Still Missing CA - Orson & Orrin West (3&4), California City, 21 Dec 2020 #2

[BeckyF]

Motive is a fine word. The word "motive" is not the same as "an acceptable rationalization of why this happened."

Thank You.

 

[MimosaMornings]

How many vehicles are owned by the parents?
Is the cargo van able to safely seat 6 children in car seats/booster seats plus two adults?
Or is the van more of a work vehicle?

 

[Bbybluz]

How many vehicles are owned by the parents?
Is the cargo van able to safely seat 6 children in car seats/booster seats plus two adults?
Or is the van more of a work vehicle?

their van looks like a newer 10-12 passenger.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I was reading the news stories linked on page 1 of this thread. One said that the boys had been reported missing at 5 p.m., another said that the father started looking for them at 5:45 p.m. "because it was getting dark and cold." I'm not seeing anything super definitive, so the times could be wrong.

It would have been dark at 5 p.m. that day. (Weather history for that day said the sun set at 4:58. History for California City is actually listed under Bakersfield. Bakersfield, CA Weather History | Weather Underground

I've seen a lot of comments about sending your small kids to play in the backyard--the dirt, did they go out the gate, etc.--but sending them to play in dark/near dark? Seems odd to me.

I've seen several MSM articles state the boys were reported missing right around 6pm.

From pics I've seen in MSM, it appears it's a smooth concrete patio just outside the back door. Having a 3 and 4 year old play on the back patio with their chalk at that time of day, doesn't seem odd to me at all, especially with dad allegedly right there (more or less), just outside the gate gathering wood.

The only way out of the yard, would have been back into the house or through the gate where surely dad would have seen them. It would have been a reasonably safe place for them to play with their chalk.

Except, I highly doubt this is what actually happened.

jmo

 

[Ontario Mom]

DBM

 

[TLobo]

How many vehicles are owned by the parents?
Is the cargo van able to safely seat 6 children in car seats/booster seats plus two adults?
Or is the van more of a work vehicle?

I believe it's a passenger van, likely seats 12-15. There aren't a lot of great vehicle options for large families, especially when you have that many carseats/boosters to accommodate.

 

[Bbybluz]

Totally agree. I thought he was referring to gathering kindling to start a fire.

We live in a wooded, rural area, so I’m constantly going to gather twigs and such to start a fire. However, my 3 & 4 yr. old grand babies LOVE to help Gigi gather the “fire wood” to make a fire. Why wouldn’t dad let those little boys help gather wood, if indeed that was actually happening?
The story doesn’t quite add up for me. JMO

I hear ya there! Our grandgifts have always loved helping out on the farm & the dirtier the task the quicker to volunteer lol.

If the AP’s indeed didn’t allow the boys to “play” outside because they might get dirty then carrying wood is definitely out of the question IMO.

 

[JC40]

The AP's have to have them placed outside and the gate open for the kidnapping and them wondering off theories to fit their narrative.

 

[Bbybluz]

IMO I do know when a child was briefly missing in my neighborhood, that was the first thing the police wanted when they arrived was for the parents to get back to the house & stay there. They had one police officer stay with the parents while asking questions as other cars & neighbors searched around the neighborhood. They responded within minutes. The child had wandered away & was found soon (within a half hour) by a neighbor & police officer. So, I think it is pretty common early on in LE's response to have the parents stay put.

I agree that they were asked to stay inside. A big reason I don’t think they were making that up is due to the close proximity of a handful of LE nearby that could debunk their story right away. They were focused on convincing the audience of “their story” so why outright lie about staying inside? It also presents “poor victim” points they may think.

 

[JMapes]

Is there a dog that lives at this residence?

 

[susiQ]

Is there a dog that lives at this residence?

I’m curious about that too! Dogs have been known to maul small “rambunctious” children. Did they leave them in the yard unattended WITH a dog?? Did the dog have a history of nipping at children?

All speculation as we don’t know at this point if there’s a dog in the mix. Just a thought, that’s all.

 

[TTF14]

Totally agree. I thought he was referring to gathering kindling to start a fire.

We live in a wooded, rural area, so I’m constantly going to gather twigs and such to start a fire. However, my 3 & 4 yr. old grand babies LOVE to help Gigi gather the “fire wood” to make a fire. Why wouldn’t dad let those little boys help gather wood, if indeed that was actually happening?
The story doesn’t quite add up for me. JMO

BBM

Good point, Gigi! These two rambunctious boys probably would rather do that than drawing with chalk, confined to just the patio. It would be harder for them to wander off/be lost that way, though, if they were helping dad/with dad.....

