GUILTY CA - Classic (Orson West, 3) & Cincere (Orrin West, 4), still missing, Calif. City, *Mistrial on counts 4 & 5)* 21 Dec 2020 #8

[PommyMommy]

Morning Testimony, Part 2
DAY NINE - April 17, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

(Alekxia Torres Stallings, lead counsel for Jacqueline West, continues the cross-examination of Bakersfield police Detective John Ryan)

Torres Stallings is going to play video from Dec. 21, 2020, the day the boys were reported missing. It's loading now. #WestsTrial

Ryan said he went to another residence where he got access to security footage but was not able to view it on Dec. 27, 2020. He doesn't know if it was continuous footage. He said the homeowner was not able to access it because he wasn't home. #WestsTrial

It wasn't until later that they got access. Ryan said he doesn't know if anyone else received a statement from the homeowner, Robert Avelar, saying a Black woman had driven through the desert area that night. #WestsTrial

At the West home, Ryan said he saw fingerprints on a sliding glass door in the back. He said he doesn't know if anyone grabbed that evidence. #WestsTrial

Asked if he knows of any other smudge marks around the home, Ryan said no. He said it was less than a week from the reported disappearance he saw the marks on the glass door. #WestsTrial

Ryan said he saw the children's rooms, very few toys. He said he didn't see toothbrushes. He said he was told a used diaper was found a year later at the home. He said he saw children's clothes of various sizes, 1 or 2 Christmas presents for Orrin and Orson. #WestsTrial

Moving back to the surveillance footage from Dec. 21. It's taken from the same camera as the footage shown from Dec. 19, 2020. Torres Stallings is going to play it now. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings has pointed to a shadow in the backyard of the West home, an individual who has popped up. The video continues to play. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings has paused the video. "You can clearly see someone, or something, moving back there, correct?" she asked. "Yes," Ryan said. The video has resumed. #WestsTrial

Ryan agrees, under questioning, that the individual moves to an area where you can't see them, then comes back. He agrees there is a light that turns on in the West house. He said he doesn't know if that light was a motion sensor light. #WestsTrial

A vehicle is seen leaving a nearby residence. Ryan said he doesn't know whose vehicle that is. #WestsTrial

Some lights are seen flickering and a car drives by. "Whose car is that?" Torres Stallings asked. "I have no idea," Ryan said. #WestsTrial

The video has been paused as it's time for the court's 15-minute break. #WestsTrial

 

[cuffem]

Stallings showing a security video taken from neighbor on Dec. 21.A dark shadow is seen in the West's backyard. Is she going to imply a neighbor took them? Add that to the list.

 

[cuffem]

Stallings is not helping her clients with covering the inconsistencies in both West's statements to Ryan, in my opinion.

 

[cuffem]

Geez! What is with the knee touching by Hanson? What is the defense making this into? I assume he was trying to console her not be sexually aggressive.

 

[UrsulaWrenn]

Thank-you, again, PommyMommy for posting these summaries.

 

[cuffem]

I think they are setting up for the field trip on Wed/Thurs. at West's home with the questioning and showing photos taken of the home by Police Lab Tech Martinez on Dec 29.

 

[PommyMommy]

Morning Testimony, Part 3
DAY NINE - April 17, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

Back in session with Torres Stallings continuing to show the video and Detective John Ryan back on the stand. #WestsTrial

There is movement by the front door near the van, Ryan confirmed. #WestsTrial

The van's lights turn on and it leaves the house. #WestsTrial

The video has ended. #WestsTrial

Ryan confirmed he watched these videos on Dec. 27, 2020. This is the first day he's watched them since that day, he said. #WestsTrial

When he interviewed Jacqueline West and mentioned surveillance video, he went off a statement made to him by Officer Brian Hansen, Ryan said. #WestsTrial

Ryan said he did not review that video or go to the home where it came from to see how far it was from the West home. He did not ask to see it. #WestsTrial

Ryan testified he has never watched the video from that home. #WestsTrial

"Obvious differences" in the Wests' statements were that one said the grandma had been transported by them, the other said they didn't, Ryan said. Regarding the disappearance he said their statements about closing the back gate were different. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked if he was keeping an open mind while interviewing Jacqueline. Ryan said he was, then said the first interview was to lock her into a statement. #WestsTrial

