Introducing 'What Happened to the McStays?' - What Happened to Holly Bobo?

Loading summary

Transcript129 lines

[00:00]
A
Hey, this is Ashan Singh from ABC News and I want to tell you about a new true crime podcast I'm hosting from 2020 in ABC audio called what Happened to the Mixed Days? If you enjoyed this show, I think you'll really like it. It's a story about secrets, betrayal, and the dark underbelly of the American dream. In 2010, a family of four goes missing from their Southern California home. No signs of a struggle or forced entry, but clues scattered about the home raised questions. Had the McStays really left on their own? If they did, where would they have gone in such a hurry? Or had something more sinister happened? In our new podcast, what happened to the McStays? We'll be sharing the whole shocking story. Keep listening now to hear the first episode right here. If you like it, you can hear the rest of the series by following what happens to the McStays for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you're listening now. Or you can get the series early and ad free by subscribing to 2020 True Crime plus on Apple Podcasts. Click the link in the description to start your free trial today. Now here's episode one of what Happened to the Mixed Days? Hi, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Are you looking for a beach read this summer? May I suggest your big wireless bill? It's got suspense, mystery, a slightly flat emotional arc and a shocking twist.
[01:22]
B
Really?
[01:23]
A
You realize you've been overpaying the entire time. Fortunately though, Mint's story is better. Every plan $15 a month, even unlimited.
[01:29]
C
That's it.
[01:30]
A
Happy ending, zero tears. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment
[01:35]
C
of $45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months or $180 or 12 month Plan required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees extra initial plan term only greater than 50gb me slow when network is busy.
[01:42]
A
See terms In November of 2009, family of four moved into a palm tree dotted cul de sac in the hills of San Diego County. Joseph McStay and his wife Summer were in their early 40s and living a seemingly charmed Southern California life with their two young sons. Their new neighborhood was surrounded by mountains and farmland. Their new house, a large Spanish style home on Avocado Vista lane, was around 10 years old with a stucco exterior and a red terracotta roof. The McStay's home videos from around this time show an active, fun loving family in one little Joseph Jr. Runs around the first floor of their new home. The house over here in another video. All four of the McStays bike to the beach.
[02:38]
D
Jay, come here. Oh my God. Cadillac Mama.
[02:47]
A
And then there's the video where the two McStay boys, Joseph Jr. And his big brother Gianni, swing side by side at a playground. Swing set together, their mom, Summer, pushes them higher and higher. For a couple of months, these were the types of sounds that filled the McStay residents. But one day in February 2010, the house went quiet. Local station KGTV covered the story.
[03:24]
E
The outside of the McStay home remains exactly as the family left it. Their shoes and the newspaper both outside.
[03:32]
A
There was a carton of eggs left
[03:33]
C
out on the counter. And one other thing. Summer McStay left her prescription sunglasses behind. Family left their dogs behind.
[03:41]
A
And there had been no activity on their phones. It was as if the stays had simply vanished into thin air. Authorities, friends and family were baffled. But how does a vibrant family of four suddenly go missing? From ABC Audio in 2020, I'm Ashton Singh and this is what happened to the mixed days. Episode 111 Days. Joseph McStay, or Joey, had a weekly ritual with his little brother Michael. In a 2011 interview with ABC News, Michael said that every Friday, Joseph would give him a ring on his way to play pickup soccer.
[04:33]
D
He would call me, we'd touch base. Hey, how's things going? Hey, Mikey, how's your business? What's going on? How are the girls? I'd ask how the boys were and he'd tell me what was going on.
[04:43]
A
But on Friday, February 5, 2010, Michael didn't get that weekly call from his big brother. For Michael, this was unusual, but not alarming.
[04:53]
D
So to miss one Friday, I mean, I didn't think a whole lot of it.
[04:58]
A
But then several days went by without a peep from Joseph. No calls, texts or emails. It was the same at his work too. Joseph Co owned a business that sold high end decorative fountains, the kind you might see in hotel lobbies. The company was in the middle of a couple of projects when Joseph's colleagues told the McStay family, they noticed Joseph had gone completely silent.
[05:25]
D
There was customer emails not being answered, which is not like Joe. He was usually right on top of it.
[05:32]
A
Joseph's friends started reaching out to Michael to ask, hey, have you heard from Joe? What's going on? He's not answering his phone. Joseph's wife Summer wasn't returning calls either. So Michael posted to his brother's Facebook page asking friends, if you've seen him, please let the family know. Family and friends got in touch. Michael And Joseph's parents, plus two of Joseph's colleagues, Dan Kavanaugh and Chase Merritt. They shared any relevant information they had and Michael pieced together that Thursday, February 4, was likely the last day anyone had seen or heard from his brother. Michael and Joseph's father said he talked to Joseph that morning. And according to Joseph's business associate, Chase, he and Joseph met up that afternoon. Loved ones were worried about the mixed days, but Michael tried to remain optimistic. He thought it was possible the family left on a trip and just didn't tell anyone.
[06:38]
D
I thought, well, maybe. Maybe they're doing a quick vacay. So I didn't want to jump to any conclusions.
[06:44]
A
A few days after the McStays went quiet, Joseph's business partner, Dan Kavanaugh, called the police for a welfare check. San Diego county sheriff's deputies came out to the home and knocked on the door. No one was home at the time, but with no signs that anything was amiss, deputies followed procedure and did not go inside. Joseph's business associate, Chase Merritt, also went to the house a couple times that week, he says, to see if he could find Joseph. No luck. And by February 13, the McStays hadn't been seen or heard from in nine days. Michael says he decided to check the home himself. He took a trip to Avocado Vista Lane. Chase came along, too.
[07:34]
D
I went down there, started knocking on doors, asking the neighbors had they seen him.
[07:41]
A
Michael says he let himself into the house through a back window that was cracked open. He started looking through the home, he says. It was messy. Kitchen drawers had been pulled out and placed on countertops. Toys, books, and clothes were scattered around, and the house was barely furnished. The family was using air mattresses instead of beds. To Michael, it was like his brother and his family were camping in their own home. But this was Michael's first time in the McStay's new house. They'd only moved in about two months earlier, and they were remodeling. Michael says they'd been doing work on the floors and painting cabinets. So to him, this could have been a normal level of untidiness, given the circumstances and given that Joseph and Summer had two young children. But there was one thing Michael noticed right away that he clocked as being very, very off.
[08:42]
D
The dogs were left outside unattended. It didn't make sense.
[08:47]
A
The McStay family dogs were left to sit in the hot California sun. By all accounts, the McStays loved their dogs. A big akita called Bear and a golden retriever puppy called Digger. Friends say they were like second kids to Joseph and Summer to leave them alone outside for days on end. This just didn't sit right with Michael. He asked a neighbor to keep an eye on the dogs, and then he left, hoping his family would show up soon. But the McStays had disappeared, leaving a puzzle that would soon mystify their friends and family.
[09:38]
F
Mysteries unravel, and stunning truths are revealed when 2020 investigates.
[09:43]
C
Follow the clues, the evidence, the breaking new details.
[09:46]
A
ABC's 2020 means true murder Mystery Shocking
[09:51]
F
if you follow true crime in 2020, then you've got to listen to this.
[09:55]
A
Subscribe now to 2020 True Crime plus ad free exclusive true crime content search 2020 True Crime plus on Apple Podcasts and start your free trial terms apply.
[10:08]
C
