he told us he and joseph mcstay would speak 12, 13 times a day. when he hadn't heard from him, he decided to check out the house. he didn't go inside, looked through the windows, but the dogs who the mcstays loved and treated like family were locked outside. he said he fed the dog and called susan, joseph mcstay's mom, and said something is going on, you might want to call the sheriff and do a welfare check. and he said he went back with michael mcstay, joseph's brother, and they went inside through an open window and the house was in disarray, he said he was in there for three minutes but never gave us any clue he knew what happened there. >> i want to bring in a former fbi profiler, mary ellen o'toole. the fact this guy had so the down for an hour long interview, the idea that he's reinserting himself into this thing is incredible. >> it is incredible but consistent with someone who wants to control his own image. they're very conscious of being -- having a good image. they also are, you mentioned it earlier, they're pathological liars and people

joseph mcstay likes to talk about. didn't want to have a long conversation. he dent pick idn't pick up the . we asked patrick mcstay about that, joseph mcstay's father. here's what he had to say. >> how did we know where joey's phone was? >> reporter: are you suggesting it was chase calling? >> maybe he was calling himself. i don't know. >> what would be the reason for that? >> nice way to form an alibi. >> randim. r r >> what we know is chase merritt's cell known was at home we don't know itch chase was at home because that's what he told us. his cell phone did ping off the tower near him. did chase merritt have joseph mcstay's cell phone was he using mcstay's cell phone to text people, his wife and use it possibly to text himself. what we don't know is whether or not joseph mcstay was still alive at that point or if somebody else, chase merritt or some body else was using the cell phone to make it look like he was. we did talk about that with patrick mcstay. you saw we, talked about a lot of tofices with him. we also asked him what he thought of chase merrit

. >> we're able to identify the adult victims as summer and joseph mcstay. >> who brutally murdered the mcstays? a year ago we followed a tragic trail gone cold. >> who is so cold blood that they killed children? >> missed opportunities. dead end clues. interviews with those closest to the family, like this man, chase merritt. then a concerned family friend. >> in your gut, what do you think happened? >> i have absolutely no clue. >> reporter: now arrested for their murder. >> the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma. >> he's in custody. >> reporter: tonight, his exclusive interview and haunting words. you were the last person he saw. >> i'm definitely the last person he saw. >> reporter: who is this man and why do police say he killed an entire family? we take you inside this chilling case. "buried secrets: who murdered the mcstay family?" >>> from day one, i just had this gut feeling that i was never going to see them again. i just -- i just knew. something told me i wasn't going to see them again. >> reporter: four years ago, patrick mcstay lost everything he loved.

did detectives ask you if you killed joseph mcstay and his family? t recall them asking me that. >> reporter: nothing that direct? >> hmm? >> reporter: not that directly? >> i don't recall them being that direct. >> reporter: if chase merritt did kill the mcstay family, patrick mcstay suspected it had to do with money. joseph landed a waterfall deal worth $9 million so merritt stood to make a lot of cash. but patrick said his son told him merritt's work had gotten sloppy and joseph was in the market for another welder. patrick said he last spoke with merritt earlier this year when the two discussed the books they were writing about the case. looking back, he says he thinks merritt was just digging to find out what patrick knew about the murders. patrick hasn't seen or spoken to him since. what would you ask him? >> i wouldn't ask him anything. there'd be one person coming out of that room. >> randi kaye joins me now. you did a documentary on it for cnn. it caught my ear and so many of our viewers because it's a family and it was so mysterious. >> and

did detectives ask you if you killed joseph mcstay and his family? don't recall them asking me that. >> reporter: nothing that direct? >> hmm? >> reporter: nothing directly? >> no, i don't recall them being that direct. >> reporter: if chase merritt did kill the mcstay family, patrick pc stay suspects it had to do with money. joseph had landed a waterfall deal worth $9 million so merritt stood to mac a lot of cash. merritt's work had gotten sloppy and joseph was in the market for another welder. tra patrick said he last spoke with merritt earlier this year. looking back he thinks merritt was digging to find out what patrick knew about the murders. patrick hasn't seen or spoken to him since. what would you ask him? >> i wouldn't ask him anything. there would be one person coming out of that room. >> reporter: i want to bring in paul callan, cnn legal analyst and crimmal defense attorney as well as a former prosecutor. lot to talk about here in this case with you. the suspect, chase merritt, he has a couple of felony conviction, nothing violent, though.

