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Nancy Grace
Bodies of Missing California Family Found
Aired November 15, 2013 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On Monday at about 10:00 o`clock in the morning, we received a call from an off-road motorcycle rider, who identified that he found what he believed to be human remains in an area north of Stoddard Wells (ph) Road, next to Cory (ph) Road, north of the city of Victorville.
He called our dispatch center, and a deputy sheriff responded. With the RP`s (ph) assistance, the deputy found those remains, and within a short time, a coroner`s investigator arrived, as well.
They began checking that area and were able to locate what they believe to be some human remains. We then had the forensic anthropologist respond to the scene to determine whether or not those remains were, in fact, human. During their investigation, they were able to find two shallow grave sites with a total of four bodies.
We continued the investigation on Tuesday and Wednesday. Excavating the site, and through the use of dental records we were able to identify the adult victims as Summer and Joseph McStay. We believe the other two sets of remains are that of the boys, their sons. Their DNA evidence is on file with DOJ, and we will be sending that information to DOJ for positive confirmation.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight, live, Fallbrook, California, just north of San Diego -- the McStays, a happy family of four, Mommy, Daddy, two boys, 3 and 4 years old. Daddy`s got his own business. Mommy`s working on a real estate license.
February 9, 2010, Joseph McStay`s brother calls and calls. No answer. When a friend checks on the home, they find the family dog inside, barking, the breakfast still sitting out on the counter, waiting to be cooked up for the two boys, all the family`s personal belongings, their effects, intact in the home.
Only one thing`s missing, the family. They`ve never been seen again. Tonight, where are the McStays?
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joseph McStay, his wife, Summer, and two children, Gianni and Joseph, Jr., mysteriously disappeared from the Fallbrook area around the beginning of February 2010, their car found not long after, close to the San Ysidro Port of Entry, and surveillance video showing what investigators believe to be the family crossing into Mexico.
On Monday, the skeletal remains of four people were located in this remote desert area of Victorville inside and outside of two shallow graves. Now a source close to the McStay family confirms with 10 News that some of the remains belong to Joseph and Summer McStay.
GRACE: Straight out to Teri Figueroa, reporter with "The North County Times." Teri, thank you for being with us. What happened?
TERI FIGUEROA, "NORTH COUNTY TIMES" (via telephone): Well, all we know is that this story really ends, if you will, on February 4th. They just simply disappeared. Four days later, their car was towed, but on one knew at the time that they were missing, so it didn`t raise any red flags until the brother of Joseph McStay finally contacted police on the 15th and said, We don`t know where they are.
GRACE: You are seeing the McStay family. There`s a mommy, a daddy and two boys, Joseph Joey Brian McStay, 40 years old, 5-9, 175 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, Summer McStay, 43, 5-foot-5, 115 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, Gianni McStay, just 4 years old, 3 foot -- 3 feet, 40 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, and little Joseph McStay, 2-feet-6, 35 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, birthmark on the forehead. These are some of the last images we have of the McStay family.
Out to Jean Casarez, legal correspondent, "In Session." Jean, give me the timeline. What happened?
JEAN CASAREZ, HLN LEGAL CORRESPONDENT: OK, it`s February 4th, almost one year ago to the day, Nancy, 2010. And we now know the day seemed to start out pretty normally because the husband`s credit card was used in the morning hours, as believed (ph) by his wife, Summer, to buy some toys for the kids and maybe some towels.
A neighbor`s surveillance video camera sees what`s believed to be the family car back out of the driveway at 7:47 PM February 4th, never to be seen again.
And here`s what`s left in the house. Eggs are left out on the kitchen counter. The prescription dark glasses of Summer`s are on the counter. And most of all, their two dogs that they loved and considered as their first-born children were left in the backyard without any food.
GRACE: Take a look at the McStays. You`re seeing video of Summer McStay and her baby, Joseph McStay. There`s the other son, Gianni.
What did they do for a living? What do we know about them? Teri Figueroa?
FIGUEROA: Well, Joseph McStay designed high-end interior water fountains, the sort that you might see in a corporate headquarters. And Summer McStay was a stay-at-home mom, but she was just getting back into the real estate business. She had a license.
