CA - Orson & Orrin West (3&4), MEDIA, MAPS & TIMELINE - NO DISCUSSION

[PommyMommy]

APR 25, 2023

West Trial Day 12: Birth mother lives in Texas city where sighting of missing boys reported

An FBI agent on Tuesday testified he received a report Orrin and Orson West had been spotted in Arlington, Texas months after their adoptive parents reported them missing.

www.kget.com

An FBI agent on Tuesday testified he received a report Orrin and Orson West had been spotted in Arlington, Texas months after their adoptive parents reported them missing.

Later Tuesday, the birth mother of the boys testified via Zoom. She said she has an apartment in Arlington.

[...]

Dean did not get along with the Wests but denied getting into an altercation with Jacqueline West during a visitation. Alekxia Torres Stallings, lead attorney for Jacqueline West, noted Child Protective Services said she became “confrontational” and “aggressive” with her client. Dean admitted to previously lying to law enforcement when Orrin was injured.

[...]

Dean said she learned the boys had been adopted when called by someone who told her they had been reported missing. She watched the news and recognized Orrin and Orson as her children.

[...]

 

[Seattle1]

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[PommyMommy]

APR 25, 2023

West trial: Biological mother of Cal City toddlers testifies

Wiretapped phone calls. DNA swabs. Video-footage enhancing technology. Adamant testimony.

www.bakersfield.com

Wiretapped phone calls. DNA swabs. Video-footage enhancing technology. Adamant testimony.

[...]

Ryan Dean, the biological mother of Orrin and Orson, was questioned by a defense attorney, Alekxia Torres Stallings, about whether she remembers an altercation between herself and Jacqueline West.

“No,” Dean said as she testified via Zoom, with disbelief flashing across her face.

[...]

... Dean testified she didn’t know her kids were adopted or that their names were changed.

The only time Dean said she became aware the defendants had adopted the boys was after both were reported missing from California City. She testified she went to Trezell and Jacqueline West's house to ask what happened soon after learning.

“They had no emotion on their face,” Dean said of both adoptive parents, describing when she approached them to ask what happened.

[...]

Dean testified she lives in the Arlington, Texas area.

FBI Agent David Hunter testified before Dean that he received a tip from Arlington, Texas that the boys had been spotted in this town after being asked by defense attorney Timothy Hennessy. Hennessy represents Trezell West. However, Hunter testified he didn’t make a report documenting if he followed up on this information — he only passed it along to the Bakersfield Police Department.

[...]

 

[AmandaReckonwith]

Orrin and Orson Case Archive is updated.

JUSTICE for the Boys, here:

JUSTICE for Orrin / Cinsere and Orson /Classic

Store your photos and videos online with secure storage from Photobucket. Available on iOS, Android and desktop. Securely backup your memories and sign up today!

photobucket.com

 

[PommyMommy]

Morning Testimony, Part 1
DAY THIRTEEN - April 26, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

The trial is back in session in the case of Trezell and Jacqueline West, accused in the deaths of adopted children Orrin, 4, and Orson, 3. Detective Thomas Hernandez, the lead investigator, is back on the stand. #WestsTrial

Hernandez has identified DNA swabs he took of Ralph Moseley and some of the other West children. Smith ended his questioning and defense is going to wait to cross-examine Hernandez because he's going to testify later in the trial. #WestsTrial

Dechelle Smith has been called to the stand. She works at the Kern Regional Crime Lab. #WestsTrial

Dechelle Smith said one of her duties is to process known reference samples of DNA. #WestsTrial

Dechelle Smith is explaining her job and the intricacies of DNA testing to prosecutor Eric Smith. #WestsTrial

Dechelle processed known reference samples for Trezell and Jacqueline West and some of their children. #WestsTrial

Alekxia Torres Stallings, lead attorney for Jacqueline West, has begun cross-examination. Dechelle told her they wait until the lab reports are complete before destroying samples. Dechelle has been excused. #WestsTrial

Mandi Van Buren has been called to the stand. She's the DNA technical leader at the Kern Regional Crime Lab. #WestsTrial

Prosecutor Eric Smith has displayed a document from LabCorp, a chart showing DNA profiles. #WestsTrial

Van Buren explained a couple charts and Smith ended his questioning. Torres Stallings is going to cross-examine her. #WestsTrial

Van Buren said she has previously testified for this case. Van Buren said there are 24 locations looked for in the testing of a sample. Three are male markers. #WestsTrial

Van Buren said for these two samples they only looked at the electronic profile, not an actual swab. #WestsTrial