Jerry is changing the way people think about car insurance for people who like to save or just shop smarter. That change already happened with Jerry. You're not locked into a policy that auto renews reshop anytime by comparing up to 20 quotes side by side and switch all in the app. No spam calls, no hidden fees. Drivers who save with Jerry save over $1,300 a year on average. You'll probably be the first one you know to use it, which makes you the smartest friend in the group.
[10:37]
F
Download Jerry today as Luigi Mangione prepares to stand trial for the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, which he denies. A new podcast series from ABC audio in 2020 goes inside this captivating case. To many people, Luigi Mangione is a modern day Robin Hood. People were cheering the demise of this person they'd never met, who was a father of two and a husband and had a life and was just doing a job. From the manhunt ending in a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to what authorities are saying about a possible motive, I'm ABC News legal analyst Brian Buckmire. Listen to Burden of Proof Luigi Mangione, wherever you get your podcasts.
[11:29]
E
One thing about Joseph is he would always talk for hours. And I'm not exaggerating, like sometimes two hours.
[11:37]
A
Gina Watson was one of Joseph McStay's friends. They'd met because Gina also worked in the decorative fountain industry. She says they'd gotten to know each other well. And according to Gina, Joseph was a talker.
[11:51]
E
I would call him before I'd left for lunch to like, talk about whatever the problem of the day was. And then it would evolve into just, I don't know, like conversation goes from one thing to another and then I'm like, the phone's getting Hot because it's been in your ear so long, like, can we wrap this up?
[12:09]
A
Gina said that Joseph adored his wife Summer and their two boys.
[12:15]
E
Joseph's kids and his wife were everything to him.
[12:18]
A
Gina says Joseph would share stories about his rambunctious little boys. Like the time they snuck out of their beds early one morning and started rummaging through their kitchen cabinets.
[12:28]
E
He said one night Gianni and little Joey had gotten into the flower. I guess they kept it in a lower cabinet and you're a parent and you're tired and your, your little kid sneaks out of bed and gets into the flower and they had it all over themselves and they had like handprints and footprints everywhere and they were covered head to toe.
[12:49]
A
Gina describes Joseph as a surfer dude. He had wavy shoulder length, light brown hair. In pictures he looks like he would be more comfortable in shorts and a T shirt and a suit. And Ty, Joseph and Summer, sons gianni and Joseph Jr were four years old and three respectively at the time they vanished. Photos of the little boys show their hair down to their shoulders, just like their dad. In one photo, Joey Jr. Holds an ice cream sandwich, chocolate all over his mouth. And Gina says their dad, Joseph Sr. Was generous with his friends.
[13:31]
E
He would buy his friends laptops just because he was excited about technology and he wanted them to be as excited as he was. And, oh, you gotta check out this gaming laptop. Like, oh, you need top of the line. No, that's not good enough. Let me get you this one. He was just very easy with money. He never was too uptight about it. He was more so than any person I've ever met, to be honest.
[13:53]
A
Joseph and Summer were introduced in the early 2000s. One of his friends set them up and everyone says they hit it off right away.
[14:02]
G
Summer was a very passionate woman who went after what she wanted.
[14:09]
A
That's Jesse Silveria, a friend of Summer's.
[14:13]
G
I met summer around 2006 and I was living in Laguna beach and I think both of us were Laguna ites.
[14:21]
A
Jesse and Summer were both photographers at the time and met while working the same shoot.
[14:27]
G
To me, Summer was exotic. You know, she had dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin, really big, cute smile.
[14:36]
A
Jesse says she and Summer would go out together, two creatives enjoying the beachy art scene of Laguna. Once Summer got pregnant, Jesse says she scaled back her active social life, stopped working and became a stay at home mom.
[14:52]
G
They were nesting. That phase in her life was nesting.
[15:00]
A
Friends and family say Joseph and Summer loved the beach. For a time, the couple and Their sons lived in San Clemente. Their apartment was on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean, with world class surfing right outside their door.
[15:15]
G
The kids, they were growing up to be surfer dudes too. They definitely took after Joey, you know, wanting to be close to the ocean.
[15:25]
A
Another big part of the McStays lives was Joseph's work. Earth Inspired Products. It sold elaborate custom decorative waterfalls. These were large scale standalone objects, often 6ft tall. Water would be pumped invisibly to the top of tall glass panes and then cascade down into pools that sparkled with hidden light fixtures. Earth Inspired Products also had an online retail side where they sold pre manufactured water features. Gina Watson worked for one of Joseph's manufacturing partners. That's how the two met and became friends. She says Joseph was a designer at heart.
[16:07]
E
He actually started his business, I think, like in his garage designing his own features by hand.
[16:13]
A
Gina says Joseph was taking on more and more custom work and the business was doing really well. According to people familiar with the company, Earth Inspired Products had gotten big contracts. A car wash chain with 150 locations, a huge custom job for the Paul Mitchell hair salon brand, and even a project in Saudi Arabia. In late 2009, the McStay family moved from their small beachside apartment in San Clemente to their house on that palm tree lined cul de sac. Their new town of Fallbrook is better known for its avocado orchards than its proximity to the coast. It's a 30 minute drive to the beach, a trade off for the surf loving McStays. But it was big. Five bedrooms with a backyard. Here's Summer's friend Jessie again.
[17:06]
G
All the outside was completely populated with kids toys and trucks and boy stuff. And she was growing flowers and gardens again.
[17:20]
A
They had plans to remodel the home. By early 2010, some of the renovations were underway. Joseph would fill his brother Michael in on the progress.
[17:30]
D
Okay, they're remodeling the house and it's kind of crazy, you know, the furniture's still in storage.
[17:38]
A
By February of 2010, Joseph was doing well professionally. The couple was working on upgrading their new house. Family seemed settled.
[17:48]
D
Joe doesn't invest, you know, like $30,000 into a house to renovate it because he's going to leave tomorrow. That just doesn't jive. He doesn't walk out on his friends and his family.
[18:01]
A
And yet at that house in Fallbrook, no one was home. And for over a week, there had only been silence from the family who lived there. It didn't add up. Michael McStay says he decided that if his brother and family were, as he'd hoped, just honestly an extended vacation, they should be back by February 15th. He says he told himself that if by 9am he still hadn't heard from Joseph, he'd file a missing person's report. That's exactly what Michael did.
[18:47]
F
The Hulu Original Series Furious. Now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus.
[18:52]
C
There are three victims we know of.
[18:54]
A
The suspect is female, white, late twenties. Female. Serial killers kill for power, control.
[19:00]
C
I believe there's a deeper motivation here.
[19:02]
F
You have no idea who you're dealing with and you are gonna end up dead.
[19:07]
A
I've been waiting for you.
[19:09]
F
Watch the Hulu Original Series. Series Furious now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus for monthly subscribers. Terms apply. FX presents the Shards Los Angeles, 1981
[19:20]
A
we're gonna roll the school.
[19:21]
B
Don't we already?
[19:22]
F
It was supposed to be the best year of their lives.
[19:25]
A
I would stab someone for a drink right now.
[19:28]
F
Until their friends started going missing.
[19:30]
B
There's something going on.
[19:32]
F
From executive producer Ryan Murphy. And based on the best selling thriller by Brent Easton ellis. Sounds terrifying. FX's the shards. Now streaming on Hulu.
[19:46]
A
Sophistication, Class. Restraint. Dignity. None of these words have anything to do with Super Troopers three.
[19:57]
F
One, two, three, Go.
[20:00]
A
Barbara in the house. Hope you guys aren't too drunk already. Now in theaters. No new info on the guy who did it.
[20:06]
D
Oh, so it couldn't have been a woman?
[20:07]
A
Sexist.
[20:08]
C
You ever see Ocean's 8?
[20:09]
F
Enough.
[20:09]
A
Super Troopers 3.
[20:10]
G
Meow.
[20:11]
A
Playing only in theater. Rated R. Under 17. Not admitted without peril. By the morning of February 15, 2010, Michael McStay had reached his personal deadline to sound the alarm. No one had heard from Joseph for summer. In 11 days, Michael called the police.