GRACE: With me right now, a special guest, Michael McStay, joining us out of Irvine, California. He is the brother of Joseph McStay.
Michael, thank you for being with us.
MICHAEL MCSTAY, BROTHER OF MISSING MAN: It`s my pleasure. Thanks for having me.
GRACE: Michael, let`s -- yes, sir. Let`s go back through what we know. Back me up to Feb 4, 2010. Tell me what happened just prior to that.
MCSTAY: Prior to that, everything was normal. But on February 4th, pretty much everything stopped. Cell phones stopped. Summer got a couple of texts on, I think, the 6th, but it -- the paper trail, the banking transactions, everything pretty much stopped. And then, all of a sudden, the vehicle shows up on Monday the 8th.
GRACE: Michael, where were they going that evening around 7:30 PM?
MCSTAY: We don`t know.
GRACE: Tell me, what can you tell us about trying to reach them? I understand that you called and called the home?
MCSTAY: I am zooming in!
Joey and I normally talk on Fridays. We usually talk once or twice a week. He`d call me. It was actually on the 9th that I was talking to my father. He got an e-mail from someone that oversees Joey`s Web site, and they said, you know, basically, that he couldn`t get ahold of Joey.
And so this is Web Dan (ph). Dan basically calls San Diego sheriff`s department, has the sheriff`s department do a welfare check on Wednesday the 10th. And you know, basically, on the 13th, I go down and crawl through a window, and I`m looking for phone numbers, or you know -- that`s kind of what got it going.
GRACE: SO when the police went there, they couldn`t determine whether anything was wrong. Then you go the next day, crawl through a window. And what did you find inside, Michael?
MCSTAY: I saw the house in disarray, but I knew that they were doing a remodel. The cupboards were out there on top of the counters. I didn`t catch the eggs. I didn`t catch her glasses. I didn`t catch the popcorn on the sofa. I don`t have crime-fighting eyes. I missed all that stuff.
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MCSTAY: My family appreciates all the support and the love that we`ve been shown. They`re a loving family, and I know that all of America loves the McStays. And we`re going to find this individual, or individuals. I know that the sheriffs, the FBI, everybody wants to bring this to justice. And if it`s the last thing I do, I want to -- I just want to know that, you know, when it`s over.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Home video shows the bond between Joseph McStay, his wife, Summer, and their two little boys. In late 2009, the family of four had just settled into their new home in San Diego County. Within months, the McStays fall off the face of the earth, vanishing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know they didn`t skip town. I know they wouldn`t hurt one another. They`re beautiful, amazing people, and they were very happy.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: February 4th, 2010 is the last time anyone has heard from the McStay family. When Joseph`s brother went to the home 10 days later, he found the family dogs left alone unfed and food still sitting on the kitchen counter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And what about the family van found abandoned four days later in a San Ysidro parking lot?
GRACE: Where exactly along the border was their vehicle discovered?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was actually about two blocks from the crossing itself, in a private parking lot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police recovered grainy surveillance video showing two adults and two children crossing the border by foot, but cops have been unable to confirm that the McStays are the ones seen on the video.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was nearly four years ago when friends and family began praying for the McStays.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want them to be back home!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Joseph McStay, seen in this home video with his wife, Summer, and their two young sons, Joseph and Gianni, mysteriously disappeared in February of 2010.
On Monday, the remains of four people were discovered in the Mojave Desert, buried in two shallow graves near Victorville. Tonight, according to "The San Diego Union Tribune," investigators are looking into the possibilities the remains are those are the McStay family.
GRACE: We are taking your calls. Out to the lines. Stacy, Ohio. Hi, Stacy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. I have a comment and a question.
GRACE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who could ever do that to a child. I mean, really. And my question is, did they inspect the trunk in the car?
GRACE: Good question. As far as who could do that to a child, let me tell you something, Stacy. I have looked across courtrooms at defendants, felony defendants for years, wondering why, and never once have I ever gotten an answer that was satisfactory.
