{"product_id":"down-to-the-bone-caitlin-rother-9780806542621","title":"Down to the Bone: A Missing Familys Murder and the Elusive Quest for Justice","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn this twisting, deeply researched true-crime mystery, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist and bestselling author Caitlin Rother hunts for answers into the disappearance and subsequent murders of the McStay family to find the truth behind a heinous crime that became a nation's obsession, the controversial trial in its wake, and for answers to lingering questions of justice.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eOn 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? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eNearly 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? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this twisting, deeply researched true-crime mystery, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Caitlin Rother\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0806542624\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780806542621\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Citadel Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/25\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 368\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.25lbs","brand":"Caitlin Rother","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44120263491839,"sku":"9780806542621","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_4f4ce452-6884-46d9-8210-2e57bd10bf6e.jpg?v=1687413377","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/down-to-the-bone-caitlin-rother-9780806542621","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}