[20:31]
B
He asked for a welfare check, and the patrol deputies came out and checked the house.
[20:38]
A
Lt. Dennis Brugos from the San Diego Sheriff's Department oversaw the investigation. According to police, at 10:32am Michael, along with officers from the San Diego Sheriff's Department, arrived at the McStays Fallbrook house. They knocked on the door and checked the exterior for signs of forced entry. When they got no response, they entered the residence and started a search. It began by looking for people, either people in distress or bodies. They found neither. But they did encounter the dogs, who were still in the backyard alone with some water and food left out for them.
[21:25]
B
That raised red flags because by all accounts, they took very good care of their dogs.
[21:31]
A
And when police heard from Michael that the McStays had left without notifying any friends or family. That raised immediate alarm bells, too.
[21:40]
B
What the deputy initially learned was, this is really a nice family, and they never made plans to leave. And so that raised the suspicion level to the point where he said, you know what? I should probably call homicide and let them know what's going on out here.
[21:57]
A
Lieutenant Brugo says suspicious circumstances. Cases like this one are handled by the homicide unit whether there's a dead body or not. Police say that when homicide detectives joined the search at the mcstay residence, they checked again for any signs of foul play, any clue as to what may have happened to the mcstays. Officers looked all over the home. Inside the kitchen pantry in the den, the garage in a recycling bin outside, and the truck parked in the driveway. As detectives searched, they noticed a few curious things. To start, it was the food that was left out, according to police and court documents. Downstairs in the living room, there were two small bowls of popcorn half eaten, left on a futon. Bananas that had started to rot, and a carton of eggs were sitting out on the kitchen counter.
[22:58]
B
You don't leave perishable food out if you're going to be gone for an extended period of time.
[23:01]
A
Generally, it seemed like the family may have left the house suddenly, even unexpectedly. And then there was the mess police documented. Clothes piled up on the bathroom counter, Suitcases left open with clothes spilling out into piles, A tall lamp that looked like it had been knocked over. If the mcstays had gone on vacation, like michael so hoped was the case, why would they have left suitcases full of clothing behind? And detectives also uncovered something else. Lieutenant Brugos, again, we knew that one
[23:40]
B
of the vehicles was parked here in a driveway, and the other one wasn't here.
[23:44]
A
The McStays 1996 White Isuzu Trooper was missing. If police could find the vehicle, maybe they could find the mcstays. They ran a search on the isuzu trooper and immediately came up with a hit. According to police records, the check revealed that the vehicle was recently towed from a parking lot about 60 miles from the mcstay's home near the u. S. Mexico border. So near, in fact, that it was walking distance to the border terminal. According to police, the car had been towed from that lot on February 8, four days after the mcstays vanished. Now police had to find out what did this clue mean? Did the mcstays leave for mexico altogether? And if so, did they go voluntarily or by force? Were they hiding, kidnapped? Police couldn't yet say. The search of the mcstay residence took all day, and in the end, police determined was no sign of forced entry, no sign of a struggle or act of violence, no blood. In other words, no apparent signs of foul play, no clear crime. But that didn't mean that detectives were confident that all was well with the McStays. The abandoned dogs, the spoiled food left out, the family car found at the Mexican border. As Lt. Brugos puts it, when you
[25:23]
B
put the whole picture together, it raises the level of suspicion that something's not right.
[25:30]
A
Once officers wrapped up the search of the home, a couple of the detectives, Troy Dugal and Suzanne Fisk, pulled Michael aside for an interview in their police car. In the tape from this interview, Michael still hopes that his big brother's family could be perfectly fine.
[25:47]
D
What's the percentages of these, like being in a situation like this and then it just being something totally innocent.
[25:56]
H
I can tell you that I've never had one like this where a family is just totally missing, ever. So I can't give you a. I can't give you a good statistic.
[26:08]
A
Detective Dugall asks Michael for more information about the missing family. How was Joseph and Summer's relationship? Who are their closest friends? Did he have problems with anyone or money trouble?
[26:20]
H
Do you know if there's any money involvement with your brother owing someone money? Or would somebody try to take advantage of your brother?
[26:28]
D
I don't know enough about what's going on with this business. Why is it I have no idea.
[26:33]
A
They dug deeper, asking about Joseph's finances.
[26:37]
D
How much is your brother worth? Oh, I don't know. I have no idea.
[26:41]
A
You know what his yearly income is?
[26:43]
D
No.
[26:45]
A
Dugal asked if Joseph might have been involved in narcotics.
[26:49]
D
My brother doesn't even do drugs, so that's out.
[26:55]
A
Detectives also asked about the Isuzu trooper. Did Michael have any idea what Joseph and his family might be doing walking distance from Tijuana?
[27:05]
D
I don't know. I don't know what he's doing down there. I have no idea. I don't think he knows anybody down there.
[27:12]
A
The whole situation still didn't sit right with Michael or the detectives.
[27:18]
D
This thing has just got me scratching my head.
[27:20]
H
Well, we don't know any more than you know. What do you think as a brother? Where are they?
[27:29]
F
What did he.
[27:29]
D
I'm hoping they went down and they just went to Mexico and they took a two week vacation. I mean, that's a. That's a pipe dream at this point. I don't know.
[27:39]
H
I would hope that too. But. What. What did you See, in the house, that would indicate that that's probably not true.
[27:44]
D
I just walked through, but I didn't get it. I mean, I didn't.
[27:47]
H
Well, let me help you out. Inside the walk in closet there's suitcases and there's little kids suitcases with suitcase flaps open with folded little kid laundry. Clean laundry in the suitcases.
[27:59]
D
Yeah.
[27:59]
H
If they went on vacation, the kids suitcases would have been with them.
[28:05]
A
In his official account of the day, Detective Dugal concluded that there had been no apparent sign of a crime. But he also said this. It is my opinion the McStay family is the victim of foul play. The police knew this wasn't over. There was more work to be done. Now the race was on to find out what had actually happened to the family of four before it was too late. What happened to the mixed days is a production of abc audio in 2020, hosted by me, ashen singh. Produced by madeline wood, vika aronson, audrey mostek and kiara powell. With help from sabrina fang and camille peterson. Edited by gianna palmer. Our supervising producer is susie lu. Music by evan viola. Scoring by kiara powell. Mixing by evan viola and bob mallory. Special thanks to katie dendos, janice johnson, chris donovan, joseph ree, sonny antrim, alyssa stoler, xander samaras, tom berman, indra dalaisakhan and blu browning. Josh cohan is our director of podcast programming. Eamon mcnath is our executive producer. Can't wait for more. Listen to the next episode ahead of everyone else ad free. Subscribe now to 2020 True Crime plus on Apple Podcasts. Click the link in the description to start your free trial today in 2023.
[29:52]
C
A source sent me a tip. It tied baseball's biggest star to a vast illegal sports betting operation, Shohei Ohtani. But then someone surprising confessed to me. His best friend.
[30:07]
A
I'm Ippei Mizuhara and you do have
[30:09]
C
permission to record me from 30 for 30 podcasts. This is the betrayal of Shohei Ohtani. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. There's a headline every 30 minutes for
[30:22]
A
our show, I'm pretty sure.
[30:23]
E
Welcome to Get Real.
[30:24]
A
I'm your host, Amanda Hirsch. This is the show for the reality TV obsessed. You thought the show was crazy living. It was crazier. I was dripping sweat before I even started. For the stars and Stans of the Hula reality verse.
[30:38]
E
Do you we think she's stirring the pot to secure a place on the show.
[30:41]
A
Find and listen to Get Real wherever
[30:43]
E
you get your podcasts and stream new episodes Thursdays on Hulu and Hulu on Disney terms apply.

