Rumors and uncertainty were put to rest Tuesday about two missing California City adoptive toddlers as a prosecutor laid out in opening arguments that the toddlers’ died either in Bakersfield or after living for barely four days in eastern Kern County.
Chief Trial Deputy Eric Smith said the prosecution’s case hinges on the Wests’ other children divulging information about their brothers dying. One child said Orrin died in Bakersfield — the adoptive parents lived in Bakersfield before moving away — after turning a pale color and vomiting, according to Smith. He added that another child said Orson died after living in California City for only four days.
But defense attorney Timothy Hennessy began his opening statements by ensuring jurors knew each defendant’s name and saying their children are missing. It was easier to charge the parents rather than admit police cannot find the boys, he said.
Tips weren’t followed up on — the boys were spotted in Texas, he said. There are 41 sex offenders in California City and police didn’t talk to them until 11 days after the boys were reported missing.
Much information has been under wraps about what happened to brothers Orrin and Orson West nearly two years ago when their adoptive parents reported them missing from California City in December 2020.
There had been no word on the boys or what might have happened to them until March 2022, when Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer announced both parents had been indicted in connection with the boys’ deaths.
Zimmer said at the news conference the boys’ bodies hadn’t been found. Prosecutor Smith said he elicited testimony from more than 50 witnesses before the Kern County grand jury, which led them to indict the parents.
Trezell and Jacqueline West, have pleaded not guilty to two second-degree murder charges, an involuntary manslaughter charge, willful cruelty to a child, conspiracy and falsely reporting an emergency in the toddlers’ deaths.
Alekxia Torres Stallings reserved her opening statements until later. Victor Nassar is also representing Trezell West, while Fatima Rodriguez is helping defend Jacqueline West.
Smith called his first witness, a 911 dispatcher with California City Police Department. He began playing the first 911 call Trezell West made in December 2020 to report his children missing.
Trezell West said in the 911 call the boys were playing in the backyard for 20 minutes and that he could not find them. He said he last saw them 20 minutes before dialing, according to a recording of the 911 call.
Prior to Tuesday’s opening statements, Hennessy reminded the public the standard of proof for evidence during indictment proceedings is lower than what is required in a trial. During an indictment, jurors must consider a preponderance of evidence, while during a jury trial, jurors must consider evidence beyond a reasonable doubt, Hennessy told reporters soon after his client was indicted.
The indictment alleged the Wests murdered their adoptive children between Sept. 1, 2020, and Sept. 11, 2020. Some of the allegations said both parents “induced a minor to commit or assist in the commission of the crime,” the indictment said, while also taking “advantage of a position of trust or confidence to commit the offense.”
Defendants also “threatened witnesses, unlawfully prevented or dissuaded witnesses from testifying, suborned perjury, or in any way illegally interfered with the judicial process,” according to the indictment.
A document recently obtained by The Californian indicates law enforcement conducted an investigation into the boys’ deaths and determined the toddlers died from abuse, not neglect.