Finally, after about seven years of doing it, I tried to quit wondering why because why doesn`t really matter. What matters is, did this thing happen? Can we save the child? Is there any way to save the child? Is there any way to put things back together again. And if there`s not, can we put the perpetrator behind bars, or worse? That`s the way I see it now.
What do you think, Marc Klaas? Do you ever caught up in the why?
MARC KLAAS, KLAAS KIDS FOUNDATION: Well, you know, there are people who specially trained to do that. There are the FBI profilers, there are psychiatrists and psychologists that spend entire careers looking into the mind of violent criminals...
GRACE: And what does it get you? What does it get you, Marc?
KLAAS: Well, it gets you nothing because I certainly don`t try to go there. I can`t go there, nor, I don`t believe, can any normal, law-abiding citizen put their mind where these people`s minds are.
Perhaps some of the profilers can. I understand that a lot of these individuals have to retire early because the psychological strain becomes so heavy upon them. But I don`t think any of us should even attempt to go there because we`ll never be able to get there.
GRACE: Well, you know what? There`s a huge fascination about why. Let me go to Dr. Lillian Glass. Why do people do this? So in the end, so we find out, why they did it, where does that get me? The child is still abused or killed or missing. What good does it do to do mental gymnastics to find out why these people do these things?
LILLIAN GLASS, PSYCHOLOGIST: You`re absolutely right, Nancy. It doesn`t matter. What matters is to find the children...
GRACE: It just gets me more upset trying to figure out why!
GLASS: Exactly. Exactly. Because it doesn`t matter why. You just said it so well. But one of the things with this family that`s very important -- and Marc Klaas said it -- they`re such a beautiful, loving family.
GRACE: They really are.
GLASS: They care so much about one another, and they`re so wonderful. And perhaps the fact that they left the dogs alone without any food may have been an indication that they thought they were going to come back soon. So something strange happened there.
GRACE: You know, that`s a mild way of putting it, "something strange."
To Teri Figueroa with "The North County Times," joining us from Escondido, California. I assume that the car trunk was searched.
FIGUEROA: Yes. In fact, the whole car was searched. What they found was the children`s carseats were still in the car. And Summer was, from what I understand, quite a stickler for her children`s safety and she would never have allowed them to go into Mexico without having carseats.
GRACE: Never. Never.
FIGUEROA: So that was definitely a mystery.
GRACE: Out to Pat Brown, criminal profiler, author of "The Profiler." What do you make of this question from Stacy in Ohio, why?
PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER: Well, I think when we`re looking at people`s minds -- I mean, we have to look at why only for understanding the behaviors and then being able to predict what they might do. That`s very important.
This family, I don`t know. Maybe they just planned to go for the evening. It`s a short little jaunt in there. Maybe they went over and got kidnapped. Or if that wasn`t what happened, then they were planning something.
GRACE: And you know, with the crime rate in Mexico, it`s just stunning to me that anybody would go there with their children. But unless they went -- crossed the border here illegally, there`s no evidence they ever willingly went to Mexico.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With more questions than answers, the FBI and San Diego County authorities continue to search for a missing family that was last seen February 4th, 2010. Forty-year-old Joseph McStay, his wife, Summer, and two sons, Gianni and Joseph, Jr., Vanished from their Fallbrook home, leaving behind their two dogs and a carton of eggs on the kitchen counter.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just a beautiful, wonderful mother, wife, daughter!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re still reviewing the case, following up on some tips that we`ve received. Personally, I`ve been in law enforcement for over 30 years. I`ve never seen anything like this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You may remember the FBI took over this case in May. Tonight, I reached out to the lead investigator and asked if she could identify any of the bodies found in Victorville as that of the McStays. Interestingly, she told me to refer all questions to the San Bernardino County sheriff`s department.
I also spoke briefly to Mike McStay, the missing man`s brother, on the phone. I asked him if San Bernardino County sheriff`s detectives contacted him regarding the remains of the four people found in Victorville. He didn`t answer the question directly.
And earlier tonight, the San Diego County sheriff told "The Union Tribune" San Diego newspaper that he could not confirm if the remains could be the McStays, but he said he has spoken to the sheriff in San Bernardino County. He would not say what they discussed.