Summary6 min read

Podcast Summary
Podcast: What Happened to Holly Bobo?
Host: ABC News
Episode: Introducing 'What Happened to the McStays?'
Date: August 11, 2026

Episode Overview

In this crossover episode, host Ashan Singh introduces ABC’s new true crime podcast series, What Happened to the McStays? This gripping first episode explores the inexplicable disappearance of the McStay family—Joseph, Summer, and their two young sons—from their home in Southern California in 2010. Listeners are drawn into a web of secrets and questions: Did the family leave on their own accord, or was something more sinister at play? By reconstructing their final days—using interviews, police records, and the perspective of friends and family—this episode sets the stage for a shocking investigation into one of the most baffling missing person cases in recent American history.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction to the McStay Family (01:41–02:47)

Joseph and Summer McStay, along with their sons Gianni (4) and Joseph Jr. (3), lead a seemingly idyllic life after moving into a spacious home in Fallbrook, San Diego County in November 2009.
Videos show a happy, active family enjoying time together: “One little Joseph Jr. runs around the first floor of their new home. … All four of the McStays bike to the beach.” (01:49)
Life appeared normal until one day in February 2010, when the house "went quiet."

2. The McStays Vanish (03:24–06:44)

Shoes, newspaper, a carton of eggs, and prescription sunglasses are all left behind; the family’s loyal dogs are found abandoned.
There is no activity on their phones, and no signs of forced entry or struggle.
“It was as if the McStays had simply vanished into thin air. Authorities, friends and family were baffled.” (03:40)

3. Noticing the Disappearance (04:33–07:33)

Joseph's brother, Michael McStay, grows concerned after missing their routine Friday call:

“To miss one Friday, I mean, I didn’t think a whole lot of it.” (04:53, Michael McStay)
Family and colleagues notice Joseph’s prolonged absence from work; emails go unanswered.
By February 13, Michael and Joseph’s business associate, Chase Merritt, visit the McStays’ home and find it messy but with signs of an unfinished move/remodel.

4. Red Flags at the House (07:33–09:38)

Michael enters through a back window; he notes:

“The dogs were left outside unattended. It didn’t make sense.” (08:42, Michael McStay)
The dogs, Bear and Digger, were much-loved—leaving them unsupervised was uncharacteristic.

5. The Search & Initial Investigation (20:05–23:39)

By February 15, with no sign of the family for 11 days, Michael calls the police; a welfare check leads to a formal search.
Detective Lt. Dennis Brugos:

“That raised red flags because by all accounts, they took very good care of their dogs.” (21:24)
Details found at the scene: rotten food, popcorn bowls, a mess of clothes, and suitcases left behind.

“You don’t leave perishable food out if you’re going to be gone for an extended period of time.” (22:57, Lt. Brugos)
Crucial discovery: The family's Isuzu Trooper is missing, later found near the U.S.-Mexico border—towed from a parking lot within walking distance of Tijuana (23:44).
“No sign of forced entry, no sign of a struggle or act of violence, no blood. In other words, no apparent signs of foul play, no clear crime.” (24:16)

6. Family & Friends’ Perspective (11:28–15:25)

Gina Watson (friend) and Jessie Silveria (Summer’s friend) describe the McStays as close, loving, and happy.
Joseph is depicted as a generous, sociable “surfer dude,” devoted to family:

“Joseph’s kids and his wife were everything to him.” (12:14, Gina Watson)
Summer is remembered as passionate and nurturing, especially after becoming a stay-at-home mom:

“They were nesting. That phase in her life was nesting.” (14:52, Jessie Silveria)
Family life seemed rooted and stable, with ongoing renovations and plans for the future.

