McStay book publishes on third anniversary of discovery

Patrick McStay intentionally had his book published Nov. 11, 2016, the third anniversary of the discovery of the remains of his son and his son's family in the Mojave Desert. The book, "McStays Taken Too Soon, A True Story," is his way of "setting the record straight," he said.

Joseph and Summer McStay and their sons Gianni and Joey went missing from their home in Lake Rancho Viejo (the housing tract east of I-15 and south of SR-76) on Feb. 4, 2010. There were few clues and a lot of speculation as to what happened to them and whether or not they disappeared voluntarily.

Many theories were proposed, and a book was written which Patrick McStay said is fiction.

"What I wrote the book for was to tell you exactly who Joey [his son] and Summer were and the truth about what happened," said Patrick McStay.

While he wants to dispel rumors, he did not include everything he knows in the book, he explained, as he did not want to taint the upcoming trial of the alleged killer, Charles "Chase" Merritt, who was Joseph McStay's business partner.

Patrick McStay lives in Texas but is familiar with Fallbrook as he used to visit casinos in the area whenever he stayed with his son's family when they lived in San Clemente. According to the elder McStay, he was the one who recommended his son look for a home in Fallbrook.

It took Joseph McStay over a year to find the house he bought and he was spending a lot of money renovating it, his father said, adding that he knew they would not have intentionally disappeared at that point, especially without telling any of the family where they were going. So, he had a gut feeling that he would never see them again.

With his book, McStay invites readers to "journey inside the lives of Joseph and Summer, hear their own accounts of their life together as well as insight from close friends and family. Read about my fight to keep my family's case in the forefront, and about the love I shared with my son for so many years."

He also said, "I hold nothing against the people of Fallbrook. I wish them well. Joey liked it there."

Three hearings were held in December 2016 with the defense lawyers still seeking subpoenas for their case. A court hearing in San Bernardino was scheduled for Jan. 3 at which McStay hoped a date for the trial would be set.

"McStays Taken Too Soon, A True Story" is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at mcstay.shop.com.