Down to the Bone

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.Praise for Down to the Bone by Caitlin Rother

“Rother presents the riveting story of a botched investigation, multiple suspects, and a web of lies. Was justice ever served?  The question will remain with you long after you finish reading.” —Diane Fanning, author of the Edgar Award finalist Written in Blood
 
“Rother takes readers with meticulous detail through the journey to find answers to the McStay mystery and the often-troubling investigation and prosecution of the case.  If you love true crime books where the author goes far beyond what is already known and has been proven in court, and raises questions that need to be asked, this is a book for you.” —Justin Brooks, co-founder, California Innocence Project and author of You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent

"True crime at its best. Rother successfully dissects this heart-wrenching case. There are so many twists and turns to this tragedy, but it is examined with compassion and detail.” —Alana Quintana Albertson of the Se7en Deadly SEALS serialCaitlin Rother is a New York Times bestselling true crime author and Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist. She worked for nearly two decades as an investigative reporter and has had work published in Cosmopolitan, The Los Angeles Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe, among others. As a TV crime commentator, she has done more than 200 media appearances on episodes of 20/20, People Magazine Investigates, Crime Watch Daily, Australia's World News, Nancy Grace, Snapped, and numerous shows on Netflix, Investigation Discovery, HLN, REELZ, Oxygen, E!, A&E, C-SPAN and various PBS affiliates. Rother also works as a writing/research coach and consultant, and plays piano and sings in an acoustic band. She lives in Southern California and can be found online at CaitlinRother.com.