7. The Business and Lifestyle (15:25–17:48)

Joseph’s business, Earth Inspired Products, is thriving.
The family had recently moved for more space to accommodate their growing needs.
“Joe doesn’t invest… $30,000 into a house to renovate it because he’s going to leave tomorrow. That just doesn’t jive.” (17:48, Michael McStay)

8. Police Doubts and Growing Suspicion (23:39–28:05)

Detectives find contradictory clues suggesting both an abrupt departure and settled domesticity.
When questioned, Michael expresses hope for an innocent explanation but remains realistic:

“I'm hoping they went down and they just went to Mexico and they took a two-week vacation. I mean, that's a pipe dream at this point. I don't know.” (27:29, Michael McStay)
Detective Dugal raises practical doubts:

“If they went on vacation, the kids’ suitcases would have been with them.” (27:59, Det. Dugal)
The official conclusion at this stage: “It is my opinion the McStay family is the victim of foul play.” (28:05, Det. Dugal’s report)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“The McStay family dogs were left to sit in the hot California sun. By all accounts, the McStays loved their dogs… to leave them alone outside for days on end, this just didn't sit right.” — Host Ashan Singh (08:46)
“You don’t leave perishable food out if you’re going to be gone for an extended period of time.” — Lt. Dennis Brugos, San Diego Sheriff’s Department (22:57)
“[Joseph] would buy his friends laptops just because he was excited about technology… He was just very easy with money. He never was too uptight about it.” — Gina Watson (13:30)
“Joe doesn’t invest… $30,000 into a house to renovate it because he’s going to leave tomorrow. That just doesn’t jive. He doesn’t walk out on his friends and his family.” — Michael McStay (17:48)
“I can tell you that I've never had one like this where a family is just totally missing, ever.” — Detective Dugal (25:55)

Important Timestamps

01:41 — Introduction to the McStay family and their new home/lifestyle
03:24 — Discovery of disappearance, clues indicating sudden abandonment
06:44 — Michael McStay and Chase Merritt check the house themselves
08:42 — Michael notices the dogs have been left unattended
11:28–13:53 — Gina Watson’s recollections of Joseph and the McStays’ happy family life
14:02 — Jessie Silveria describes Summer and their close friendship
17:48 — Family, renovations, and why sudden departure doesn’t add up
20:05–21:39 — Welfare check and police investigation of the house
22:57 — Lt. Brugos on evidence the family didn’t plan to leave
23:44 — Discovery of the missing family car at the Mexican border
27:29 — Michael’s “pipe dream” hope (family just on vacation)
28:05 — Detective Dugal's opinion: likely foul play

Structure & Tone

The episode is delivered in ABC’s signature true crime documentary style, blending investigative journalism with personal interviews and police commentary. The language is empathetic, vivid, and methodical, with a focus on puzzling details and rising tension. The speakers’ words are preserved for emotional authenticity.

Summary

The first episode of What Happened to the McStays? lays the groundwork for a mystery filled with red herrings and heartache. The loving and ambitious McStay family seemingly vanishes without a trace from their new suburban home. The evidence left behind—abandoned pets, spoiled food, and suitcases still packed—points to a sudden, unplanned departure that makes voluntary disappearance unlikely. Police and loved ones are left scrambling for answers, as each clue deepens rather than resolves the mystery. With investigators quickly moving from hope to suspicion, listeners are invited to follow one of California’s most disturbing cold cases from the inside.