The family of four has been missing for over three years. Many believe they crossed the border into Mexico after leaving their SUV in San Ysidro.
GRACE: We are taking your calls. To Laura in Pennsylvania. Hi, dear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. How are you?
GRACE: I`m good. What`s your question?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have two questions, actually.
GRACE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When the police -- after this family vanished, they searched the home. Did they find credit cards, licenses, birth certificates for the children? And also, have the Mexican authorities been alerted with posters or anything like that on this family?
GRACE: That`s a good question. Let`s go to Michael McStay. He is Joseph McStay`s brother. Did they find those important documents in the home, Michael?
MCSTAY: They -- they know a few things. They know that Summer`s passport expired. Joey`s passport is current. Gianni`s birth certificate is accounted for, and Joey, Jr., who had a birthday yesterday -- he`s 4 now -- that they don`t have -- or actually, my mother has his birth certificate.
GRACE: So you`re saying that your brother`s passport was still current but hasn`t been accounted for.
MCSTAY: My brother`s passport is current. I don`t know where it`s at. But I know...
GRACE: So it was not found in the home?
MCSTAY: ... that`s what detectives told me.
GRACE: Are you saying it was not found in the home?
MCSTAY: No, that`s just...
GRACE: Or you don`t know whether it was found in the home?
MCSTAY: I do not know if it was found in the home. The detectives...
GRACE: Let me ask you this, Michael. Do you really believe your brother would have just disappeared into Mexico and never let you guys or your parents know that they were still alive?
MCSTAY: Absolutely not. No, I don`t believe he would do that. He`s not that type of person.
GRACE: Have you seen this video, Michael? It`s a silhouette of a family walking across the border. Have you seen that video?
MCSTAY: I`ve seen it about 1,000 times. I could probably recite...
GRACE: Is it them?
MCSTAY: Possibly the boys, possibly Summer, but not my brother. I could spot my brother anywhere, but I couldn`t ID him in that, no.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On Monday at about 10:00 o`clock in the morning, we received a call from an off-road motorcycle rider, who identified that he found what he believed to be human remains in an area north of Stoddard Wells (ph) Road, next to Cory (ph) Road, north of the city of Victorville.
He called our dispatch center, and a deputy sheriff responded. With the RP`s (ph) assistance, the deputy found those remains, and within a short time, a coroner`s investigator arrived, as well.
They began checking that area and were able to locate what they believe to be some human remains. We then had the forensic anthropologist respond to the scene to determine whether or not those remains were, in fact, human. During their investigation, they were able to find two shallow grave sites with a total of four bodies.
We continued the investigation on Tuesday and Wednesday. Excavating the site, and through the use of dental records we were able to identify the adult victims as Summer and Joseph McStay. We believe the other two sets of remains are that of the boys, their sons. Their DNA evidence is on file with DOJ, and we will be sending that information to DOJ for positive confirmation.
MCSTAY: It`s not really the -- outcome -- we were looking for. But - - it gives us courage to know that they`re together and in a better place. I know my father -- I spoke with my father, who`s in Texas, and my aunt Carol (ph), and it`s been a tough road. So we would ask that you would, you know, give the family members their space and let us go through the grieving process.
GRACE: I want to go back to Joseph McStay`s brother, Michael McStay, joining us tonight. Let`s see that video again, Dana. I want to see the video of the family crossing the border. Michael, you said that you may be able to make out the mom or the children, but it was not your brother. Do you believe that was the mother, Summer?
MCSTAY: It`s kind of hard to tell. After they did the video enhance -- the enhancement, they thought they could make out what appears to be Ugg boots, and Summer did always wear Ugg boots. So -- you know...
GRACE: But other than the boots...
MCSTAY: It kind of goes that direction. Yes, I mean, you saw the video. It`s terrible.
GRACE: I`m looking at it right now. I can`t make a thing out.
MCSTAY: Yes. Yes.
GRACE: I mean, that is of no evidentiary value to me but I thought maybe you. Let me ask you this.
MCSTAY: Sure.
GRACE: If it were her and the two children, had she had marital discord with your brother? Is there some reason she would have taken the children to Mexico?
