

I'd posted a long post and accidentally deleted it but I've a few questions about this case. I'll post the link to the interview I read with the mothers of Joey and Summer McStay - it did clear up the innuendo about the name change - her mother says she changed her name to Summer in 1979 - that would have made her about 12 years old. And personally I have a lot of names because I started life with my middle name, changed to my first name in high school and am on my second 'married' name and there is nothing nefarious in my past. Also Joseph's mom says he'd not been feeling well for a few months - vertigo and woozy (being poisoned maybe) and his mother was the one who went to the doctors with him. The news mentions a neighbor's video showing the family leaving that evening but it doesn't describe the departure - hurried? Furtive? And what time was the 1 min call Joey had that "evening" and how did Summer sound when she talked to her sister that day? Why did the friend who'd been painting the house earlier leave all the paint out - one always cleans the rollers (or wraps them in plastic and pops them in the freezer)? Also I think that with eggs, fruits, veggies and sunglasses on the kitchen counter it sounds like someone had just returned from grocery shopping (and surely you'd close the paint cans. So despite the searches for passports they certainly didn't leave for a planned trip to Mexico.

Here's the quote of the mothers' interview without editing out the ad because that's when it deleted itself:

Thursday, March 25th, 2010
Issue 12, Volume 14.
Debbie Ramsey
Managing Editor


Susan Blake and Blanche Almanze, the mothers of Joseph ‘Joey’ McStay, 40, and his wife, Summer, 43, respectively, have not given up hope of finding their children and two grandsons, Gianni, 4, and Joey Jr., 3, alive.

The McStay family of four, residents of Fallbrook, was last heard from on February 4. They have now been missing for eight weeks.

New evidence discovered

Blake said that new information became available on Monday, March 29 – evidence that an inquiry had been made from the family’s home computer on January 28 as to whether passports were required for children traveling into Mexico. Law enforcement authorities have focused the search for the family into Mexico since a review of tapes of individuals crossing the international border produced a family of four, roughly meeting the McStay’s description, crossing on February 7.

Both mothers said they find it hard to believe that their children would cross over the border into Mexico, especially with the children in tow.

"I have said from day one that if my son went over the border, he would have had to have been drugged or forced; there is no other way," said Blake.

"I just don’t see my daughter taking [the children] out of their car seats and putting them into a taxi in Tijuana; she just wasn’t like that," said Almanze. "She was always very concerned about the children being safely buckled into their car seats."

FBI will join investigation

Lt. Dennis Brugos of the San Diego County Sheriff’s homicide division, who has been handling the investigation into the missing family, said the email inquiry into Mexican travel protocol now provides the means to call the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into the case.

"The FBI has additional resources in Mexico," said Brugos. "We will work with them, brief them on the case, and look forward to the added help."

Brugos said the investigation has been focused in Mexico after the images were found on the tapes, but the family has still questioned whether it was their relatives or not.

"It was very difficult to tell anything for sure from the tapes because they were so fuzzy," said Blake. "I could not tell for sure that it was my son."

Blake said she had even more uncertainties when it came to the children on the tape. "My grandson, Joey Jr., who we call "Chubba" has a certain way he walks and that was not evident in what I saw," she said. "Gianni, I couldn’t see very well at all."

Blake said Almanze thought she recognized her daughter by her thin build, overall size and a jacket the woman was wearing.

Blake and Almanze both said they have been "pretty satisfied" with how law enforcement has been handling the case and hope results are realized soon.

"I’m pretty satisfied with what they are doing as far as the investigation into Mexico," said Almanze. "I just wait every day to see if they get back to me."

Almanze said she has been successful enlisting some help in Mexico herself, although she does not know anyone down there. A bus line has promised to keep circulating the flyers and a Mexican newspaper has been helpful about publishing information.

It has also now been confirmed with law enforcement that the last cell phone calls made by the couple were relayed from a wireless site near the family home.

Mothers vow to keep searching

Despite the stress they are under, Blake and Almanze have consistently spent their time traveling throughout multiple counties passing out flyers with pictures of the missing family and asking business owners to post the notices in their windows. Blake, who was residing in Ventura, and Almanze, who normally lives in Big Bear have relocated temporarily to assist in the search for their loved ones.