It's not common to evaluate an electronic samples, Van Buren said. She has done it fewer than 10 times in six years. #WestsTrial

Van Buren said there is a technical review process that reviews the analysis done by others at the lab. #WestsTrial

If a profile is partial, the statistics could be affected, she said. #WestsTrial

Van Buren said she doesn't know if LabCorp has had past issues with the way they maintain DNA storage. Torres Stallings ended her questioning. #WestsTrial

Timothy Hennessy, lead attorney for Trezell West, is questioning her. Van Buren said they did accept certain items where they addressed how certain items were packaged. They didn't reject the items but only tested certain parts. #WestsTrial

There were areas of certain items that were uncovered when they received them from Cal City police, Van Buren said. They included the gardening tools. #WestsTrial

Van Buren has been excused. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Morning Testimony, Part 2
DAY THIRTEEN - April 26, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

Jeehak Kim has been called to the stand. He's a criminalist at the Kern Regional Crime Lab. #WestsTrial

Kim is explaining what DNA is and how it can be left behind. #WestsTrial

The DNA analysis process consists of extraction -- breaking open cells in the process. The second is quantification, how much DNA is in sample. Amplification and fragment analysis are 3rd and 4th steps. #WestsTrial

Kim testified there are control tests, samples run alongside the DNA samples to make sure there was no contamination of the sample. They check to make sure the DNA Was amplified correctly. #WestsTrial

A "single source profile" means the profile consists of only one person contributing to the DNA profile, Kim said. #WestsTrial

DNA testing can't tell the circumstances or the time frame in which the DNA was left, Kim said. #WestsTrial

Touch DNA tends to degrade faster in "extreme" environments, Kim said. #WestsTrial

Kim testified he tested gardening tools, toothbrushes and known reference samples in the West case. #WestsTrial

Smith is displaying photos of items Kim tested. One is a shovel. Kim said he performed a test to screen the shovel for blood. It came up negative. #WestsTrial

A rake was also tested and the stains were negative for blood, KIm said. Another shovel was screened and the stains were negative. #WestsTrial

A third and fourth shovel were tested and the stains screened negative, Kim said. #WestsTrial

A toothbrush was swabbed for DNA, Kim said. The DNA profile he got was single source and from a female, he said. #WestsTrial

Another toothbrush -- both toothbrushes were described as kids' toothbrushes -- was also swabbed. Kim said a profile was partial and from a male. By partial, he means it was single source but several locations missing or not there. #WestsTrial

A paternity was performed to see if the biological parents' DNA profile was on the toothbrush. The contributor of the DNA profile was excluded as being the biological child of Ryan Dean and Charles Pettus or Ryan Dean and Ralph Moseley, Kim said. #WestsTrial

What that means is DNA from Orrin or Orson was not found on either toothbrush. #WestsTrial

A pair of gardening shears was screened for blood. The tests were negative, Kim said. #WestsTrial

A gray mattress cover was tested. Two cuttings were taken for DNA analysis, Kim said. The profile generated was a mixture of 2 contributors. #WestsTrial

Jacqueline West and one of the Wests' other children could not be excluded as contributors, Kim said. #WestsTrial

Both Orrin and Orson were excluded as potential contributors to the DNA profile, Kim said. #WestsTrial

Court is in recess for 15 minutes. #WestsTrial

The trial is back in session with Jeehak Kim resuming testimony. He said he tested a green, red and blue blanket for DNA analysis. #WestsTrial

A single source DNA profile was found, Kim said. #WestsTrial

Orrin and Orson West were excluded as having left the DNA, but another West child could not be excluded, Kim said. #WestsTrial

A blue mattress cover was tested. A single source male profile was generated, Kim said. Orrin and Orson West were excluded, but another West child could not be excluded. #WestsTrial

Another blue mattress cover was tested for DNA, Kim said. #WestsTrial

Two stains on the blue mattress cover were tested. For one of the stains, it was inconclusive as to whether Orson could have been a contributor, Kim said. #WestsTrial

A gray mattress cover was tested. Kim said 3 stains on it were tested. #WestsTrial

Orrin and Orson were excluded as potential contributors to each of the 3 stains tested, Kim said. #WestsTrial

A green, white and brown blanket was tested, Kim said. #WestsTrial

No stains were tested on that item. #WestsTrial

A gray mattress cover had 4 stains that were tested, Kim said. Orrin and Orson were excluded. #WestsTrial

