Orrin (left) and Orson West. He claimed in the lawsuit that Child Protective Services was negligent when they took his biological children away and placed them with a couple outside of friends and family. The District Attorneys office then presented information to the grand jury and the grand jury found there was sufficient evidence to hold Trezell and Jacqueline West responsible for these murders and they returned what was called a true bill, Zimmer said. Jacqueline and Trezell West, the adoptive parents of Orrin and Orson West, will be in court again on Wed, March 1. Orson West, 3, and Orrin West, 4. The couple has four other children who have been placed in protective custody. So I just need to be here right now.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Search continues for missing California toddlers who disappeared days before Christmas. Authorities dug in the backyard. "They didnt ask to come into this world to be treated like this," the boys' grandmother said. WebBAKERSFIELD, Calif. (SCRIPPS) 3-year-old Orson and 4-year-old Orrin West have been missing for months. CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- Just days before Christmas, Orrin West and his younger brother Orson were reported missing from their home in California City. It alleges the department unlawfully took the children and put them in harms way. Brothers Orson and Orrin West -- ages 3 and 4, respectively, were reported missing by their adoptive parents, Trezell and Jacqueline West. Further details on what happened to the boys likely wont become available until trial begins. Originally set to start in May, the trial was moved back to July 25. This is not the outcome, that we and so many have hoped and prayed for in this case and there will not be a resolution in this case until those boys are brought home, added Chief Greg Terry of the Bakersfield Police Department at the conference. CNN Almost 15 months ago, Orrin and Orson Wests adoptive Click to reveal Investigators haven't released information about what led to the conclusion that the boys are no longer alive. Hennessy also pointed out defense counsel and the accused are not present during grand jury proceedings and have no opportunity to cross-examine witnesses or present evidence. Their adoptive parents maintain the brothers disappeared from their home's backyard Dec. 21 of last year. A pair of black tights are a necessity, rather than just an accessory, to stay stylish and comfortable when temperatures drop. The little words that the biological family are left with are sending a strong message to Jaqueline and Trezell. BPD took over the investigation on March 1. Many questions remain surrounding their disappearance. and last updated 8:46 AM, Mar 02, 2022 BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) The Bakersfield Police Department released a case update for the disappearance of Orrin and The couple originally announced the All rights reserved. Everyone is making their own conclusions. We want to bring them home to give them a proper burial.. TWO boys allegedly killed in a double murder looked skinny and one had a bruised neck before they disappeared, their grandmother claims. On March 8, in a move agreed to by both sides, a Kern County judge issued a gag order barring attorneys and their investigators and law enforcementfrom speaking about the case. Everyone concerned remains hopeful the boys will be found safe and sound before the holidays roll around yet again in a few months. Our priority is to find out where our boys are and their safe return, the statement read. Orrin and Orson West were reported missing on January 21st, 2020 by their adoptive parents and still haven't been found. Missing toddlers Orrin and Orson West are shown in undated family photos. "Nobody likes to be accused of that, but I think the product of the work when the truth comes to light is going to speak for itself. "To CPS, they need to take the proper precautions and getting the right parents to take care of the children," she said. Orrin and Orson, two toddlers were reported missing by their adoptive parents back in December 2020, at around the time of Christmas. Orrin was taken from Dean on Nov. 13, 2016, after she returned home from work and found the then-3-month-old crying uncontrollably, the claim says. The Bakersfield Police Department took over the investigation and in March about 50 officers and FBI agents scoured a dirt lot near Casa Loma Apartments. RELATED: Search continues for missing California toddlers who disappeared days before Christmas. Their four other children, two adopted and two biological, were placed into protective custody, police said in the beginning of the investigation. They searched and raised reward money, but little did they know, authorities had already uncovered a huge piece of the case. 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In the meantime, the question remains: Where are the boys? They needed somewhere to stay but CPS doesn't care.". Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. On Dec. 29, 2020, California City Police Chief Jon Walker announced foul play was suspected and said a second search of the home had been conducted and unidentified items seized for analysis. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. Four other children, two adopted and two biological children of the Wests, were placed in protective custody. It needs to be sharpened.". Follow the article till the end to learn more. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Then, on March 1, the adoptive parents were each charged with second-degree murder in connection with the boys' deaths. Since that initial investigation, Cal City PD, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Kern County Sheriff's Office and BPD have assisted in the investigation. Where are they? I would think the same thing. ", RELATED: Reward increases to $120K for missing CA toddlers; family says they're public targets. Trezell West said he kept an eye on the boys as he gathered firewood. This family shouldnt have gone through this, McCoy said during an April interview. The boys were declared dead by the Kern County District Attorney's Office last year even though their bodies have not been found. According to the latest facts released by BPD, all associated family members including the adoptive and biological parents have been interviewed by police, some on multiple occasions. Orrin and Orson West were reported missing from the West's California City home in December 2020. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. On a daily basis theres case movement, theres interviews that occur, said BPD spokesman Sgt. No information was released on new developments. Plantz says she only saw the man of the home coming and going at times. CAL CITY BOYS: Both adoptive parents charged and in custody, DA prosecutes Orrin, Orson West's adoptive parents, no bodies, Adoptive parents killed California brothers Orrin and Orson West months before reporting them missing, DA says, Adoptive parents charged with killing two California boys before reporting them missing, DA says, Father of Cal City missing boys files lawsuit against Kern County, state of California | KBAK, BREAKING: The adoptive parents of #missing 3 and 4 year-old California City boys speak for the first time Wednesday, after the boys went missing Monday night. Bakersfield Police Chief discusses case of two California City boys missing since December | KGET 17. All Rights Reserved. 3 Kansas City officers shot while executing search warrant, chief says, Roof collapses at nonprofit South LA clinic, causing $500K in damage, Video shows group of sharks in feeding frenzy off Louisiana coast. Vandals threw rocks at the home or attempted to break in. Human Services ignored reports of suspected abuse by the Wests, according to the claim, resulting in their deaths. In this episode, we talk about the arrest, go over the indictment and discuss what we've learned so far. Hutton removed the pictures then confronted someone at the neighbors house. We use affiliate links throughout this site and may earn money based on qualified purchases. Many of the missing pieces in this case started to fall in place over the last 24 hours. The answer to that is no,' Zimmer said. Follow the article till the end A statement attributed to the family said they had been inundated with threats and were lying low. Orrin, 4, and Orson, 3, had been playing outside in the early evening, adoptive parents Trezell and Jacqueline West told police. Ryan Dean, the boys mother, filed a claim the precursor to a lawsuit seeking $40 million. The gag order also applies to witnesses and court personnel with access to reports filed in the case. Now, over a year after they were last seen, Trezell and Jacqueline have been arrested for their murders. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Trezell told police that the boys wandered out of their California City, California backyard while he was gathering firewood. There was a scar. Fourteen months ago, Jaqueline and Trezell West stood in front of their California City home and pleaded with the community to help search for their missing adopted boys. Zimmer said she could not comment on whether there would be any more arrests. The stakes are too high.". Even with a larger group of volunteers and sunny conditions, searchers found nothing. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. pic.twitter.com/tj9KKZFQV0. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Some in the community turned on the Wests. However, according to Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer, the evidence indicates that the boys were dead for approximately three months before they were reported missing by the Wests. Plantz lives directly behind the home the missing boys apparently shared with their adoptive parents. We now realize that the search for the boys began after the real tragedy had already occurred. That question has become a rallying cry in the case. Pettus said. It's heartbreaking and our whole community has been out searching for them and there's no trace of them," Plantz said. Trial of adoptive parents of Orrin and Orson West to begin Photo by: 23ABC News Trezell and Jacqueline West, the adoptive parents of Orrin and Orson West, The Inquisitr is a registered trademark. Wednesday night, the community that searched and prayed directed anger at adoptive parents, Jaqueline and Trezell West, who cried wolf and remained silent for over a year. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Despite not having the boys' remains, Zimmer is confident she has a strong case against the Wests. pic.twitter.com/SFAztR0K54. He said he briefly went indoors and when he came back out the children were missing. "It's one we don't want to mess up. Despite massive searches in Southern California following their disappearance, investigators say the boys' bodies haven't been found. Its been 10 months and there are still no answers The bodies of Orrin and Orson been found? ", "It's difficult. Where are they? ", "Its a baby, he cant protect his little self.". So while news of two missing children was certainly alarming, searchers remained hopeful. Candlelight vigils were held in California City and outside Casa Loma Apartments in Bakersfield, where the Wests had previously lived. Pair says detectives conducted a search for the boys Thursday, but wouldn't provide details. However, the search results were not made public. Trezell and Jacqueline West, the adoptive parents of Orrin and Orson West, appeared in court Thursday morning to be arraigned on two counts of 2nd-degree murder in a case that's drawn national attention. She did not reveal how the boys were killed or other facts of the case. On June 1, 2021, police gave an update detailing efforts that had been made to locate Orrin and Orson. Pair says they are keeping the case close to the vest, despite being accused of not working hard enough to find the boys because they are African American. WebBAKERSFIELD, Calif. (SCRIPPS) 3-year-old Orson and 4-year-old Orrin West have been missing for months. Who is involved? By seeking charges through an indictment, prosecutors could keep the proceedings confidential and have witnesses testify privately instead of in open court, as required in a preliminary hearing. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Police have undergone multiple massive searches for the boys. As authorities dug deeper, questions began to arise as to whether or not the boys had ever even set foot in California City at all. "On December 21, 2020, Orrin was four years old, Orson was 3 years old. "Why didnt they notice that. For more than a year, the community prayed the boys would return home. Months went by with no trace of the boys, while the authorities were keeping quiet about their investigation. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. At that point, 44 search warrants had been served, 83 people interviewed and 170 items seized. Biological father of Orson and Orrin West remains hopeful 10 months after their disappearance from California City. The judge ordered they be held without bail. Jacqueline and Trezell are accused of killing the two young boys in December 2020. And, prosecutors say, their killers were the two people trusted with their safety and well-being their adoptive parents. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Orrin and Orson West were first reported missing from their home in California City on Dec. 21, 2020. Just days before Christmas, Orrin West and his younger brother Orson were reported missing from their home in California City. The phrasing used by Zimmer saying the grand jury was convinced and it believed is not a legal standard used at trial, Hennessy said. The fact that Trezell is charged with counts of murder indicates that "The investigation has also revealed that they died three months before their adoptive parents reported them missing.". According to Trezell and Jacqueline West, the boys adoptive parents, She said prosecutors requested the grand jury convene to hear evidence. Prosecutors have also asked for reports to be sealed. A video sent to the station showed a group of people in casual dress examining the yard while deputies and men in suits stood nearby. She told The Sun that Child Protective Services (CPS) took the brothers, aged 3 and 4, from their biological parents right after birth. pic.twitter.com/3VojKlE6yY. "It's sad. According to prosecutors, Orrin and Orson were killed three months before they were reported missing. BPD said a detective has been assigned as the full0time lead investigator along with a team of detectives and crime analysts. Their adoptive parents, Trezell West, 35, and Jacqueline West, 32, claimed that the two boys disappeared from the backyard while playing. WebOrson west, and Orrin west were reported missing 12/21/2020 from California city located in Kern County, California. The case of the disappearance of Orrin and Orson West seemed to have deteriorated for a year at this point. Knowing that Orrin and Orson West are actually dead is tugging at the heartstrings of many in the community. In November 2018, the claim said, Dean wrote a letter expressing her concerns about what she perceived as improper care her children were receiving while in the care of the Wests. Police said the Wests were both charged on Tuesday with two counts of second-degree murder and two counts of willful cruelty to a child. "They dont need to hand out children to any old people to get rid them. Wednesday, December 21, 2022, marks two years since four-year-old Orrin and three-year-old Orson West were reported missing from their adoptive parents home According to Trezell and Jacqueline West, the boys adoptive parents, the boys disappeared from their backyard on Dec. 21. Authorities and the community are still searching for two missing boys in California City. Additionally, grand jury transcripts and search warrants were sealed. Orson been found Orrin was four years old Inc. | All rights reserved jacqueline been! 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