the two had met for lunch that day and nobody ever heard from joseph mcstay again. merritted that attention of authorities because he was with mcstay just hours before he disappeared. listen. >> you were the last person he saw. >> definitely the last person he saw. >> did joey have any enemies you knew of? >> none. none. everybody loved joseph. >> any idea why someone would want to harm him and his family? >> no. there's nobody that i know of in his entire life that i'm aware of that would have any reason to hurt him. >> now police say chase merritt murdered the entire mcstay family and merritt may face the death penalty. the remains were found last november in two shallow graves in the mojave desert. now marked with giant crosses. by then nearly four years had passed and all of the while loved ones wondering what happened and who could wipe out an entire family including two beautiful small children. merritt told me about being questioned by authorities. >> you took a polygraph test. what did it show? >> i don't know. >> you passed the polygraph? >> apparently. i me

authorities in san bernardino, california, announce the arrest of the suspect in the murders of the mcstay family. joseph and summer mcstay and their two little boys just three and four years old. >> charles "chase" merritt was described as the suspect responsible for the deaths. there's no information to suggest there were any other suspects involved in this crime. chase merritt was a business associate of joseph mcstay. the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma. >> we followed the special circumstance of multiple murders which makes him eligible for the death penalty. i don't need to tell you that this is a cold murder of an entire family. >> and here is the suspect here. this is chase merritt being led to county lockup. san bernardino sheriff's department posted it online for all to see today. with me is randi kaye who did a documentary on this. you were the only journalist to have now interview the suspect in this case. when you were sitting with him for that hour-long interview, what was he loo ike? >> he was very calm, brooke. he was pretty quiet. sort of soft-spoken. very warm. fr

morning we filed four counts of murder on the defendant, charles ray merit, for the murder of joseph mcstay, his wife summer, and their children gianni and joseph jr. we filed a special circumstance of multiple murder, which makes him eligible for the death penalty. i don't need to tell you that this is a cold and callous murder of an entire family. there is no reason, no motive. we won't talk about that for that ever, ever to occur. especially for the young children, the most vulnerable victims. he is in custody. there's a no bail warrant and he will be arraigned at 1:30 this afternoon in the victorville courthouse. finally, i am blessed as a district attorney of this county to have the best sheriff's department in the nation. these gentlemen that you see here work with my lawyers, my major crimes unit, my cold case unit on a daily basis to solve these cases. and as i said before, they don't give up. thank god for sheriff mcmahon and his team because we are able now to at least get some justice for the family. thank you. >> i would like to introduce joseph russell who would tlik say a coup

joseph mcstay's business associate. someone he had known for years. >> he tried to help him. provide work for this guy. and this was how he was, you know, repaid. >> reporter: why and how police still aren't saying. but for now knowing this accused killer is in handcuffs, hanging his head, brings tears of relief to the mcstay family's loved ones have waited for for far too long. >> i can't thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. >> reporter: and in several interviews before his arrest, merritt incested he had nothing to do with the murders. he will be arraigned this week. >> there are still questions. >> yes. >> thank you. >>> and now to singer turned politician clay aiken. much better at getting votes on "american idol" than in his recent run for congress. some are outraged that his failed bid could turn into a reality tv show. they want no part of it. and bazi kanani joins us. >> reporter: many of his supporters didn't find out about plans for the tv series until it was announced a few hours after he gave his concession speech. and this morning they are skeptical of his

one thing he also did was point at summer, joseph mcstay's wife. he said that joseph hadn't been feeling well and had spells of dizziness and nausea and that joseph mcstay thought summer, his own wife was poisoning him. >> we'll be watching. i know you'll be all over this tonight on "ac 360" and coming up later, tuesday night, you can get a closer look at the mcstay case and hear exclusive from charles "chase" merritt. that's tuesday night 9:00 eastern on cnn. thank you so much. >>> you heard it first here on cnn. president obama has now whittled down his list of candidates for attorney general to one person. according to u.s. officials who have been briefed, the president is expected to nominate loretta lynch to replace current attorney general eric holder. lynch is the u.s. attorney in brooklyn. this woman is a career prosecutor. no controversy in her background. she's well liked. reputation solid. she helped win one of the nation's highest profile police brutality cases. this is back in 1997. sexual assault of a haitian immigrant inside a brookly

