McStay Family Memorial Bench

A wonderful tribute to the family. A place where they often came to enjoy the sun and surf. My thoughts are always with them.

Celebrate, Acknowledge, Remember, and Enhance Program (C.A.R.E.) is a city of San Clemente program which enables the public to donate amenities to the city on city-​owned property for public use. Customized benches and picnic tables serve primarily a memorial function and the latest Memorial Bench to debut in March 2015 is one honoring the McStay family, who disappeared from their Fallbrook home on Feb. 04, 2010.
At first, it seemed like Joseph, Summer and their two young sons, Gianni and Joseph Jr. might have slipped across the Mexican border, as the San Diego Sheriffs Dept. surmised when the family Isuzo Trooper was found near San Ysidro. Nobody seemed to know what happened to this family, until their remains were found in the desert near Victorville, California on November 13, 2013.
Despite the sad findings, at least the surviving family members finally gained the satisfaction of knowing what happened here. Then the San Bernardino Sheriff’s Dept., who now had jurisdiction to move forward with the investigation, got to work. Eventually, a press conference was called and the San Bernardino Police Dept. and District Attorney announced that an arrest had been made in the case. They had charged a business associate of Joseph McStay, named Chase Merritt, with the disappearance and murder of the young family.
As the case now winds itself through the courts, Chase Merritt has decided to act as his own attorney. With all legal maneuvering now going on, supporters of the McStay family thought that placing a Memorial Bench in San Clemente, over-​looking the beach that the McStays loved and lived near once, would be a fitting tribute.
So, in March 2015, the beautifully simple but emotionally striking bench debuted to much acclaim. The «Justice for the McStay Family Facebook Page» celebrated the event with lots of pictures and one person put a small journal and pen underneath so that visitors could leave messages and write their thoughts down. Mikey McStay, Joseph’s younger brother, brought his family members and kids to see the bench. I am sure this wonderful 5 Unilocal STAR tribute stirs Mikey’s heart with many memories, as well as offering others a place to come to honor Joseph, Summer, Gianni and Joseph Jr, who are now Riding the Waves in Heaven.