A memorial was held for the McStay family on Saturday that culminated in a paddle-out off the coast near San Clemente, Calif., pier, where the family had lived shortly before their deaths.

McStay Family Memorial

The memorial service was held for all four members of the McStay family, Joseph, 40, his wife Summer, 43, and their two children, Gianni, 4, and Joey Jr., 3. The entire family disappeared mysteriously in 2010, and it was believed that they had fled to Mexico until their remains were discovered in the Mojave Dessert on Nov. 13, 2013.

Michael McStay, Joseph's brother, along with three other loved ones, wore white lays as they paddled out onto the water after the service to honor each member of the deceased McStay family. They were accompanied by about 10 other surfers, and other mourners looked on from the pier.

“It’s definitely important for the family. This is something that they loved to do, so we feel that this would be important,” Ken Aranda, Summer’s brother, said about the ceremony.

Two hundred people reportedly attended the memorial service at Vineyard Community Church, and Joseph’s mother, Susan Blake, described the service as full of love. Michael echoed Blake’s statement, saying after the service, “My spirits are lifted. I feel encouraged remembering all the goodness in their lives. It allows me to turn a page.”

Investigation Into McStay Family Murders Is Ongoing

Though the four missing members of the McStay family have been put to rest, the case of the McStay deaths remains open, and Blake says she is still hoping for answers.

“I need answers now… I waited almost four years with hope to find them…That chapter of hope is closed and I need to start a new chapter of justice,” Blake said after the service.

In November, following the discovery of the family’s remains, Patrick McStay, Joseph’s father, told CBS News that he had suggested three suspects to the police, citing one in particular. Patrick theorized that someone could have paid a hit man to kill Joseph and Summer, and was forced to also kill their children, saying, “Somebody hired somebody. To kill a child is something totally different. You have to be a cold blooded killer… Only two things could have happened. Either there was a hired killer who killed them or the children could have recognized them – this person.”

The four deaths are currently under investigation by the San Bernadino Sheriff’s Department.

– Olivia Truffaut-Wong

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More about the McStay Family:

_{McStay Family Murder Update: Joseph McStay’s Father Names Three Suspects, Motives}