I am really curious to hear any reasonable theories on what actually happened and possible motives. I realize this is all speculation, but I still would like to hear what the SDMB members think.
Here is the previous Straightdope thread on the subject:
That the parents got involved with drug gangs is the idea which immediately springs to mind, but there doesn’t seem to be any evidence they were.
A random serial killer is always a possibility.
Inspired by someone in another thread:
Well, I guess the McStays…
*( •_•)
( •_•)~⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)* McWent.
Yeeeeeeeeaaaaaah…!
Nicely played, sir.
I’ve heard a couple of mentions of this book on KFI lately: No Goodbyes: The Mysterious Disappearance of the McStay Family. I don’t know how credible his story is, but he spent a helluva lot of time and money trying to track them down.
Is there an account of how the bodies were discovered?
According to the sheriff’s statement, an off-road biker apparently happened on them.
Guaranteed to wreck your day, that.
Apparently the bodies were buried in shallow graves and animals partially dug them up. The biker saw some bones and wondered if they could be human so contacted authorities.
Updating this thread:
A Wikipedia article on the mystery:
Wow. Nice to get some closure to a strange and tragic event.
Also wow: Almost 5 years between arrest and start of trial. Guess the defense attorneys were filing lots of continuances.