. >> chase merit talking about his final meeting with joseph mcstay, the day they suddenly vanished. the interview was january of this year. the mcstay's had disappeared four years earlier on february 4th, 2010. merit was mcstay's business partner and a close family friend. the two met for lunch that day, and nobody ever heard from joseph mcstay again. >> did joey have enemies you knew of? >> none. everybody loved joseph. >> any idea why somebody would want to harm him and his family? >> there is nobody that i know of in his entire life that i am aware of that would have any reason to hurt him. >> know one, say police, except merit himself. they say he murdered the entire mcstay family. >> the cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma, and based on the entire investigation and the evidence obtained, investigators believe these murders occurred at their residents in fall brook. >> the remains were found in two shallow graves in the mojave desert. by then nearly four years passed, all the while loved ones were wondering what happened and who could wipe out an entire family,

on cnn, features the interview of the father of joseph mcstay. what did he tell you? rick mcstay after the person has been arrested and he said, regarding the motive, he thinks it had to do with money. he said his son joseph mcstay was working on a $9 million tool to make water falls and that is what he did for a living and he said chase merit's work was getting slopping and he was looking him to cut him out of the deal and he thinks money was involved. >> and watch tonight, 9:00 p.m. eastern for randy's report, buried secrets: who murdered the mcstay family. and you can tweet me at wolf blitzer. and tweet me at cnn sit room. and join us tomorrow here at the situation room. you can watch us live or dvr so you don't miss a moment. set that dvr. you'll be happy about that. that's it for me. thank you very much for watching. i'm wolf blitzer in "the situation room." erin burnett "outfront" starts right now. >>> "outfront" tonight, breaking news. a new tape of militants pledging allegiance to isis. how far has it spread. >>> and the missouri governor is ready to call the n

did detectives ask you whether you killed joseph mcstay and his family in. >> i don't recall them asking me that. >> nothing that direct. nothing directly. >> i don't recall them being that direct. >> if he killed the mcstay family, patrick mcstay suspects it had to deal with money. joseph landed a waterfall deal worth $9 million, so merritt stood to make a lot of cash. he says his work had gotten sloppy and joseph was in the market for another welder. patrick said he last spoke with him earlier this year when the two discussed the books they were writing about the kasem looking back, he says he thinks merritt was digging to find out what patrick knew of the murders. patrick hasn't seen or spoke to him since. >> what would you ask him in. >> i wouldn't ask him anything. only one person came out of that room. >> a lot of what he said is very suspicious now in retrospect. could he have done it by himself, one family against the family of four when the kids are little in. >> that's a good question. police say they were killed at their home. so that's chase merritt, if he did, indeed, do thi

he said he never got the results from authorities. >> did detectives asked you if you killed joseph mcstay his family? >> i don't recall. them asking me that. >> nothing then direct? >> not directly? >> no. i don't call them being that direct. >> if chase merritt did kill the mcstay family, patrick mcstay suspects it had to to do with money. joseph had landed a waterfall deal worth $9 million. so merritt stood to make a lot of cash. but patrick told him his son had said that merritt's work had gotten sloppy and joseph was in the market for another welder. joseph said he last spoke with patrick earlier this year when the two were writing books about the case. looking back, he said he thinks merritt was digging to find out what patrick knew about the murders. patrick hasn't seen or spoken to him since. >> what would you ask him? >> i wouldn't ask him anything, there would only be one person come out of that room. >> my goodness. randy kay joins us now. i've been following the story with you. you had an exclusive opportunity to sit down with merritt. incredible access to him. >> two hours we

he was a business partner of joseph mcstay who was found dead one year ago along with his wife and two that's the mcstay family right there. they vanished in february 2010 from their san diego county home. tonight, randi kaye who has been on this story from the begone i beginning, talks with the d.a. >> when we finally put the case together and the circumstantial evidence and the direct evidence, there was no doubt this was the person that committed the murders. >> reporter: and that's when investigators pounced on chase merit. just last week. a stunning turn for a man who called himself one of the victim's best friends. san bernardino's district attorney spoke exclusively with us about the case. at what point do you believe chase merritt became the prime suspect? >> as early as, i would say, six months ago. when things started getting clear and we started putting pieces of the puzzle together. >> reporter: d.a. ramos shared that long before chase merritt was the prime suspect, investigators were suspicious of him very early on in the investigation. merritt had told us in an exclusive

just miles from charles merritt's home. 57-year-old merritt says he was the last pnerso to see joseph mcstayd in an interview earlier this year -- >> everybody loved joseph. >> reporter: he denied any involvement in the family's disappearance and murder. he claimed he took a pollee graph test administered by police. >> there's nobody that i'm aware of that would have any reason to hurt him. >> reporter: now joseph mcstay's father speaking out. saying he was crushed after hearing of merritt's arrest. >> a lot of people will say it's like lifting a ton off your shoulders. and i said, no, it was more like me like a boulder falling on me. >> reporter: if convicted, merritt could face the death penalty. and for the family, his arrest is the first step to closure. >> i need justice from the law and the courts. and most of all, justice upstairs. >> reporter: for "good morning america," gio benitez, abc news, los angeles. >>> now a real warning next time you lose your phone. in a series of dramatic 911 calls, dispatchers in seattle begged a family to stop pursuing the gang who stole their phone, con