 

[Knox]

Bako.com[URL='https://twitter.com/Bakocom']@Bakocom[/URL]
#Bakersfield Police Chief discusses search for missing #California City boys and deadly year in #Kern C by KGET #News 34 minutes ago 5 minutes, 41 seconds 189 views - Watch Video HERE .. http://bako.com/I/2mbn #Bakersfield

 

[ColoGirl]

A Spaceship Headlight Pattern Expert! Excellent @TTF14

I lost the post with the map for their old apartments. I always go to the water... what are those rectangles to the east of their previous apartments? Thx

 

[Lusitana]

In my family, the grandparents wouldn't be watching children for an extended amount of time, for a "vacation." Does that seem very unusual to anyone else except me? I find myself wondering how and why they convinced the grandparents to take the older kids for awhile.

Also moving into your own house but claiming the young children aren't ever allowed to play freely in the backyard? I'd be sitting on the porch drinking coffee and watching them go wild back there from day 1. Maybe I just don't understand their lifestyle.

Not in my family, no. But I've known several circumstances where grandchildren do spend time with grandparents. My neighbors used to have their grandkids over for a good chunk of time during the Summer, the youngest stills spends a couple of weeks here and he's almost 18. Family seems pretty normal, parents are involved, etc.

What really bothers me here is them taking some of the kids, and Orson and Orrin staying home. Why? If it was just an issue of too many kids at once, why not send them to the other set of grandparents? They are 3 and 4, they knew their siblings went on "vacation". It's a bit cruel in my opinion to keep them at home.

 

[mickey2942]

It seems like the timeline has some inconsistencies.

 

[JMapes]

I lost the post with the map for their old apartments. I always go to the water... what are those rectangles to the east of their previous apartments? Thx

I believe that's the Bakersfield Wastewater Plant.

 

[cvaldez1975]

It has been my understanding "foster parents" get paid to keep foster children, but don't those payments cease when they are adopted?

Having said that.....I would assume tho that there would be plenty of government subsidies for large "families" who are under the poverty level.

Things like free or reduced healthcare, food stamps, etc. I am hoping these kids were adopted because they were wanted and loved, not to subsidize a lifestyle of living off the government.

Time will tell.......my heart goes out to the extended family and I hope people will all come together to help find these precious babies. My suspicion is they are no where near this home, but hope I am wrong. I have followed too many children's cases here and swear I won't follow another because it is so heartbreaking. I usually have nightmares during these cases! But once again here I am.....hoping these sweet babies are found soon.

no, not always when they were adopted from foster care. it is not the same as private adoption.

 

[cvaldez1975]

Roughly four years ago, my husband and I decided to explore California City based on articles we’d read about the city’s history (in short, a failed attempt at creating the next metropolis during the 50’s that instead left vast, never-settled streets.) You really have to see the city to grasp how barren it is. It felt like a ghost town. We drove down flat streets with empty plot upon empty plot, with an occasional house here and there. While more development could have certainly occurred between when I visited four years ago and now, I really don’t believe there’s much home construction going on currently, or has in the past 40 decades, for that matter. People seem to buy cheap plots of land because it’s ridiculously cheap (we looked up the cost out of curiosity and I recall it was under $8,000) and build with either hopes of living there or renting it out. This article may help get an idea of the city’s history and current state: Inside The Great City Turned Ghost Town Of California City, California

another point that i considered was slab city. its 4 hours south, but the area is just as desolate. i wouldnt doubt there could even be another community like this out there:

Inside Slab City, a Squatters’ Paradise in Southern California | Travel | Smithsonian Magazine

 

[mxprincess399]

It has been my understanding "foster parents" get paid to keep foster children, but don't those payments cease when they are adopted?

Having said that.....I would assume tho that there would be plenty of government subsidies for large "families" who are under the poverty level.

Things like free or reduced healthcare, food stamps, etc. I am hoping these kids were adopted because they were wanted and loved, not to subsidize a lifestyle of living off the government.

Time will tell.......my heart goes out to the extended family and I hope people will all come together to help find these precious babies. My suspicion is they are no where near this home, but hope I am wrong. I have followed too many children's cases here and swear I won't follow another because it is so heartbreaking. I usually have nightmares during these cases! But once again here I am.....hoping these sweet babies are found soon.

Pretty sure if you adopt out of fostering you continue to receive money each month in CA.