"I’ll do anything to help search for my son and his family," said Blake. "I just have to find them."

"I’m just trying to keep the flyers going in hopes that maybe someone has seen something; even if they didn’t think it was something at the time," said Almanze. "I’ve been handing out flyers everywhere I possibly can."

Joseph McStay had not been well

Blake has an added concern. She said her son hadn’t been feeling well for a few months before the family disappeared.

"My son had been sick since last August and he’s normally a very healthy person," said Blake. "He’s an excellent surfer and soccer player. I even went to the hospital with him to try and see what was wrong; we thought maybe it was stress."

Blake described Joseph’s symptoms as something similar to vertigo and said he complained of feeling "woozy."

"When I last talked to my son, on February 4, he said he still didn’t feel good," said Blake, adding that she has provided the Sheriff’s Dept with information she had on her son’s recent healthcare visits.

Communication volume high in household

At the time of the family’s disappearance, the mothers said Summer McStay was shopping online through Craig’s List for furnishings for the family home, part of a remodeling project they had underway, and was communicating online with a number of people with items for sale.

"The kitchen was practically done, but [Summer] was still shopping for a new couch and chair," said Blake. The mothers both wonder if any of the people that had been in contact via email with Summer may have information as to the family’s whereabouts.

Personal profile

Blake said that the couple had been together for approximately six years and married after the children were born. She explained that Summer’s maiden name was Virginia Lisa Aranda, however she was also known to use the name Summer Martelli, a name she devised herself.

"[Summer] changed her name back in 1979," her mother, Blanche Almanze confirmed.

After the family went missing, Blake said she discovered that her daughter-in-law was eleven years older than she was given to believe.

"I don’t know why she did that; I don’t care about her age if she and my son are happy together," said Blake.

The investigation continues

Authorities say they are continuing to work with Mexican officials on the case and will look forward to the added benefit the FBI can bring.

"It is definitely still an ongoing investigation," said Brugos, adding that to date no evidence of wrongdoing, foul play or criminal involvement has been noted.

Officials have conducted extensive Advertisement

[ John Hine ] searches of the family’s vehicles and home located in the Lake Rancho Viejo area of Fallbrook.

Susan Blake said she is trying to keep her son’s family home "going," because "I know in my heart that Joey is alive. I feel that."

In reflecting on the search and public communication efforts, Almanze said she feels a birthmark on her youngest grandson’s forehead has not been mentioned enough in the search and may have been noticed.

"Joey Jr. has a red birthmark on the right side of his forehead, close to his eyebrow," said Almanze. "It’s a red, strawberry mark."

And as the two mothers continue to update and pass out flyers throughout the community, they are comforted by supporters, they said.

"The town of Fallbrook has been so supportive," said Blake. "Everyone has been so kind, considerate and friendly; it has been overwhelming."

And these two mothers remain staunchly dedicated to the search for their son, daughter, and two little grandsons.

"The nights are the worst," said Blake. "Your thoughts go different ways; you pray and you cry. I understand families that have one missing person, but four? I can’t help but worry if the babies are being fed; if they are okay. They don’t deserve this."

The family has created a Web site, www.McStayFamily.com, to keep the case before the public eye. San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 has offered a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the

case. Anyone with information on this case may call the Sheriff’s Department at (858) 565-5200.

(previous story Mar. 25, 2010 2:10 p.m.)

Investigation into missing McStay family focuses on Mexico

Debbie Ramsey

Managing Editor

The investigation into the disappearance of the McStay family of four last seen on Feb. 4 is more focused in Mexico at this time, authorities said, after video surveillance tapes revealed a family generally matching their description was spotted crossing the US/Mexico border at approximately 7 p.m. on Feb. 7.

However, Sheriff’s Lt. Dennis Brugos said authorities cannot positively identify that it was the McStay family in the film footage they reviewed.

"Family members looked at the video and the clothing the family was wearing, and were ‘pretty certain’ it was them, but the film was shot from the rear, so there is a little bit of uncertainty about it," said Brugos. "We are saying there is a high probability it was the McStays. Some of the family members were more certain about it than others."

Brugos also said the family depicted on the tape "didn’t appear to be under any kind of duress when they were crossing the border."

