DOWN TO THE BONE—Caitlin Rother

DOWN TO THE BONE—Caitlin Rother

A twisting, deeply engrossing investigation into the many lingering questions surrounding the sudden disappearance of the McStays, a family of four who vanished from their suburban San Diego home without a trace—until their skeletal remains were found in the Mojave Desert nearly four years later—from New York Times bestselling author Caitlin Rother.
On February 15, 2010, Joseph McStay, his wife Summer, and their two young sons were reported missing from their new home in San Diego County. They left eggs and fruit rotting on the counter. Their Dodge truck sat in the driveway. Their dogs were abandoned outside without food. But investigators found no blood, signs of a struggle, or clues to their whereabouts. Did the family take an unannounced vacation? Were they running away from personal problems? Or were they victims of foul play?
Nearly four years later, a motorcyclist found the McStays’ remains in and around two shallow graves, one hundred miles away in the Mojave Desert. Their skulls showed signs of blunt-force trauma, likely due to the sledgehammer buried with them. Authorities focused on Charles "Chase" Merritt, a close friend and subcontractor for Joseph’s company. Despite a lack of physical evidence, scenarios that defied logic, and numerous unanswered questions, prosecutors convinced a jury of Merritt’s guilt. After an emotional sentencing hearing, the judge imposed the death penalty. But did another possible suspect, who was ignored by investigators and ducked a subpoena to testify, get away with murder?
In this twisting, deeply researched true-crime mystery, New York Times bestselling investigative journalist Caitlin Rother hunts for answers to reveal the truth behind a heinous crime that became a nation’s obsession, with a controversial trial in its wake, and lingering questions of justice.
Joining me to discuss, DOWN TO THE BONE: A Missing Family's Murder and the Elusive Quest for Justice—Caitlin Rother

Episoder(890)

RUNAWAY GROOM—Ron Peterson Jr

RUNAWAY GROOM—Ron Peterson Jr

Good-hearted country boy Petie Miller vanishes without a trace two days before his wedding in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley in 1983. Some speculate it’s a case of cold feet, but investigators suspect c...

24 Nov 20251h 17min

A NEED TO KILL—Mark Pettit

A NEED TO KILL—Mark Pettit

From two-time best-selling author and three-time Emmy-winning investigative reporter Mark Pettit comes the haunting true story of Nebraska serial killer John Joubert—a case that shocked a nation and s...

17 Nov 20251h 9min

THE PEOPLE vs THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER—Thien Ho

THE PEOPLE vs THE GOLDEN STATE KILLER—Thien Ho

In The People vs. the Golden State Killer, Thien Ho, the current District Attorney of Sacramento, recounts his harrowing and exhilarating experience as the lead prosecutor responsible for capturing an...

10 Nov 202550min

NUREMBERG and THE NAZI AND THE PSYCHIATRIST—Jack El-Hai

NUREMBERG and THE NAZI AND THE PSYCHIATRIST—Jack El-Hai

The film NUREMBERG, to be released November 7th, 2025 is an American drama written, co-produced and edited by James Vanderbilt. It is based on the 2013 book, THE NAZI AND THE PSYCHIATRIST by Jack El H...

3 Nov 202557min

A TOWN WITHOUT PITY—Jason Vuic

A TOWN WITHOUT PITY—Jason Vuic

In the 1980s, the tiny town of Arcadia, Florida, was “fifty miles and fifty years from Sarasota.” With its cowboy roots, low-wage agricultural industries, and violent frontier history, Arcadia was a c...

27 Okt 20251h 23min

NOIR BY NECESSITY—Mike Gatto

NOIR BY NECESSITY—Mike Gatto

Mike Gatto was an up-and-coming young lawmaker when his father was brutally murdered.The act sucked him into the world of noir: wild theories, intransigent detectives, and unimaginable violence.This t...

20 Okt 202550min

THE LAS VEGAS MASSACRE CONNECTIONS—Mark Gray

THE LAS VEGAS MASSACRE CONNECTIONS—Mark Gray

On October 1, 2017, Mary Jo von Tillow’s world changed forever.Her husband, Kurt, was killed in the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting in Las Vegas, the deadliest in U.S. history. In just eleven ...

13 Okt 20251h 13min

Every Killer Leaves A Trace - Dennis Carson

Every Killer Leaves A Trace - Dennis Carson

They blended in. They raised families, held steady jobs, and hid in plain sight. But behind the mask of normalcy, they were monsters—responsible for decades of terror, pain, and death.Every Killer Lea...

6 Okt 202550min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
forklart
aftenpodden-usa
popradet
stopp-verden
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
i-retten
rss-gukild-johaug
fotballpodden-2
det-store-bildet
dine-penger-pengeradet
nokon-ma-ga
rss-ness
hanna-de-heldige
aftenbla-bla
bt-dokumentar-2
e24-podden
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-dannet-uten-piano