Loading summary

Transcript129 lines

[00:00]
A
Hey, this is Ashan Singh from ABC News and I want to tell you about a new true crime podcast I'm hosting from 2020 in ABC audio called what Happened to the Mixed Days? If you enjoyed this show, I think you'll really like it. It's a story about secrets, betrayal, and the dark underbelly of the American dream. In 2010, a family of four goes missing from their Southern California home. No signs of a struggle or forced entry, but clues scattered about the home raised questions. Had the McStays really left on their own? If they did, where would they have gone in such a hurry? Or had something more sinister happened? In our new podcast, what happened to the McStays? We'll be sharing the whole shocking story. Keep listening now to hear the first episode right here. If you like it, you can hear the rest of the series by following what happens to the McStays for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you're listening now. Or you can get the series early and ad free by subscribing to 2020 True Crime plus on Apple Podcasts. Click the link in the description to start your free trial today. Now here's episode one of what Happened to the Mixed Days? Hi, Ryan Reynolds here for Mint Mobile. Are you looking for a beach read this summer? May I suggest your big wireless bill? It's got suspense, mystery, a slightly flat emotional arc and a shocking twist.
[01:22]
B
Really?
[01:23]
A
You realize you've been overpaying the entire time. Fortunately though, Mint's story is better. Every plan $15 a month, even unlimited.
[01:29]
C
That's it.
[01:30]
A
Happy ending, zero tears. Give it a try@mintmobile.com Switch upfront payment
[01:35]
C
of $45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months or $180 or 12 month Plan required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees extra initial plan term only greater than 50gb me slow when network is busy.
[01:42]
A
See terms In November of 2009, family of four moved into a palm tree dotted cul de sac in the hills of San Diego County. Joseph McStay and his wife Summer were in their early 40s and living a seemingly charmed Southern California life with their two young sons. Their new neighborhood was surrounded by mountains and farmland. Their new house, a large Spanish style home on Avocado Vista lane, was around 10 years old with a stucco exterior and a red terracotta roof. The McStay's home videos from around this time show an active, fun loving family in one little Joseph Jr. Runs around the first floor of their new home. The house over here in another video. All four of the McStays bike to the beach.
[02:38]
D
Jay, come here. Oh my God. Cadillac Mama.
[02:47]
A
And then there's the video where the two McStay boys, Joseph Jr. And his big brother Gianni, swing side by side at a playground. Swing set together, their mom, Summer, pushes them higher and higher. For a couple of months, these were the types of sounds that filled the McStay residents. But one day in February 2010, the house went quiet. Local station KGTV covered the story.
[03:24]
E
The outside of the McStay home remains exactly as the family left it. Their shoes and the newspaper both outside.
[03:32]
A
There was a carton of eggs left
[03:33]
C
out on the counter. And one other thing. Summer McStay left her prescription sunglasses behind. Family left their dogs behind.
[03:41]
A
And there had been no activity on their phones. It was as if the stays had simply vanished into thin air. Authorities, friends and family were baffled. But how does a vibrant family of four suddenly go missing? From ABC Audio in 2020, I'm Ashton Singh and this is what happened to the mixed days. Episode 111 Days. Joseph McStay, or Joey, had a weekly ritual with his little brother Michael. In a 2011 interview with ABC News, Michael said that every Friday, Joseph would give him a ring on his way to play pickup soccer.
[04:33]
D
He would call me, we'd touch base. Hey, how's things going? Hey, Mikey, how's your business? What's going on? How are the girls? I'd ask how the boys were and he'd tell me what was going on.
[04:43]
A
But on Friday, February 5, 2010, Michael didn't get that weekly call from his big brother. For Michael, this was unusual, but not alarming.
[04:53]
D
So to miss one Friday, I mean, I didn't think a whole lot of it.
[04:58]
A
But then several days went by without a peep from Joseph. No calls, texts or emails. It was the same at his work too. Joseph Co owned a business that sold high end decorative fountains, the kind you might see in hotel lobbies. The company was in the middle of a couple of projects when Joseph's colleagues told the McStay family, they noticed Joseph had gone completely silent.
[05:25]
D
There was customer emails not being answered, which is not like Joe. He was usually right on top of it.
[05:32]
A
Joseph's friends started reaching out to Michael to ask, hey, have you heard from Joe? What's going on? He's not answering his phone. Joseph's wife Summer wasn't returning calls either. So Michael posted to his brother's Facebook page asking friends, if you've seen him, please let the family know. Family and friends got in touch. Michael And Joseph's parents, plus two of Joseph's colleagues, Dan Kavanaugh and Chase Merritt. They shared any relevant information they had and Michael pieced together that Thursday, February 4, was likely the last day anyone had seen or heard from his brother. Michael and Joseph's father said he talked to Joseph that morning. And according to Joseph's business associate, Chase, he and Joseph met up that afternoon. Loved ones were worried about the mixed days, but Michael tried to remain optimistic. He thought it was possible the family left on a trip and just didn't tell anyone.
[06:38]
D
I thought, well, maybe. Maybe they're doing a quick vacay. So I didn't want to jump to any conclusions.
[06:44]
A
A few days after the McStays went quiet, Joseph's business partner, Dan Kavanaugh, called the police for a welfare check. San Diego county sheriff's deputies came out to the home and knocked on the door. No one was home at the time, but with no signs that anything was amiss, deputies followed procedure and did not go inside. Joseph's business associate, Chase Merritt, also went to the house a couple times that week, he says, to see if he could find Joseph. No luck. And by February 13, the McStays hadn't been seen or heard from in nine days. Michael says he decided to check the home himself. He took a trip to Avocado Vista Lane. Chase came along, too.
[07:34]
D
I went down there, started knocking on doors, asking the neighbors had they seen him.
[07:41]
A
Michael says he let himself into the house through a back window that was cracked open. He started looking through the home, he says. It was messy. Kitchen drawers had been pulled out and placed on countertops. Toys, books, and clothes were scattered around, and the house was barely furnished. The family was using air mattresses instead of beds. To Michael, it was like his brother and his family were camping in their own home. But this was Michael's first time in the McStay's new house. They'd only moved in about two months earlier, and they were remodeling. Michael says they'd been doing work on the floors and painting cabinets. So to him, this could have been a normal level of untidiness, given the circumstances and given that Joseph and Summer had two young children. But there was one thing Michael noticed right away that he clocked as being very, very off.
[08:42]
D
The dogs were left outside unattended. It didn't make sense.
[08:47]
A
The McStay family dogs were left to sit in the hot California sun. By all accounts, the McStays loved their dogs. A big akita called Bear and a golden retriever puppy called Digger. Friends say they were like second kids to Joseph and Summer to leave them alone outside for days on end. This just didn't sit right with Michael. He asked a neighbor to keep an eye on the dogs, and then he left, hoping his family would show up soon. But the McStays had disappeared, leaving a puzzle that would soon mystify their friends and family.
[09:38]
F
Mysteries unravel, and stunning truths are revealed when 2020 investigates.
[09:43]
C
Follow the clues, the evidence, the breaking new details.
[09:46]
A
ABC's 2020 means true murder Mystery Shocking
[09:51]
F
if you follow true crime in 2020, then you've got to listen to this.
[09:55]
A
Subscribe now to 2020 True Crime plus ad free exclusive true crime content search 2020 True Crime plus on Apple Podcasts and start your free trial terms apply.
[10:08]
C
Jerry is changing the way people think about car insurance for people who like to save or just shop smarter. That change already happened with Jerry. You're not locked into a policy that auto renews reshop anytime by comparing up to 20 quotes side by side and switch all in the app. No spam calls, no hidden fees. Drivers who save with Jerry save over $1,300 a year on average. You'll probably be the first one you know to use it, which makes you the smartest friend in the group.