MCSTAY: I sure hope not. There`s no evidence of that. I mean, you know, they were together for over five years. They got married about three years ago. They kind of a little -- I guess they`re excited. But anyway, they loved each other, and I don`t see any...
GRACE: Excited? I`m sorry, I couldn`t hear you. Excited about what?
MCSTAY: Well, each other, you know? I was making a joke how they kind of got -- kind of got the cart before the horse, you know? But...
GRACE: But they look so happy.
MCSTAY: They are happy, and that`s part of the mystery.
GRACE: So let me get this straight. One more time, Michael McStay. You can`t even say 50/50 that was them in the silhouette.
MCSTAY: Yes, I would actually go lower than that. The first time I saw it, I said, I hope this isn`t the best you have. Possibly, the children`s look age and size appropriate. Maybe that`s Summer. Maybe it`s somebody...
GRACE: That could be anybody. That could be anybody then.
MCSTAY: I know.
GRACE: OK. All right. Let`s go back to what we know. The car that was parked in that strip mall -- did none of those stores have video surveillance of the car getting parked and who got out of the car?
MCSTAY: There were video cameras actually everywhere in that. There`s a bank right there. There was -- I mean, I went down there. I went and talked to the security guard. But no, nothing was caught.
GRACE: Oh, man!
MCSTAY: And we tried to -- and we tried to do -- you know, we had Texas Equusearch out, and we tried to do -- we even had -- they had connections through the NASA. They tried to do satellite digital imaging. But that night was extremely cold. It was about 50 degrees. And there was such a heavy marine layer, there was no way to do any video imaging to see when the car arrived, when it -- who got out of the car.
GRACE: Got it.
MCSTAY: The detectives tell me that all the seats were appropriate to the size of, you know, the McStay family, but still, nothing.
GRACE: And what about the sighting, this alleged sighting in Baja at a restaurant?
MCSTAY: That`s Mama Espinosa`s (ph). That was in actually Guererra Negro (ph). There`s a good friend of mine that was willing to go down to the Baja peninsula three times already and pass out flyers, talk to people. And that waiter`s still convinced to this day that -- that -- he even said, you know, What happened? Did she bump head -- you know, Did she hit her head? But -- you know?
GRACE: What are you talking about?
MCSTAY: Shaba (ph) is the nickname that we have for the littlest one, baby J, baby G and baby J. But J has a birthmark on his forehead. And the waiter said -- to my friend, said, What happened to her? Did she bump her head? To me, that was the most credible -- that resonated with me. But when they checked the map that supposedly they left, there was -- the fingerprints didn`t line up.
So was it a good lead? Maybe. But -- you know? There was no -- nothing came up on the...
GRACE: You really do not believe, Michael -- you really do not believe your brother -- what about your sister-in-law? Would she bump off your brother and take the children to Mexico? Is she capable of that?
MCSTAY: I sure hope not. I don`t believe so.
GRACE: No. No, no, no, no. Do you think she is or not?
MCSTAY: I hope not. No.
GRACE: Because everything I`ve learned about the family says no, that she would never have taken the father away from those children -- would never happen. They were together all the time. From our research, there`s no indication of marital discord, no other lovers, no fighting over money, nothing. They were happy, nothing to suggest either one of them would take the children and head to Mexico.
But what about them as a family? You say they would never have left you and your parents hanging, not knowing whether they were dead or alive, right, Michael?
MCSTAY: Absolutely.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And this investigation is early, and we will continue to work with them to try to find the answers, as well as whatever information they have to provide to us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir. At this point, we have no idea how long they`ve been there.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any weapons found at the scene? And is there any evidence that the placing of the remains would point to some investigative direction (INAUDIBLE) Were the kids together? Were the adults together (INAUDIBLE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a number of investigative pieces of evidence that we`re using, but we`re not prepared at this point to discuss any specifics because the case is still ongoing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They had a very good life, so there was no reason at all to just up, and poof, and disappear.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The couple was last heard from on February 4th. On the 6th, both of their cell phones died. Then on the 8th, their Isuzu Trooper was found two blocks from the Mexico border. Police say the family did not pack to go on vacation, their two dogs left without food and water in the back yard.