Ryan said there were times he left the interviews. He left the room because he needed more details before going back in, he said. After those 5 minutes getting briefed, he then tried to lock Jacqueline into a statement. #WestsTrial

Prosecutor Eric Smith has asked for a quick sidebar before the next video is played. #WestsTrial

They're back. Torres Stallings asked if part of the 5-minute conversation he had with Hansen included what the plan was when they went in to interview Jacqueline. Ryan said yes. He said they didn't discuss interrogation tactics. #WestsTrial

Ryan said he's aware Hansen touched Jacqueline on the leg and small of her back. He said he didn't tell Hansen to do that. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings said Ryan stormed out of the room when Jacqueline said she regretting calling police. Ryan said he walked out. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked Ryan if he remembered telling Jacqueline he would apologize if he was wrong about her. Ryan said yes. "I'm going to hold you to that," Torres Stallings said, ending her questioning. #WestsTrial

Prosecutor Eric Smith objected, arguing Torres Stallings was argumentative, and there was no question pending. Judge Brehmer sustained the objection. #WestsTrial

Smith is again questioning Ryan. #WestsTrial

Ryan said, other than calling 911, the Wests said they didn't call anyone else. Ryan has been excused. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Morning Testimony, Part 4
DAY NINE - April 17, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

Jeffery Cecil has been called to the stand. He's the crime lab supervisor for the Bakersfield Police Department. He's been with the department 23 years. #WestsTrial

He takes photos of crime scenes, collects evidence. #WestsTrial

He went to the West home to help with the search and collect evidence, Cecil said. They had ground-penetrating radar that can see anomalies in the ground. He said it's like a lawnmower that's pushed over the ground. #WestsTrial

"I did seize any items of evidence," Cecil said. Smith ended questioning. #WestsTrial

Under cross-examination by Torres Stallings, Cecil said "anomalies" could mean disturbances in the ground, or human remains. It can find pipes, rocks, old plants. #WestsTrial

Cecil said he doesn't believe he fingerprinted anything that day. He doesn't recall anyone asking him to lift fingerprints from a glass sliding door. Torres Stallings ended her questioning. #WestsTrial

Cecil said the ground penetrating radar was also used at another location. Nothing was located there either, he said. He's now being questioned by Victor Nasser, an attorney for Trezell West. #WestsTrial

Nasser ended questioning. Cecil has been excused. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Morning Testimony, Part 5
DAY NINE - April 17, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

Destinie Martinez has been called to the stand. She's a police lab technician at BPD. #WestsTrial

Her primary duties are to document crimes scenes. #WestsTrial

She takes photos of the scene first, Martinez said. #WestsTrial

Smith is going to show photos Martinez took on Dec. 29, 2020. #WestsTrial

The first photos are of the Wests' white van. #WestsTrial

The next photos are of the Wests' home, both exterior and interior. #WestsTrial

She's going over each of the photos she took, of the living room, bathroom, bedrooms, closets. #WestsTrial

Martinez took multiple photos of the backyard, which is mostly dirt. #WestsTrial

There were presents with tags identifying them for Orrin and Orson, Martinez said. #WestsTrial

Fluid used to detect the presence of blood was applied in multiple areas, including bedrooms and bathrooms. Nothing was located, Martinez said. #WestsTrial

Court is in recess until 1:30, when Martinez will resume testifying. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Afternoon Testimony, Part 1
DAY NINE - April 17, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

New thread for the afternoon session of the West trial. Destinie Martinez, police lab technician, is back on the stand being questioned by prosecutor Eric Smith. #WestsTrial

Martinez said she took swabs from a steering wheel and car seat to try to get DNA evidence. #WestsTrial

Five car seats were seized from the Wests' van, Martinez said. #WestsTrial

Smith is displaying photos of the car seats. #WestsTrial

Swabs were taken of the car seats and were tagged for evidence. #WestsTrial

In this line of questioning, Martinez is identifying each car seat and giving the tag number for the swab taken of each seat. #WestsTrial

Receipts were seized from inside the van, Martinez said. One is from Superior Grocers, another from Dollar General. #WestsTrial

Mattress pad covers and blankets were seized from the bedrooms, Martinez said. #WestsTrial

Martinez is identifying the items from the evidence numbers they were given. #WestsTrial

