Week Two: Charles Merritt Quadruple Capital Murder Trial

The second week of Charles Merritt’s quadruple capital murder trial ended last Thursday, January 17. It was a short week—only 3-1/2 days—because court is always dark on Fridays and last Tuesday was a half day. The bulk of the trial testimony was from the lead detective, Tony DuGal, who is now retired. An evidence technician also testified about the crime scene, preservation of evidence, taking of photos, etc. That technician, Denys Williams, is also retired. I guess when almost a decade passes between the murders and the trial, retirement of some of the older key investigative players is to be expected. The first witness of the week, though, was McGyver McCarger, a friend of Joseph and Summer McStay and a neighbor. He described how the McStays were excited about a house they bought that was in foreclosure, and how he…