"They would call just to see how I was doing," he said. But last Wednesday's call was different.
Detectives arrested Charles "Chase" Merritt, a business associate of his son, and charged him with the deaths of Joseph McStay, 40, his wife Summer, 43, and their two children Gianni, 4, and Joseph Jr., 3. About 20 minutes after the arrest, the detectives called Patrick with the news.
"I was expecting it but not so soon," he tells PEOPLE. "They told me they were going to solve this case. They worked tirelessly."
It was a mystery that haunted Patrick since Feb. 9, 2010, when he received an email from Merritt, who worked with Joseph. "I haven't heard from Joe," it stated. "He's not answering the phone; he's not answering texts. It isn't like Joe. Can you get back to me?"
The following day, investigators from the San Diego County Sheriff's Department entered Joseph's two-story home in Fallbrook, California. They didn't see any signs of foul play and declared the family missing.
For years, family, friends and investigators wondered what happened to the young family who left $100,000 in a checking account and left their two dogs – Bear and Digger – behind. Theories swirled around the couple: Were they placed in a witness-protection program? Did they leave for Mexico? Why would they leave without a trace?
"It doesn't make sense," Lt. Dennis Brugo from the San Diego Sheriff's Office told PEOPLE in 2011. "When you have people drop out of society, it's usually for a reason – they're having money or family problems. In this case, it looks like they were planning for the future."
On Nov. 11, 2013, a motorcyclist riding through the desert above Victorville, California – about 100 miles from Fallbrook – came across a weathered skull and called police. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department took over the case and started from the beginning, Patrick says. For nearly a year, investigators conducted an extensive investigation, which included 60 search warrants and more than 200 interviews.
Investigators say the family died from blunt-force trauma. "Based on the entire investigation and the evidence obtained, investigators believe the murders occurred at the family home in Fallbrook. Investigators are not disclosing the motive for the murders," according to a press release.
But Patrick has spent years wondering about his family. And he has one more theory as to why anyone would want his family dead.
"It's all about money," he says. "That's what I believe."
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