California Man on Trial for Alleged Murder of Family of 4

Charles "Chase" Merritt, who is charged in the deaths of a family of four whose bodies were found three years after their disappearance, waits for his preliminary hearing in San Bernardino, Calif. Opening statements are expected Monday, Jan. 7, 2018, in the trial of Merritt for the murders of Joseph McStay, McStay’s wife Summer and their 3- and 4-year-old sons. The family disappeared from their San Diego County home in 2010. Three years later, their bodies were found in a remote desert location. John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune/AP

SAN BERNARDINO, Calif.—For years, the disappearance of the McStay family from their San Diego County home puzzled investigators, with no signs of forced entry and the couple’s credit cards untouched.

After their remains were found years later in a remote desert location more than 100 miles away, authorities charged a Southern California man with the killings, alleging he bludgeoned his business partner, partner’s wife and two young sons with a sledgehammer before burying them.