A blue, gray and white blanket was tested. The 1 stain tested was positive but no further testing was done because they were focusing on stains found on the mattress covers, Kim said. #WestsTrial

One location on a blue mattress cover was tested for DNA, Kim said. Orrin could not be excluded as a contributor, he said. #WestsTrial

No stains came up on a blue, green and white blanket that were tested, Kim said. #WestsTrial

Swabs from the driver's side rear passenger door interior were tested. Kim said there was not enough evidence to draw a conclusion as to whether Orrin or Orson could be excluded. #WestsTrial

Swabs from the passenger side rear door interior of the Wests' van were tested. Kim said Orrin and Orson were excluded as potential contributors. #WestsTrial

The swabs from the rear door interior door handle were tested, Kim said. Orrin and Orson were excluded. #WestsTrial

Swabs from a car seat were tested. Orrin and Orson were excluded. #WestsTrial

Kim testified another car seat was swabbed and the swabs tested. Orrin could not be excluded, he said. There wasn't enough evidence to exclude Orson. #WestsTrial

Court is in recess until 1:30 p.m. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Afternoon Testimony, Part 1
DAY THIRTEEN - April 26, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

The trial is back in session with Jeehak Kim back on the stand testifying to DNA tests performed on items taken from the West home and in their white van. #WestsTrial

A car seat from the van was tested. Orrin was excluded as being a contributor to the DNA profile but Orson could not be excluded, Kim said. #WestsTrial

Another car seat was tested. Orrin West was excluded as a contributor but Orson could not be excluded, Kim said. #WestsTrial

Two swabs were taken from a stick. Kim testified the stick had a mixture profile from at least 2 people. It was wrapped in black electrical tape. #WestsTrial

Jacqueline West could not be excluded as a potential contributor, Kim said. Neither could Trezell West, and some of the other West children. Orrin and Orson were excluded. #WestsTrial

A used diaper found in a trash bag was tested. A DNA profile of at least 2 contributors was found, Kim said. Orson was excluded. There was not enough statistical support to determine if Orrin was a contributor, he said. #WestsTrial

Two of the other children could not be excluded, Kim said. #WestsTrial

Kim is explaining how DNA is extracted from a sample. #WestsTrial

If there is leftover DNA extract it is usually destroyed as long as all the other tests are done, he said. #WestsTrial

Prosecutor Eric Smith ended his questioning. #WestsTrial

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

Kim said the profiles received of Orrin and Orson so they could compare them to DNA samples were electronic DNA profiles. Other samples came from buccal swabs. #WestsTrial

This is the first time he has used an electronic sample in a case, Kim said. Torres Stallings has noted the other samples came straight from the source. #WestsTrial

Kim testified a statistical calculation is given for a DNA profile showing the likelihood it came from a certain person. #WestsTrial

Under questioning by Torres Stallings, Kim said an inconclusive finding means they can't say whether someone is excluded or not -- they can't say for sure one way or another. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings has referred to multiple blankets where no DNA testing was performed. Kim agreed, saying no stains were found so no testing was done. He said they were looking for saliva, urine and possible blood to test. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked how else they could have tested the blankets. Kim said they could perform a "blind swab," just swab the entire blanket. They did not do that for those 2 blankets. #WestsTrial

Moving on to other items, Torres Stallings said one item had 7 stains and 3 were tested. Another item also had 7 stains and 1 was tested for DNA analysis. She asked why they didn't do more. #WestsTrial

Kim testified they tried to test clusters of stains that tested positive for saliva. #WestsTrial

Orrin and Orson could not be excluded from certain items in the bedroom, Kim said, meaning it can't be said with certainty whether their DNA was on the items. #WestsTrial

Kim testified he was not given 2 other toothbrushes to examine, nor was he given toys to examine. #WestsTrial

Only 1 used diaper was tested, Kim said. #WestsTrial

The lab does not do fingerprint comparisons, Kim said. The only ability they have with fingerprints is to collect them, no comparisons. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings finished. #WestsTrial

Timothy Hennessy, lead attorney for Trezell West, is now questioning Kim. #WestsTrial

Kim is testifying to how the testing and analysis helps them determine the odds of a DNA profile being left by someone else. #WestsTrial

Kim found 1 item had a profile that may have come from a BPD officer on it. He said they try to catch contamination from "staff profiles" on items they receive. #WestsTrial

Hennessy ended his questioning. #WestsTrial

Kim has been excused. #WestsTrial

Court is in recess for 15 minutes. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Afternoon Testimony, Part 2
DAY THIRTEEN - April 26, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