More photos were taken and other items seized on a subsequent visit, Martinez said. This was on Jan. 5, 2022. #WestsTrial

A diaper was seized in the classroom part of the residence and booked as evidence, she said. #WestsTrial

Surveillance video was obtained from the Dollar General listed on the receipt in the Wests' van. #WestsTrial

The dates of the video requested were from four days in September 2020 from the Dollar General on Cottonwood Road, Martinez said. Smith ended his questioning. #WestsTrial

Alekxia Torres Stallings, lead counsel for Jacqueline West, has begun cross-examination. #WestsTrial

On Dec. 29, 2020, when Martinez was at the home seizing evidence, there were at least 4 or 5 other officers with her, she said. #WestsTrial

Before arriving at the home, Martinez knew there were 2 missing boys and BPD had taken over the case and search warrants were going to be served. She said her job was to seize items they thought could be important. #WestsTrial

Martinez said they were at the home at least an hour to 90 minutes. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is asking about spraying the Blue Star solution -- the chemical that reveals traces of blood -- in the home. Martinez said she sprays it all over the carpet, floors, countertop, pretty much everywhere. #WestsTrial

Martinez did not spray the chemical in the van. #WestsTrial

A diaper on the floor of a bathroom and trash in a small receptacle were not seized Dec. 29, 2020, Martinez said. #WestsTrial

No blankets in the laundry room were seized by her, Martinez said. No fingerprints were taken that day, she said. #WestsTrial

The case was being treated as a homicide investigation as early as Dec. 29, 2020. A red sticker saying "homicide" was placed on bags containing evidence. #WestsTrial

 

[cuffem]

Picture of the stick or boards with duct tape being shown, located in the van and swabbed. Shudder!!!!!

 

[cuffem]

I bet there was not much DNA of Orson and Orrin in the van and none in the new house. Bunkbeds, carseats, etc. Because they were never there, imo.

 

[PommyMommy]

Picture of the stick or boards with duct tape being shown, located in the van and swabbed. Shudder!!!!!

KGET hasn't gotten to that yet but Bakersfield Now just tweeted it:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1648066363238522880

 

[Tired Professor]

Geez! What is with the knee touching by Hanson? What is the defense making this into? I assume he was trying to console her not be sexually aggressive.

Totally agree. I think it makes the defense look pretty desperate.

 

[cuffem]

Totally agree. I think it makes the defense look pretty desperate.

She is trying to poke holes in anything she can to get just one juror to have reasonable doubt. She seems to be working on a shoddy investigation defense for the past week, from questioning to collecting evidence.

 

[PommyMommy]

APR 17, 2023

Day Nine of West Boys Trial opens with detective on the stand​

Detective John Ryan took the stand to continue his testimony from last week. On Friday, Det. Ryan testified that when looking for surveillance video of the Wests’ California City home he found video of the day Trezell and Jacqueline West took their children to stay with Trezell’s parents on December 19, 2020. Ryan said in the video, he only saw four children get into the van.

West Trial Day 9: Defense tears into detective over Jacqueline West interview​

After establishing Bakersfield police Detective John Ryan had never conducted a missing child investigation that didn’t involve a runaway and hadn’t reviewed video or transcripts of earlier interviews with a California City couple who reported their children missing, a defense attorney honed in on his interrogation technique.

Attorney Alekxia Torres Stallings, focusing on how Ryan questioned Jacqueline West, her client, during an interview at California City police headquarters, ripped through a series of questions: Did he tell Jacqueline West she would lose her family, friends, husband and house? “Yes,” Ryan said.

Raising her voice, Torres Stallings asked if he repeatedly told West her other children would be taken away, and that jurors would find her guilty at trial? “Yes,” Ryan said.

One last question: Did he promise to apologize to West if he was wrong? “Yes,” Ryan said.

“I’m going to hold you to that,” Torres Stallings said as she spun away, telling the court she had no further questions.

[...]

 

[cuffem]

Anyone have ideas on the diaper collected a year later? I am sure we will hear more on that.

 

[PommyMommy]

Afternoon Testimony, Part 2
DAY NINE - April 17, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

(Cross-examination of Destinie Martinez, police lab technician, continues by Alekxia Torres Stallings, lead counsel for Jacqueline West.)