Assuming the family crossed into Mexico, Brugos said the focus of the investigation is now centered in Mexico.

"Our international liaisons are working with the Mexican officials," he said. "It is definitely still an ongoing investigation."

Brugos also confirmed that the investigation has not yet revealed any suspected wrongdoing, criminal involvement, or evidence of foul play.

"There is nothing that has jumped out at us that suggests criminal activity," said Brugos. "If [the McStays] voluntarily left the country, there is nothing unlawful about that, but it’s a little unusual."

Brugos said numerous questions have come to his mind, "Was this planned?" "Were they just going out for the evening?" "Did they plan on going out to dinner in Tijuana and something went wrong?" Brugos said if the family had been victims of a kidnapping, a demand would probably have been made.

"Generally if people get in trouble, family or friends hear about it," he said. Brugos said relatives of the family have continually reported they have not heard from them.

"Many we have interviewed have said the family would never, ever go to Mexico," said Brugos. "Now, as the investigation has progressed, some say they ‘might’ have gone there; that the husband may have gone there for a business purpose."

Brugos said the family did use various cell phones in the past, but the corresponding phone they made calls from on Feb. 4 has not been recovered in the investigation.

"Those phones have not been found," he confirmed.

Brugos remains baffled. "I’ve never seen a case like this. Sometimes people will take off for a weekend or slightly more without notifying anyone, but they don’t leave their dogs without food or water, leave food on their kitchen counter, and drop out of sight."

Detectives have examined the Mc Stay family’s 1996 Isuzu Trooper that was discovered in an impound lot about four hours after they were believed to be seen on the video tape crossing into Mexico, as well as their home located in the Lake Rancho Viejo area of the Fallbrook/Bonsall area.

"We have not found any evidence of a struggle or a forced entry anywhere," said Brugos. "If [the family] met with tragedy, I just have a feeling we would have known that by now."

Joseph McStay’s business associates appear to be just as puzzled as law enforcement. "They are just as baffled as we are and concerned about the business that he was a partner in," said Brugos.

Brugos did give significant credit to the Center for Missing or Exploited Children for a role they played in the investigation.

"We are very appreciative of what they have done for us in this investigation; they have worldwide contacts," said Brugos. "They also brought in a team and spent hours going through the border surveillance tapes and narrowed it down to the segment we believe may have been the McStay family." Brugos said the review of the tapes was no small task.

"The number of people that cross that border daily is around 100,000; I can’t say enough good things about that organization; they were very gracious," he said.

The McStay family’s relatives have created a Web site, www.McStayFamily.com, to keep the case before the public and San Diego County Crime Stoppers at (888) 580-8477 has offered a reward of up to $1,000 for information that leads to an arrest in the case. Anyone with information on the McStays’ whereabouts has been asked to call the Sheriff’s Department at (858) 974-2321.

http://www.myvalleynews.com/story/46479/

Ladibug, you have some interesting questions.

Summer was11 years older than everyone knew.  That means she would have been about 23 when she changed her name.  At 12 only her parents could change it.

They also have more than $100,000 in cash in the bank.

IMO, if they were running away they would have withdrawn the money.

It's odd the way they disappeared with no sign of a struggle or any violence.  They were redoing the house, not something one does if planning to leave.

Did Summer have a dark secret from her youth?  Did someone finally find her? 

I'd like to know more about the father.  What was he into?  How did he earn a living?  100K plus is a lot of change for a family to have in a bank account. 

I hope we get some answers.  I'm sure LE isn't letting the public know the details of what they know.

TomTerrific0420 wrote:Poster's Note: An article from NewsBlaze.com by John Kays

I reviewed everything I had last night. Two dozen articles, photos,
a half dozen videos, the McStay web site and some notes of my own,
mostly random speculation or theories of mine about what might have
happened. There have been very few new developments in the past two
weeks, but rather only a consolidation of what we already know.

Tim Miller with Texas Equusearch is conducting a search of the
nearly 40 miles of isolated terrain between San Diego and the Mexican
border of San Ysidro, where the McStay vehicle had been parked. Note
that it's 80 miles from the McStay house that is in Bonsall, Ca., north
of San Diego.It was reported yesterday that Lt. Dennis Brugos of the San Diego
Sheriff's Office wanted to interview the brother again, Michael McStay.
Perhaps there are still loose ends that could use some tying up.
Michael was interviewed by phone on Jane Velez-Mitchell on Monday,
February 22nd. Michael's theory is: "I think my family was kidnapped!"