[10:37]
F
Download Jerry today as Luigi Mangione prepares to stand trial for the murder of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, which he denies. A new podcast series from ABC audio in 2020 goes inside this captivating case. To many people, Luigi Mangione is a modern day Robin Hood. People were cheering the demise of this person they'd never met, who was a father of two and a husband and had a life and was just doing a job. From the manhunt ending in a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, to what authorities are saying about a possible motive, I'm ABC News legal analyst Brian Buckmire. Listen to Burden of Proof Luigi Mangione, wherever you get your podcasts.
[11:29]
E
One thing about Joseph is he would always talk for hours. And I'm not exaggerating, like sometimes two hours.
[11:37]
A
Gina Watson was one of Joseph McStay's friends. They'd met because Gina also worked in the decorative fountain industry. She says they'd gotten to know each other well. And according to Gina, Joseph was a talker.
[11:51]
E
I would call him before I'd left for lunch to like, talk about whatever the problem of the day was. And then it would evolve into just, I don't know, like conversation goes from one thing to another and then I'm like, the phone's getting Hot because it's been in your ear so long, like, can we wrap this up?
[12:09]
A
Gina said that Joseph adored his wife Summer and their two boys.
[12:15]
E
Joseph's kids and his wife were everything to him.
[12:18]
A
Gina says Joseph would share stories about his rambunctious little boys. Like the time they snuck out of their beds early one morning and started rummaging through their kitchen cabinets.
[12:28]
E
He said one night Gianni and little Joey had gotten into the flower. I guess they kept it in a lower cabinet and you're a parent and you're tired and your, your little kid sneaks out of bed and gets into the flower and they had it all over themselves and they had like handprints and footprints everywhere and they were covered head to toe.
[12:49]
A
Gina describes Joseph as a surfer dude. He had wavy shoulder length, light brown hair. In pictures he looks like he would be more comfortable in shorts and a T shirt and a suit. And Ty, Joseph and Summer, sons gianni and Joseph Jr were four years old and three respectively at the time they vanished. Photos of the little boys show their hair down to their shoulders, just like their dad. In one photo, Joey Jr. Holds an ice cream sandwich, chocolate all over his mouth. And Gina says their dad, Joseph Sr. Was generous with his friends.
[13:31]
E
He would buy his friends laptops just because he was excited about technology and he wanted them to be as excited as he was. And, oh, you gotta check out this gaming laptop. Like, oh, you need top of the line. No, that's not good enough. Let me get you this one. He was just very easy with money. He never was too uptight about it. He was more so than any person I've ever met, to be honest.
[13:53]
A
Joseph and Summer were introduced in the early 2000s. One of his friends set them up and everyone says they hit it off right away.
[14:02]
G
Summer was a very passionate woman who went after what she wanted.
[14:09]
A
That's Jesse Silveria, a friend of Summer's.
[14:13]
G
I met summer around 2006 and I was living in Laguna beach and I think both of us were Laguna ites.
[14:21]
A
Jesse and Summer were both photographers at the time and met while working the same shoot.
[14:27]
G
To me, Summer was exotic. You know, she had dark hair, dark eyes, dark skin, really big, cute smile.
[14:36]
A
Jesse says she and Summer would go out together, two creatives enjoying the beachy art scene of Laguna. Once Summer got pregnant, Jesse says she scaled back her active social life, stopped working and became a stay at home mom.
[14:52]
G
They were nesting. That phase in her life was nesting.
[15:00]
A
Friends and family say Joseph and Summer loved the beach. For a time, the couple and Their sons lived in San Clemente. Their apartment was on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean, with world class surfing right outside their door.
[15:15]
G
The kids, they were growing up to be surfer dudes too. They definitely took after Joey, you know, wanting to be close to the ocean.
[15:25]
A
Another big part of the McStays lives was Joseph's work. Earth Inspired Products. It sold elaborate custom decorative waterfalls. These were large scale standalone objects, often 6ft tall. Water would be pumped invisibly to the top of tall glass panes and then cascade down into pools that sparkled with hidden light fixtures. Earth Inspired Products also had an online retail side where they sold pre manufactured water features. Gina Watson worked for one of Joseph's manufacturing partners. That's how the two met and became friends. She says Joseph was a designer at heart.
[16:07]
E
He actually started his business, I think, like in his garage designing his own features by hand.
[16:13]
A
Gina says Joseph was taking on more and more custom work and the business was doing really well. According to people familiar with the company, Earth Inspired Products had gotten big contracts. A car wash chain with 150 locations, a huge custom job for the Paul Mitchell hair salon brand, and even a project in Saudi Arabia. In late 2009, the McStay family moved from their small beachside apartment in San Clemente to their house on that palm tree lined cul de sac. Their new town of Fallbrook is better known for its avocado orchards than its proximity to the coast. It's a 30 minute drive to the beach, a trade off for the surf loving McStays. But it was big. Five bedrooms with a backyard. Here's Summer's friend Jessie again.
[17:06]
G
All the outside was completely populated with kids toys and trucks and boy stuff. And she was growing flowers and gardens again.
[17:20]
A
They had plans to remodel the home. By early 2010, some of the renovations were underway. Joseph would fill his brother Michael in on the progress.
[17:30]
D
Okay, they're remodeling the house and it's kind of crazy, you know, the furniture's still in storage.
[17:38]
A
By February of 2010, Joseph was doing well professionally. The couple was working on upgrading their new house. Family seemed settled.
[17:48]
D
Joe doesn't invest, you know, like $30,000 into a house to renovate it because he's going to leave tomorrow. That just doesn't jive. He doesn't walk out on his friends and his family.
[18:01]
A
And yet at that house in Fallbrook, no one was home. And for over a week, there had only been silence from the family who lived there. It didn't add up. Michael McStay says he decided that if his brother and family were, as he'd hoped, just honestly an extended vacation, they should be back by February 15th. He says he told himself that if by 9am he still hadn't heard from Joseph, he'd file a missing person's report. That's exactly what Michael did.
[18:47]
F
The Hulu Original Series Furious. Now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus.
[18:52]
C
There are three victims we know of.
[18:54]
A
The suspect is female, white, late twenties. Female. Serial killers kill for power, control.
[19:00]
C
I believe there's a deeper motivation here.
[19:02]
F
You have no idea who you're dealing with and you are gonna end up dead.
[19:07]
A
I've been waiting for you.
[19:09]
F
Watch the Hulu Original Series. Series Furious now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney plus for monthly subscribers. Terms apply. FX presents the Shards Los Angeles, 1981
[19:20]
A
we're gonna roll the school.
[19:21]
B
Don't we already?
[19:22]
F
It was supposed to be the best year of their lives.
[19:25]
A
I would stab someone for a drink right now.
[19:28]
F
Until their friends started going missing.
[19:30]
B
There's something going on.
[19:32]
F
From executive producer Ryan Murphy. And based on the best selling thriller by Brent Easton ellis. Sounds terrifying. FX's the shards. Now streaming on Hulu.
[19:46]
A
Sophistication, Class. Restraint. Dignity. None of these words have anything to do with Super Troopers three.
[19:57]
F
One, two, three, Go.
[20:00]
A
Barbara in the house. Hope you guys aren't too drunk already. Now in theaters. No new info on the guy who did it.
[20:06]
D
Oh, so it couldn't have been a woman?
[20:07]
A
Sexist.
[20:08]
C
You ever see Ocean's 8?
[20:09]
F
Enough.
[20:09]
A
Super Troopers 3.
[20:10]
G
Meow.
[20:11]
A
Playing only in theater. Rated R. Under 17. Not admitted without peril. By the morning of February 15, 2010, Michael McStay had reached his personal deadline to sound the alarm. No one had heard from Joseph for summer. In 11 days, Michael called the police.