Judge Charles R. Brehmer said it's "highly likely" the jury will get the case around May 17. They're ahead of scheduled. #WestsTrial

Darren Wonderly has been called to the stand. He's an investigator with the DA's office. #WestsTrial

Wonderly does analysis of call detail records, among other things. #WestsTrial

Wonderly reviewed phone records in this case. He listed several numbers. #WestsTrial

Wonderly said he created PowerPoint presentations. #WestsTrial

One is for Trezell and Jacqueline West, the other for Ralph Mosely and Ryan Dean. #WestsTrial

Wonderly is pointing out what a call detail record contains: the length of the call, when it began and ended, the numbers involved, etc. #WestsTrial

Wonderly received both Sprint and T-Mobile records for the numbers. Sprint was taken over by T-Mobile in 2020. #WestsTrial

The records were in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and were adjusted by Wonderly to Pacific Standard Time. #WestsTrial

The UTC timeline is 8 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time, Wonderly said. #WestsTrial

Wonderly said a number for Moseley was reviewed from 7/30/2020 to 10/30/2020. A map shows all the cell towers used for that number during that time period. The same number with the T-Mobile record went into 2021. #WestsTrial

Wonderly said he was asked to analyze any records in the California City or eastern Kern area. There were 6 different tower usages in Cal City for Moseley's number on Dec. 23, 2020. #WestsTrial

That was the only date on the T-Mobile record for Ralph Moseley's number in the Cal City area, Wonderly said. #WestsTrial

Records were examined from June 30, 2020 into 2021 and Dec. 23, 2020 was the only date his number used cell towers in that area, Wonderly said. That's 2 days after the boys were reported missing. #WestsTrial

A number associated with Ryan Dean -- the boys' biological mother -- was examined from July 17, 2020 to March 10, 2021, Wonderly said.

Asked to look for usages in eastern Kern, Wonderly found a tower usages southwest of California City on Dec. 23, 2020 from 11 a.m. to 5:38 p.m. Two other usages occurred on Jan. 2, 2021, he said. #WestsTrial

Neither Dean's nor Moseley's numbers used cell towers in the Cal City area on the day the boys were reported missing, according to Wonderly. #WestsTrial

Wonderly has moved on to call detail records for Trezell and Jacqueline West. #WestsTrial

For a number associated with Jacqueline West, on Sept. 11, 2020, it was associated with towers in California City around 12:36 p.m. There was a tower usage near Lotus Lane later the same day, Wonderly said. #WestsTrial

The Wests lived in an apartment on Lotus Lane before moving to Cal City. A phone call was made late on Sept. 12, 2020, Wonderly said. Ten records were captured on Sept. 13, 2020. #WestsTrial

On Sept. 14, multiple towers were used in the Bakersfield area, and on Sept. 15, 2020, there were 3 transactions captured by a tower in Cal City, Wonderly said. #WestsTrial

On Sept. 16 and 17, a tower near Lotus Lane captured multiple records, and on Sept. 18 a tower was used in Cal City in the morning, and later the number was found back in Bakersfield near Lotus Lane. #WestsTrial

On Sept. 19, 2020, 2 tower usages were found in the morning in Cal City, Wonderly said. At 4:28 p.m. the tower near Lotus Lane was used. 7 tower usages occurred in Cal City on Sept. 20 from late in the morning to late in the afternoon. #WestsTrial

For a number associated with Trezell West, on Sept. 11 2020, it used a tower in Cal City then later a number near Lotus Lane. On 9/12 there were usages near Lotus Lane. #WestsTrial

On 9/13 multiple towers were used in the Bakersfield area, some near Lotus Lane, others near Highways 38 and 43, then back to an area north of Lotus Lane. #WestsTrial

On 9/14, records began at 7:45 a.m. to the evening and all used a tower near Lotus Lane, and some to an area southwest. On 9/15 a tower in Cal City was used, as were towers between Mojave and Tehachapi. #WestsTrial

On 9/17, 5 records used the tower near Lotus Lane. There were also usages of a tower on Union Avenue. On 9/18, there were several records captured in the morning in Cal City. #WestsTrial

Also on 9/18, there were usages near Lotus Lane and for towers to the southwest. #WestsTrial

On 9/19, 2020, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:19 p.m., a tower in Cal City was used. On the same day, from 4:34 p.m. to 8:59 p.m., the tower near Lotus Lane was used. #WestsTrial