joseph mcstay, his wife summer and their two precious boys gianni and joseph jr.in february of 2010 and now for the first time the district attorney in the case is opening up about what happened to them and why he is certain that merritt is the one who did it. randi kaye has this exclusive interview. >> when we finally put the case together and circumstantial evidence and direct evidence, there was no doubt in our mind this was the person that committed the murders. >> reporter: and that's when investigators pounced on chase merritt, just last week. a stunning turn for a man who called himself one of the victim's best friends. san bern dino's district attorney spoke exclusively with us about the case. >> at what point do you believe chase merritt became the prime suspe suspect? >> as early as i would say six months ago, you know, when things started getting clearer and we started putting pieces of the puzzle together. >> reporter: d.a. michael ramos shared for the first time long before chase merritt was the prime suspect, investigators were suspicious of him, ver

mcstay family. that happened four years ago. police found the remains of josephnd summer mcstay along with their two small boys almost a year ago in shallow graves in the mojave desert. merritt appeared in court friday and has been charged with four counts of murder. earlier this year in an exclusive interview with cnn, he said he couldn't imagine why anyone who want to hurt the mcstays. >> good morning, martin and christi. this was certainly not the way i expected this case to go. when i interviewed the suspect, chase merritt in january this year, he was polite, warm, friendly to our crew. he was soft-spoken. he really didn't show a lot of emotion, but he certainly never gave us any hint that he had allegedly killed the entire mcstay family. >> you were the last person who saw them. >> i'm definitely the last person who saw them. >> did joey have any enemies that you knew of? >> no. everybody loved joseph. >> any idea why someone would want to harm him and his family? >> no. there's nobody that i know of in his entire life that i'm aware of that would have any r

. >> reporter: charles chase merritt now behind bars, accused of killing joseph mcstay, his wife, summer, and their two young sons. they disappeared in february, 2010, but follow until 2013 that their remains were found buried in shallow graves in the mojave desert. the cause of death, blunt force trauma. >> this is a cold and callous murder of a family. >> reporter: after hundreds of interviews and dozens of search warrants, it pointed to merritt, his business associate. someone he had known for years. >> he tried to help him. provide work for this guy. and this was how he was, you know, repaid. >> reporter: why and how police still aren't saying. but for now knowing this accused killer is in handcuffs, hanging his head, brings tears of relief to the mcstay family's loved ones have waited for for far too long. >> i can't thank you all from the bottom of my heart. >> reporter: and merritt insi insisted he had nothing to do with the murders. he will be arraigned this week. >> there are still questions. >> yes. >> thank you. >>> and now to singer turned politician clay aiken. much better a

investigators say merritt killed joseph and summer mcstay and their two sons in their san diego county home in february of 2010. >>> some business owners in ferguson, missouri, are boarding up their business windows bracing for possible trouble as the city awaits the grand jury decision on the shooting death of unarmed teenager michael brown. business owners asked for 48 hours notice before the decision is gone public. >>> the average hourly worker pay rose three cents in october to $24.57, 2% higher than last year and barely ahead of the 1.7% inflation rate. the government says employers added 214,000 jobs in october. the jobless rate dropped to 5.8%. >>> always watching always tracking wusa9 first alert weather. >> a lot of talk out there today about typhoon nuri threatening to whip up 50-foot waves as it heads towards alaska and could send temperatures plummeting for parts of our neighborhood. >> it's perfectly possible. in fact, it's kind of similar to another typhoon last year or the year before, did the same thing. it causes the jet to buckle a bit. it's interesting. we'll end up

mcstay family. merritt a former business associate of the father joseph.st november buried in the mojave desert. no motive known at this time. he is due in court wednesday. >> president obama will officially announce his nomination for the next attorney general. the president has chosen u.s. attorney loretta lynch to replace the outgoing eric holder. if confirmed lynch will be the first african-american woman to hold the top position. mcdonnell you remembering the senate to vote until januaryen othe nomination. >> meet a small town cop with a pot of gold, shaferlg a she'll. bike can, tuckerrened a findlay wanted to sit with him and ask him questions. officer logan was more than happy to oblige. the trio game fast friends with the officer and plan on having weekly hang out sessions. >> that's great. >> all right. let's bring in governor mike huckabee now. is he joining us on the couch to talk about the big stories of the week. no bigger story this week than, of course, the election. you think the. >> it happened this week. >> yeah it, did. >> you think the