GRACE: So you`re telling me that there in the home when cops arrive, they found refrigerated items left out, like milk?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, yes. Refrigeratable (ph) items were left out, along with -- they did find that the family`s dogs there unattended, uncared-for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police thought they may have gotten a break in the case when grainy surveillance video captured two adults and two young children crossing into Mexico on the same day the vehicle was found.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it`s important, the more that it`s out there, the better chances we would have of someone coming forward with some bit of information that might lead us in the right direction.
GRACE: Back to the lines. Jessica in South Carolina. Hi, Jessica.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. How are you? I just had a quick question. Could they have had any enemies or run into any trouble to suddenly just make the decision, their lives in danger, had to suddenly disappear or go into witness protection? And if that`s possible, could they know someone far away that could be helping them out?
GRACE: Good question. To Teri Figueroa. What do we know, Teri?
FIGUEROA: What we do know is that with regard to Mexico, on the 27th and the 28th, which is about a week before they went missing, there were inquiries made from a computer inside the home to a Web site, I believe it was About.com, and the questions were about travel in Mexico and passports for children going to Mexico.
GRACE: Repeat. Tell me again.
FIGUEROA: About a week before they disappeared, someone from inside the home -- could have been Summer, could have been Joey, could have been anyone -- sent an e-mail query to a Web site called About.com, I believe it was, and had asked questions on that Web site -- it`s a place where you go to ask questions -- about travel in Mexico and about passports for children.
GRACE: Was there any indication that they -- from the search that they were trying to get a passport, Teri?
FIGUEROA: We haven`t seen the actual questions. It was only been (ph) told by investigators that these were the queries that someone used the family computer to make.
GRACE: Jean Casarez, what do we know about it?
CASAREZ: The only thing we know that goes against all of that is that Summer McStay had told her friends, you know, We want to go on a vacation, but I don`t want to go to Mexico. And she was very, very strong about that because they lived so close to the boarder, but she thought it was dangerous, and she didn`t want the family to go there.
GRACE: Sarah in New York. Hi, Sarah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi. I have a statement and a question.
GRACE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The statement is, nobody really knows what happens behind closed doors. So is it possible in any way that the father could have possibly done anything to the family and taken them to Mexico for some unknown reason, for kidnapping?
GRACE: I think that everything, anything, is possible. But I don`t think that any of the evidence suggests that that happened. Marc Harold, what do you make of it?
MARC HAROLD, FMR. ATLANTA POLICE OFFICER: Yes, there`s absolutely no evidence. I mean, anything`s possible. And this is a baffling case. Anything`s possible. The fact that they might have inquired about how to travel to Mexico with the children, that cuts one way. But the fact that they left with such haste seems to cut the other. So it`s a baffling case. But there`s no indication that would lead to believe that the father had done something to the family.
GRACE: What do you think, Marc Klaas?
KLAAS: ... completely agree with that. You know, they didn`t take her passport, which is expired, nor did they have the birth certificates of the children, which would be necessary to come back into the country.
And she`s exactly right about her concerns about the safety in Mexico. You know, Nancy, that there have been just about 35,000 killings in the -- the U.S.-Mexican border in the drug wars in the last four years alone. No sane individual wants to inject young children into that kind of an environment.
GRACE: I agree.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our forensic anthropologist is present during the autopsies. One of the functions that the anthropologist performs is to try to establish that date.
As the sheriff has said numerous times, this is still -- we`re just in the first couple of days. Until she gets an opportunity to look more carefully at those bones and actually do some scientific analysis, it would be speculation for me to say that she can figure it out in two days or five days or two weeks or five days or five weeks, or ever. At this point, we may not know, but we`re going to do our best to find out.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They never had baby-sitters. I mean, they were always -- just the four of them were together all the time.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Businessman Joseph McStay lived on a quiet cul- de-sac in San Diego County`s Fallbrook with his wife and two young boys.
