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The adoptive parents of Orrin and Orson West, identified as 33-year-old Jacqueline Gabrielle West and 36-year-old Trezell Phillip West, have been found guilty of second-degree murder. The two young boys were reported missing back in 2020, and the couple has now been convicted of murdering at least one of them.
Trigger warning: The article contains references to the death of a toddler. Readers’ discretion is advised.
According to Kern County prosecutors, both Orrin and Orson West had been murdered and their bodies were hidden. The parents reported the kids missing almost three months after they were killed.
Three lawsuits were filed surrounding the disappearance of the two brothers. The first was between the adoptive parents and the Kern County District Attorney's Office, the second one was between Orson's biological dad against Kern County Human Services, and the third lawsuit was between the biological mother of both Orrin and Orson against Kern County Human Services.
Adoptive parents of Orrin and Orson West have been found guilty in five of the seven charges against them
The case began when 4-year-old Orrin and 3-year-old Orson were reported missing in December 2020. Although law enforcement officials presumed that the brothers have been killed by their adoptive parents, their bodies were never recovered.
For around 17 days, the prosecution team built the case against the adoptive parents who were accused of killing the kids. A verdict came out late last week, convicting the two on five of seven counts. The adoptive parents of Orrin and Orson West were initially charged with two counts each of murder in the second degree, one for each toddler, and one counts each of false reports of an emergency.
The couple was indicted of two counts of second-degree murder, one count of involuntary manslaughter, one count of false report of an emergency to law enforcement, and two counts of willful cruelty to a child.
The trial, which was mostly based on circumstantial and physical evidence, began by the end of March. Several witnesses gave their testimonies in the case and there were around 300 potential jurors.
However, the parents have now been convicted of murdering only Orrin West, and not Orson. For Orson, they were found guilty of wiflul cruelty to a child and falsely reporting an emergency.
Sentencing has been scheduled for July 13, 2023. It will then be revealed whether the couple will be retried on the deadlocked charges by the state.
A gag order has concealed most information about the investigation.
The other children of the accused parents were questioned regarding Orrin and Orson West's disappearance
When authorities were informed about the disappearances of the toddlers, they interviewed the other kids of the couple, who were below 11 years old at the time. The children claimed that they hadn't seen the twins for quite some time in the family home.
An interview was conducted on December 28, with the eldest son of the couple, who claimed to have heard unusual noises coming from Orrin West's bed. The next day, he reportedly saw vomit coming from the toddler's nose and said that their couple told him that Orrin had passed away.
The boy, who was then 10 years old, also claimed that he touched the cold body. A few days after that, the family shifted to California City. According to the 10-year-old son, shortly after the move, Orson West disappeared as well. The boy, however, could not testify where the bodies were disposed of.
However, the defense team negated the claim by the prosecutors and mentioned that the children were too young and hence their interviews should not be considered. The defense team also stated that the story came out as a result of the constant interrogation that the eldest child was exposed to.
The defense lawyers further added that the prosecutors failed to address other possibilities including the toddlers getting abducted by a s*x offender or an individual belonging to their biological family.
To look for Orrin and Orson West, authorities had also deployed search-and-rescue teams and cadaver dogs. Aerial searches were conducted as well, but to no avail.
After the verdict, the defendants are likely to face life imprisonment. Chief Trial Deputy Eric Smith further claimed that the couple first killed Orrin in September, and then made the plot of killing Orson West.
