What happened to the McStay family and where were their remains found? ID's Two Shallow Graves to revisit chilling murders

ID (Investigation Discovery)'s Two Shallow Graves will be revisiting the chilling murders of the McStay family in a seven-part docuseries. The channel will air the limited series over the course of a 3-night special event, starting May 22, 2022 at 9:00 PM ET.

Two Shallow Graves will investigate the horrible killings of the McStay family, which included Joseph, Summer, and their two young kids, Gianni and Joseph Jr. It will then move on to showcasing the dramatic prosecution of Charles "Chase" Merritt (the business partner) who was accused of murdering the McStay family.

Delving into the murder trial of Merritt, Two Shallow Graves will offer accurate and insightful interviews with both the prosecution and defense teams. Reports state that despite the fact that Merritt was convicted and given the death penalty, there was little proof that he was the perpetrator of the murders.

The docuseries will include clips of Merritt and his defense team working on the case, as well as interviews with those who were involved in the investigation and prosecution.

Broadcasting over three nights, the first three episodes will premiere on May 22, followed by episodes 4 and 5 on May 23, and concluding with episodes 6 and 7 on May 24. Discovery+ is also expected to drop the full 7-episode long Two Shallow Graves on the day of its conclusion on the platform.

---

What became of the McStay family?

According to several reports, Summer McStay, 43, Joseph McStay, 40, and their two young sons,Gianni, 4 and Joseph Jr., 3, mysteriously disappeared without a trace nearly 12 years ago in 2010. It was three years after their disappearance that the family's remains (bones) were unearthed in two shallow graves in a remote California desert.

Joseph's father, Patrick, discovered that his son, along with his family, were missing when he received an email from one of his son's business partners on February 9, 2010. The email from Joseph's former business partner stated that the latter hadn't heard from him.

The San Diego County Sheriff's Department's Det. Troy DuGal was onto the case the very following day, starting off by investigating the family's two-story house. Reportedly, there were no signs of violence or any criminal activity in the house, other than the usual day-to-day belongings of the family.

In an interview with People, DuGal said, recalling the incident,

"That’s weird. It was like two kids were sitting there eating popcorn, and then they were just gone."

The McStay family had two pet dogs, Bear and Digger, who were left unattended in the backyard of the house and about $100,000 in Joseph's bank account, who owned a very successful decorative-fountain business.

Michael, Joseph's younger brother, said,

"It’s just not like them to walk out on a business, walk out on money, walk out on a home."

---

Where were the McStay family's remains found?

Reportedly, a motorcycle rider in the Mojave Desert on November 13, 2013, made a horrifying discovery that finally put an end to years of speculation about the inexplicable disappearance of this family of four. A small human skull that looked like that of a kid was discovered by the motorcyclist.

Neither did the authorities in Fallbrook, California, discover any evidence of a break-in or violence at the couple's house, nor did the latter's credit card accounts reveal any signs of dubious behavior. The case was revisited almost four years later, when an off-road motorcycle rider discovered human bones 100 miles away in the Mojave Desert.

One of McStay's closest and most trustworthy friends/ex-business partners, Charles Merritt, was ultimately found guilty in the bludgeoneing deaths of the family before dumping their bodies out in the isolated desert.

---

Watch the horrifying murder story of the McStay family on ID's Two Shallow Graves, beginning May 22, 2022.