Neighbors remember them as a loving couple, devoted to their children. But on February 4th, 2009, Joseph, Summer, 4-year-old Gianni and 3-year-old Joseph, Jr., vanished without a trace.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love her. My family (INAUDIBLE) want them to come home!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Chilling clues inside the home indicates a family who disappeared without warning. Left behind, eggs on the kitchen counter and the family`s two dogs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right now, we`re still reviewing tapes, following up on some tips that we`ve received both from the public and family members, also going through additional records, financial records, both their personal records, as well as business records.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Four days later, their SUV, an Isuzu Trooper, found abandoned along the U.S.-Mexico border in a strip mall parking lot. Investigators confirm they believe the SUV parked there between 5:00 and 9:00 PM the day it`s located.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just don`t understand what happened! I just want them to be back home!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Surveillance video showing two adults and two children crossing into Mexico, plus an alleged sighting at a restaurant in Baja, both inconclusive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They had a very good life, so there was no reason at all to just up, and poof, and disappear. I worry about those babies, and are they fed, are they warm, are they, you know, happy, are they sad? You know, you pray and then -- I`m sorry! -- cry yourself to sleep!
GRACE: You`re taking a look at the McStay family, father, Joseph Joey Brian McStay, age 40, Summer McStay, age 43, Gianni McStay, 40 (sic), Joseph McStay, 3, an entire family gone missing. Take a look at these little boys, obviously loved by their parents, the family dogs found left unattended, they`re barking, food still on the counter to be cooked up for breakfast.
Tell me again, Jean, about them heading out to make purchases.
CASAREZ: That was -- now, this was found after the fact, of course, after search warrants were executed and they were able to get these records. But Joseph McStay`s credit card had been used that morning, it was believed by Sunny (ph), and it was some children`s toys, I believe, and maybe some towels or beach towels.
And then there was that video surveillance from a neighbor that caught the back end of a car driving out of the driveway, but it was white and it matched the McStays` car. And then there was a phone call, 8:15 that evening, on Tuesday the 4th of April (sic), that was made by Joseph McStay to one of his employees, and that was it.
GRACE: Even if there was a legitimate reason for them going to Mexico, such as these countertops that he was ordering, they left in such haste.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, they did. Actually, the countertops had been installed in a home. The house they recently purchased, and it was actually in kind of a state of renovation. There were other things they were putting, down new hardwood flooring and that type of thing. So it`s very possible they were purchasing things in Mexico.
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MCSTAY: We`re going to find this individual or individuals. I know that the sheriffs, the FBI, everybody wants to bring this to justice. And if it`s the last thing I do, I want to -- I just want to know that, you know, when it`s over. That`s all.
GRACE: Out to the lines. Stephanie in Maryland. Hi, Stephanie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. How are you?
GRACE: I`m good, dear. What`s your question?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m just curious. I had two questions. Was that the only vehicle that they had? And also, they mentioned they were doing renovations. Was it possible that the husband had, like, hired outside help that would come in and...
GRACE: Good question. Michael McStay, was that their only vehicle?
MCSTAY: No, it was not their only vehicle. It was their mid-sized SUV. And to answer the other part of that question, yes, they did have other people in there. They had a painter that vanished, and actually, Summer was overseeing the remodel because Joey worked from home.
GRACE: So the painter vanished?
MCSTAY: That`s right. That`s why MacGyver (ph), an old family friend, who actually introduced them, came down and was the last person to see them on Wednesday, the 3rd. And he was supposed to come back and paint on Saturday, the 6th. That`s why some of the last text messages she got was actually from MacGyver, saying, Hey, are we still on? Am I coming down? But the first original painter, which brought MacGyver in there, was because he, you know, no-showed and just...
GRACE: And tell me, quickly, where`s the other family vehicle?
MCSTAY: The other family vehicle is actually at my house. I have it now.
GRACE: So that`s accounted for?
MCSTAY: Yes, ma`am.
GRACE: Very quickly...
MCSTAY: Which another point is, why didn`t they -- you know, if they were going to go willfully -- you know, most families that want to disappear, one, they liquidate their bank account. Two, they throw a bunch of gear and packing and et cetera into the back of the pickup truck. They throw the dogs in the back, and off into the future they go. But that`s just not the case in this scenario.
GRACE: Not at all.
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