[20:31]
B
He asked for a welfare check, and the patrol deputies came out and checked the house.
[20:38]
A
Lt. Dennis Brugos from the San Diego Sheriff's Department oversaw the investigation. According to police, at 10:32am Michael, along with officers from the San Diego Sheriff's Department, arrived at the McStays Fallbrook house. They knocked on the door and checked the exterior for signs of forced entry. When they got no response, they entered the residence and started a search. It began by looking for people, either people in distress or bodies. They found neither. But they did encounter the dogs, who were still in the backyard alone with some water and food left out for them.
[21:25]
B
That raised red flags because by all accounts, they took very good care of their dogs.
[21:31]
A
And when police heard from Michael that the McStays had left without notifying any friends or family. That raised immediate alarm bells, too.
[21:40]
B
What the deputy initially learned was, this is really a nice family, and they never made plans to leave. And so that raised the suspicion level to the point where he said, you know what? I should probably call homicide and let them know what's going on out here.
[21:57]
A
Lieutenant Brugo says suspicious circumstances. Cases like this one are handled by the homicide unit whether there's a dead body or not. Police say that when homicide detectives joined the search at the mcstay residence, they checked again for any signs of foul play, any clue as to what may have happened to the mcstays. Officers looked all over the home. Inside the kitchen pantry in the den, the garage in a recycling bin outside, and the truck parked in the driveway. As detectives searched, they noticed a few curious things. To start, it was the food that was left out, according to police and court documents. Downstairs in the living room, there were two small bowls of popcorn half eaten, left on a futon. Bananas that had started to rot, and a carton of eggs were sitting out on the kitchen counter.
[22:58]
B
You don't leave perishable food out if you're going to be gone for an extended period of time.
[23:01]
A
Generally, it seemed like the family may have left the house suddenly, even unexpectedly. And then there was the mess police documented. Clothes piled up on the bathroom counter, Suitcases left open with clothes spilling out into piles, A tall lamp that looked like it had been knocked over. If the mcstays had gone on vacation, like michael so hoped was the case, why would they have left suitcases full of clothing behind? And detectives also uncovered something else. Lieutenant Brugos, again, we knew that one
[23:40]
B
of the vehicles was parked here in a driveway, and the other one wasn't here.
[23:44]
A
The McStays 1996 White Isuzu Trooper was missing. If police could find the vehicle, maybe they could find the mcstays. They ran a search on the isuzu trooper and immediately came up with a hit. According to police records, the check revealed that the vehicle was recently towed from a parking lot about 60 miles from the mcstay's home near the u. S. Mexico border. So near, in fact, that it was walking distance to the border terminal. According to police, the car had been towed from that lot on February 8, four days after the mcstays vanished. Now police had to find out what did this clue mean? Did the mcstays leave for mexico altogether? And if so, did they go voluntarily or by force? Were they hiding, kidnapped? Police couldn't yet say. The search of the mcstay residence took all day, and in the end, police determined was no sign of forced entry, no sign of a struggle or act of violence, no blood. In other words, no apparent signs of foul play, no clear crime. But that didn't mean that detectives were confident that all was well with the McStays. The abandoned dogs, the spoiled food left out, the family car found at the Mexican border. As Lt. Brugos puts it, when you
[25:23]
B
put the whole picture together, it raises the level of suspicion that something's not right.
[25:30]
A
Once officers wrapped up the search of the home, a couple of the detectives, Troy Dugal and Suzanne Fisk, pulled Michael aside for an interview in their police car. In the tape from this interview, Michael still hopes that his big brother's family could be perfectly fine.
[25:47]
D
What's the percentages of these, like being in a situation like this and then it just being something totally innocent.
[25:56]
H
I can tell you that I've never had one like this where a family is just totally missing, ever. So I can't give you a. I can't give you a good statistic.
[26:08]
A
Detective Dugall asks Michael for more information about the missing family. How was Joseph and Summer's relationship? Who are their closest friends? Did he have problems with anyone or money trouble?
[26:20]
H
Do you know if there's any money involvement with your brother owing someone money? Or would somebody try to take advantage of your brother?
[26:28]
D
I don't know enough about what's going on with this business. Why is it I have no idea.
[26:33]
A
They dug deeper, asking about Joseph's finances.
[26:37]
D
How much is your brother worth? Oh, I don't know. I have no idea.
[26:41]
A
You know what his yearly income is?
[26:43]
D
No.
[26:45]
A
Dugal asked if Joseph might have been involved in narcotics.
[26:49]
D
My brother doesn't even do drugs, so that's out.
[26:55]
A
Detectives also asked about the Isuzu trooper. Did Michael have any idea what Joseph and his family might be doing walking distance from Tijuana?
[27:05]
D
I don't know. I don't know what he's doing down there. I have no idea. I don't think he knows anybody down there.
[27:12]
A
The whole situation still didn't sit right with Michael or the detectives.
[27:18]
D
This thing has just got me scratching my head.
[27:20]
H
Well, we don't know any more than you know. What do you think as a brother? Where are they?
[27:29]
F
What did he.
[27:29]
D
I'm hoping they went down and they just went to Mexico and they took a two week vacation. I mean, that's a. That's a pipe dream at this point. I don't know.
[27:39]
H
I would hope that too. But. What. What did you See, in the house, that would indicate that that's probably not true.
[27:44]
D
I just walked through, but I didn't get it. I mean, I didn't.
[27:47]
H
Well, let me help you out. Inside the walk in closet there's suitcases and there's little kids suitcases with suitcase flaps open with folded little kid laundry. Clean laundry in the suitcases.
[27:59]
D
Yeah.
[27:59]
H
If they went on vacation, the kids suitcases would have been with them.
[28:05]
A
In his official account of the day, Detective Dugal concluded that there had been no apparent sign of a crime. But he also said this. It is my opinion the McStay family is the victim of foul play. The police knew this wasn't over. There was more work to be done. Now the race was on to find out what had actually happened to the family of four before it was too late. What happened to the mixed days is a production of abc audio in 2020, hosted by me, ashen singh. Produced by madeline wood, vika aronson, audrey mostek and kiara powell. With help from sabrina fang and camille peterson. Edited by gianna palmer. Our supervising producer is susie lu. Music by evan viola. Scoring by kiara powell. Mixing by evan viola and bob mallory. Special thanks to katie dendos, janice johnson, chris donovan, joseph ree, sonny antrim, alyssa stoler, xander samaras, tom berman, indra dalaisakhan and blu browning. Josh cohan is our director of podcast programming. Eamon mcnath is our executive producer. Can't wait for more. Listen to the next episode ahead of everyone else ad free. Subscribe now to 2020 True Crime plus on Apple Podcasts. Click the link in the description to start your free trial today in 2023.
[29:52]
C
A source sent me a tip. It tied baseball's biggest star to a vast illegal sports betting operation, Shohei Ohtani. But then someone surprising confessed to me. His best friend.
[30:07]
A
I'm Ippei Mizuhara and you do have
[30:09]
C
permission to record me from 30 for 30 podcasts. This is the betrayal of Shohei Ohtani. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts. There's a headline every 30 minutes for
[30:22]
A
our show, I'm pretty sure.
[30:23]
E
Welcome to Get Real.
[30:24]
A
I'm your host, Amanda Hirsch. This is the show for the reality TV obsessed. You thought the show was crazy living. It was crazier. I was dripping sweat before I even started. For the stars and Stans of the Hula reality verse.
[30:38]
E
Do you we think she's stirring the pot to secure a place on the show.
[30:41]
A
Find and listen to Get Real wherever
[30:43]
E
you get your podcasts and stream new episodes Thursdays on Hulu and Hulu on Disney terms apply.