20/20

McStays Episode 3: In the Desert

August 26, 2026·31 min·5-min readnarrativetrue crime
Podzilla Summary (5 min)
TLDR
The episode reveals the grim discovery of the McStay family’s remains in the Mojave Desert nearly four years after their disappearance, shifting the case from a missing persons mystery to a homicide investigation. The forensic and investigative details expose the brutality of the crime an

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Mentions

Books, people, and resources mentioned in this episode.

People

John BluthJoseph McStaySummer McStayEddie BachmanRyan SmithDan KavanaughChase Merritt

Companies

San Bernardino Sheriff's Department

Products & Tools

Stanley sledgehammer

Topics

Cold CasesCriminal JusticeForensicsInvestigative JournalismMissing PersonsTrue Crime

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