Jane asked him about the large gap of time from when the family
seemingly disappeared, and when family members became aware enough of
this problem that it was time to report it to the police. This is an 11
day gap of time, from Feb, 4th to Feb. 15th. On the 6th the cell phones
went dead. The Isuzu trooper was towed on the 8th, but connecting the
vehicle with the family occurred much later.

The McStay Family missing persons' flier. Did they ever drive to San Ysidro and park their Isuzu Trooper?

Again, why wasn't there more panic in the family or friends right
after the 4th? It's been said that family members were close to the
McStay's? Yet no action was taken until 11 days later. Michael gives us
a timeline, but it's incomplete. He says that by the 9th they were
calling the house constantly. This would include the business partner
of Joseph, whose name I haven't heard mentioned so far.

Michael says the house was checked on the 9th and again on the 12th.
Does this just mean that the doorbell was rung? If no one was home and
they wouldn't answer their cell phones, I don't see why they weren't
reported missing, at least by the 9th? I don't believe family
considered it feasible that they had gone on vacation and yet didn't
tell anyone.

As far as the vehicle being left in a parking lot of a popular
shopping center strip mall in San Ysidro, I don't believe it was Joseph
and his family that drove that vehicle there and parked it. What I'd
like to know, is what fingerprints did the police find on the steering
wheel or anywhere on the car? Granted, there were two child safety
seats intact in the Isuzu, but those could have already been there.

The reason I don't believe that the family ever drove down to the
border, is that they wouldn't have left the dogs, Bear and Digger,
without food and water. The mother, Summer would have put the fruit and
vegetables back in the refrigerator. And the most telling sign that
they never drove away on a short day trip, is that Summer left her
prescription sunglasses on the counter. This just didn't happen!

Therefore, the culprit or culprits must have planted the car in San
Ysidro to make it look like the family went to Mexico. The perpetrator
probably wore gloves so as to not leave any fingerprints. I'm sure San
Diego detectives are working this angle, but will not reveal these
vital clues to the public. The McStay's never left Falbrook/Bonsall!

I've heard also that the mother Summer changed her name around
frequently. Was she hiding something from her past? Or was there
someone who she was trying to avoid? For one thing, it's been reported
(on Jane Velez-Mitchell) that she had a fake birth certificate. Her age
is 42, but I've seen it different in various articles I've read.

Here are some mutations of her name: Lisa Aranda, Virginia Lisa
Aranda, Summer Martelli, Summer McStay and Lisa Aranda Martelli. On
Jane's show Issues, Dale Archer said that if we can answer why she
changed her name, we will have the key to the whole mystery. The
question of a changing name does make you wonder why 'Summer' would
want to do this, if she wasn't trying to dodge someone?

So we don't really have any new hard facts that will help us solve
this missing persons case. What could the motive possibly be to cause
some bad people to do such a bad thing? Sex, drugs and money are the
usual reasons given for such misdeeds. Drugs and money can be tied
together as one and the same, in a sense.

And yet this family seems so normal, wholesome and happy! It does
not fit. Yet there is another story under the surface. It's our job to
expose that story that's sequestered between the lines of the 'public
version.' What we're hearing now is not the True Version. It can't be
because it does not jive with what we know has happened.

Michael's theory is that it's economic. He knows the family best, so
I'll agree with him. "With what's going on in today's economy and how
close his car was found to the border, the first thing I'm thinking is
that it has something to do with money." More of the brother's words:
"People do stupid stuff for money, but I'm praying for the best."

Aren't we all!

Ladibug, I thought this might interest you.

I guess at the time he didn't know how much money they had in the bank.  They were also spending a ton on the redo of their home, both inside and out.

Could someone working on their house have been involved?  There was no forced entry so they knew whoever it was.

Thanks Twink, you have some interesting questions also. Someone, somewhere found out something and they fled imho. I have a suspicion but will wait for more information to come out.

So much sadness all around.