Martinez is describing transfer DNA -- skin cells left behind when a person touches something. The car seats and other items were swabbed for transfer DNA. #WestsTrial

All of the car seat handles, straps and areas where the head and legs would be were swabbed, Martinez said. She did that for all 5 car seats seized that day. #WestsTrial

The swabs are placed in a cold area for preservation, Martinez said. #WestsTrial

Martinez testified she doesn't know what type of air regulation or if there was any contamination to a diaper seized from the home a year later. #WestsTrial

Martine went to the house three times. Once for the search warrant, a second time when pruning shears were located and a third time when the diaper was seized. #WestsTrial

Martinez testified the pruning shears had not been seized prior to her taking them in January 2021. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings has finished and Victor Nasser, an attorney for Trezell West, has begun questioning. #WestsTrial

Martinez testified she took a series of photos before the search and then after. He finished questioning and Martinez has been excused. #WestsTrial

Martinez testified she took a series of photos before the search and then after. He finished questioning and Martinez has been excused. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Afternoon Testimony, Part 3
DAY NINE - April 17, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

Tammie Sullivan has been called to the stand. She works with Kern County search and rescue. She trains with the K-9s. #WestsTrial

One dog does human remains detection and "any human scent" searches. It's an Australian Shepherd named Sadie. #WestsTrial

Sullivan is testifying to the training the dog undergoes for human remains searches. #WestsTrial

On the evening of Dec. 21, 2020, Sullivan went to Cal City. She believes she got the call around 7 p.m. She went with other people, there was another dog handler. #WestsTrial

Sadie showed no interest in the white Chevy van, the side yard -- a vacant lot -- and the desert area during a 2-mile search. Sadie located no human scent of significance. #WestsTrial

She returned to the home on Dec. 23, 2020. Sadie started searching in the backyard then in the house. She "showed no interest" when in the house. #WestsTrial

Sadie showed interest in the side gate into the backyard. In two other areas of the backyard she showed no interest. Two inches were scraped off of two mounds in the backyard and Sadie showed interest then, too, Sullivan said. #WestsTrial

Smith is now going to play video of the search conducted Dec. 23, 2020 by Sullivan and Sadie. Transcripts are being handed to the jury. #WestsTrial

The video has been played. Sullivan said the way the wind was blowing, it took the scenet and blew it into the corner of the house and up. Sadie smelled something but couldn't locate where it was coming from, she said. #WestsTrial

In the second video, Sadie lays down on the dirt in the yard. That's an "alert," Sullivan said. "When she laid down on the mound, that's her alert when she locates something," Sullivan said. "Something" means human remains. It could be blood, bones or fluid. #WestsTrial

Smith ended his questioning. The FBI dug up the yard but didn't find human remains. #WestsTrial

Timothy Hennessy, lead counsel for Trezell West, noted Sadie in the second video got distracted by another dog barking. Sullivan said that's correct. #WestsTrial

Sadie isn't trained to identify the scent of a particular person, can only identify if a person was present, Sullivan said. #WestsTrial

Sadie can't tell when traces of blood, bone or fluid were left, Sullivan said. #WestsTrial

The first night she was there, there were so many people in the backyard it was "very possible" the scent could have been contaminated, she said. #WestsTrial

Court is in recess for 15 minutes. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Afternoon Testimony, Part 4
DAY NINE - April 17, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

(Testimony of Tammie Sullivan, Kern County search and rescue, continues.)

Back in session with Sullivan on the stand being cross-examined by Hennessy. He showed her a transcript of her testimony before the grand jury. #WestsTrial

Sullivan's assignment when she got to the home the first night was to follow the route of the van to see if the boys had been dumped. Sadie, the dog, showed no interest in the van or on a 2-mile walk that led into the desert. #WestsTrial

Hennessy ended his questioning and Torres Stallings asked Sullivan if she was aware if the search of the spot Sadie alerted on returned no human remains. Sullivan said she was aware of that. #WestsTrial

Under redirect examination by Smith, Sullivan said Sadie is trained to know the difference between human and animal remains. #WestsTrial

A law enforcement officer took a couple inches off the mound before Sadie smelled it, Sullivan said. After that layer was removed, Sadie "alerted" by lying down at that area, she said. #WestsTrial

"She was signaling to something. As to exactly what it was, I do not know," Sullivan said. Sullivan has been excused. #WestsTrial