Shivangi Sinha
The investigation into the disappearance and eventual homicide of the McStay family raised numerous questions and placed several individuals under scrutiny as potential suspects. Among them was Dan Kavanaugh, a colleague who worked with Joseph McStay in his business. Chase Merritt’s defense team also directed suspicion toward him and alleged that he had not been properly investigated. For years, Dan remained out of the public eye and was never called to testify during the trial. However, in ID’s ‘Two Shallow Graves: The McStay Family Murders,’ he addressed the case for the first time and spoke openly about the allegations that had long surrounded him.
Dan Kavanaugh’s Ex-Girlfriend Once Alleged He Confessed to the Killings
In February 2010, when the McStay family was first reported missing, Daniel “Dan” Kavanaugh was working with Joseph McStay’s company, Earth Inspired Products, which specialized in decorative waterfalls. He handled the digital marketing side of the business, maintaining the website and was promised a share of the profits as compensation. In fact, before the family was officially reported missing, it was Dan who called Joseph’s father, Patrick McStay, expressing concern that Joseph had not responded to emails or messages. Years later, in November 2014, after Chase Merritt was arrested for the killings, a woman named Tracey Riccobene, who identified herself as Dan’s ex-girlfriend, came forward to police. She alleged that Dan had confessed to the killings, claiming he even shared details of how it was carried out.
However, detectives didn’t consider Riccobene’s claims credible, and no charges were ever filed against Dan. When Merritt’s trial began in January 2019, the defense pointed to Dan as a possible alternate suspect whom investigators had allegedly overlooked. They argued that tensions had existed between Dan and Joseph over business agreements, and Dan had been feeling underpaid and excluded from certain sales. The defense further alleged that Dan had sent threatening messages to Joseph in 2009, though these texts were not admitted in court and remained unverified. They also highlighted records that showed that after the McStay family went missing, Dan transferred checks into his own name and later sold the company in 2011. However, Dan has maintained that these were legitimate transactions under his partnership with Joseph.
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Dan Kavanaugh Claimed That He was Cleared of Any Suspicion in the Crime
During the trial, the defense team claimed they intended to call Dan Kavanaugh to testify, but were unable to locate him. The prosecution countered with evidence showing that Dan was in Hawaii at the time of the crime. His ex-girlfriend, Lauren Knowles, also testified and confirmed their presence in Hawaii in 2010, supported by credit card records, travel tickets, and social media posts. In the documentary, Dan gave a public interview for the first time, stating that he could not have been involved in the crimes as he was out of state. He alleged that the prosecution advised him to “stay out of the dodge” during the trial, though this has not been independently corroborated. He said that they had assured him he was cleared of suspicion while warning that the defense might implicate him.
Dan reiterated that he had no conflicts with Joseph McStay and was actually the first to notice that Chase Merritt had been writing checks to himself prior to the family’s disappearance. He acknowledged that some sales information had initially been withheld from him but said these concerns were resolved, with Joseph agreeing to a 50/50 business partnership. Since the trial, Dan has maintained a very low profile, and little is publicly known about his personal or professional life. It is believed he resides in San Diego, California. It is imperative to note that he has never been charged or officially implicated in any capacity related to the McStay family case.