Some people are suspicious of the brother.  At the time his remarks about they may have run away because of money problems sounded OK.  Now, we know that wasn't so, he had an upscale company and made a much better than average living. 

Also, if they were running away, they wouldn't have left the house in disarray.  They wouldn't have left their animals without food or water.

I hope we get more information.

I've found quite a few different stories about this tragedy.  Below is a snip from an article that has a lot to say about the family having been in debt, financial problems a few months before, etc. but no documentation for this info.  The snip part says the neighbor's video only captures about 18" of the bottom of their Isuzu so it gives the time but not "how" they left their home.  Joe's phone call was about 40 min. after they left.

Monday, Nov 18 2013 3AM Daily Mail UK


SNIP:  "Strangely Summer had several different aliases including Summer Martelli, Summer McStay and Lisa Aranda Martelli. She was actually christened Lisa Virginia Aranda.

The couple had only bought their new five-bedroom home in Fallbrook about two months earlier, leaving their apartment in San Clemente. They were both licensed real-estate agents and purchased it out of foreclosure for about $320,000.

Apparently they planned to renovate the property, sell it for a profit and move back to the coast.

Later on the Thursday they disappeared Summer made plans to meet her sister Tracy. Interestingly she then used the home computer to search for homeopathic anger management medication.

At 7:47 p.m., a neighbor's surveillance camera captured the bottom 18-inches of what appears to be the family's white Isuzu Trooper going by. About 40 minutes later, on his cellphone, Joseph called a co-worker.

That is the last known contact between the family and the outside world.

On February 10, Sheriff's deputies went to the house for the first time after Chase Merritt called to report that Mr McStay was not responding to phone calls or emails. The deputy knocked on the door, but left after seeing nothing suspicious.

Three days later Mr McStay's brother Mike came over and climbed through an unlocked window. The family's beloved dogs were still there, which baffled Mike, but he tried not to assume the worst...."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2508766/Mystery-McStay-money-Family-dead-barely-afford-rent-despite-100k-bank.html#ixzz2ky53G6Df

McStay Family Update: Joseph McStay's father says he suspects three people in family's 2010 disappearance, murders

(CBS) - The father of Joseph McStay says he has a list of three people he suspects may have had something to do with the disappearance and murders of his son, daughter-in-law and two young grandchildren.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said Friday that remains found Nov. 13 in shallow graves near Victorville, Calif., were those of 40-year-old Joseph and his 43-year-old wife, Summer.

Authorities said they believe other remains found there belong to the McStay children, but they have more work to do to confirm it.

The manner of death appears to be homicide, Sheriff McMahon said.

"I have exhausted and have so much information on three possible persons of interest," Patrick McStay told CBS News' Crimesider over the phone Friday. "All have a motive."

McStay says that while these three individuals are "totally separate," one of them stands out above the rest due to a long criminal history that includes charges of attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon and burglary.

"He has money, was in prison... He absolutely had a motive," McStay said.

McStay says he's felt all along that multiple people were involved in the February 2010 disappearance of his son, Joseph; Joseph's wife, Summer; and their children; 3-year-old Joey and 4-year-old Gianni, from their home in Fallbrook, Calif.

The family's disappearance launched what San Diego sheriff's investigators called their most extensive missing-persons search ever, reports the Associated Press.

Investigators reportedly pursued hundreds of tips and eventually came to believe the family left voluntarily for Mexico. Investigators were convinced that four people seen on a dimly lit surveillance video walking into Tijuana, Mexico were the McStays. The case was then turned over to the FBI.

"Somebody hired somebody," Patrick McStay told Crimesider. "To kill a child is something totally different. You have to be a cold-blooded killer."

"Only two things could have happened," he continued. "Either there was a hired killer who killed them or the children could have recognized them - this person."

McStay said that while he always hoped in the back of his mind that his family was still alive, he knew that his family members didn't flee to Mexico voluntarily.

"I knew there was more to this. I knew they didn't walk away," he said.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57612672-504083/mcstay-family-update-joseph-mcstays-father-says-he-suspects-three-people-in-familys-2010-disappearance-murders/

There is that saying "known but to God".  We may never get the full story or the family any justice.    But killing of innocent children is about the most unforgivable act one can do in the eye's of God.  The person or persons will be held accountable in time.  William