On 9/20 there were more usages in Cal City. #WestsTrial

For Jacqueline West on 12/21/20 a tower in the Bakersfield area was used near Potoma Avenue in the early evening and later. There was a 10-minute call late that evening. #WestsTrial

There were multiple records showing calls between 2 numbers on that date, Wonderly said. Smith ended his questioning. #WestsTrial

Hennessy is now questioning Wonderly. #WestsTrial

Hennessy ended and Torres Stallings is cross-examining Wonderly. He said the call detail records reflect phone calls and text messages, nothing else. #WestsTrial

Wonderly has been excused. #WestsTrial

Court is in recess and the trial will resume 9 a.m. on Monday. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

APR 26, 2023

DNA testing on evidence from Wests' home found very few matches to Orrin and Orson​

DNA testing conducted on items gathered from Trezell and Jacqueline West's California City home found very few matches to the couple's adoptive sons Orrin and Orson, according to testimony Wednesday.

[...]

The used diaper had been collected from the Wests' trash a year after the investigation began. Kim testified that when he tested the DNA profile against the others, Orson was excluded. Testing to determine if Orson [SHOULD READ "Orrin" PER KGET TWEETS] was a potential contributor was inconclusive, Kim said. Two of the Wests' other children could not be excluded, Kim testified.

[...]

Out of the various mattress covers and blankets collected from the children's bedrooms, Kim was able to exclude Orrin and Orson as potential contributors for most of the items. For a few items, Kim testified that the sample was a mixture of contributors and he either could not exclude the boys as potential contributors along with other members of the family or testing was inconclusive.

Kim also tested DNA samples collected from the car seats within the Wests' van. He said that samples taken from two of the car seats were also a mixture of contributors and again, Orrin and Orson could not be excluded as potential contributors.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

APR 26, 2023

West trial: DNA evidence presents mixed picture of Cal City boys' whereabouts​

[...]

Alekxia Torres Stallings, the attorney representing Jacqueline West, elicited testimony showing Kim did not receive the DNA straight from Orrin and Orson. The two boys’ DNA came to Kim after it had already been analyzed and converted into an electronic database showing the genetic makeup, rather than a live sample, he testified.

Kim testified he didn’t get any other toothbrushes from the West house to process, nor did he get any toys from the Wests’ house.

Judge Charles Brehmer, presiding over the trial, noted in court the case is moving along faster than expected and jury deliberations could begin by mid-to-late May.

Evidence will not be presented again until Monday.

 

[PommyMommy]

APR 26, 2023

West Trial Day 13: Jury hears testimony on DNA evidence, call records​

[...]

Also Wednesday, Kern County District Attorney’s office investigator Darren Wonderly testified to call detail records he obtained for the Wests, as well as Ryan Dean, the boys’ biological mother.

The records for the Wests show frequent usage of cell towers in California City beginning Sept. 11, 2020. Numbers associated with Jacqueline and Trezell West went back and forth from Bakersfield to California City from that date to Sept. 20, 2020, according to Wonderly’s testimony.

Prosecutor Eric Smith has said both boys died that month. The Wests moved from an apartment in Bakersfield to a house in California City.

A number associated with Dean didn’t use a cell tower in California City until Dec. 23, 2020, two days after the reported disappearance, Wonderly said the records showed. Dean has testified she went to the Wests’ home on that date to question them.

 

[PommyMommy]

APR 30, 2023

West Trial: Children’s testimony, more on Arlington addresses expected​

With the prosecution expected to rest its case this week in the trial of Trezell and Jacqueline West, charged in the deaths of their two youngest children, the jury will hear from the case’s most crucial witnesses: the Wests’ four other children.

One child, 10 at the time, told authorities he saw Orrin West, 4, die at the family’s apartment in Bakersfield in September 2020, shortly before the family moved to California City, according to prosecutor Eric Smith. The child said Orson West, 3, disappeared soon after.

[...]

Defense lawyers Timothy Hennessy and Victor Nasser, representing Trezell West, and Alekxia Torres Stallings and Fatima Rodriguez, representing Jacqueline West, will likely attack the credibility of the children and the techniques law enforcement used when interviewing them. Each child was 10 or younger at the time of their initial interviews.

Torres Stallings has previously remarked on a California City police officer’s lack of training in interviewing child witnesses.

[...]

Ryan Dean, the birth mother of Orrin and Orson, testified by Zoom after the agent. She confirmed she has an apartment in Arlington.

The address where the caller reported seeing the boys and the address given by Dean are roughly 2.5 miles apart, according to an online mapping website.

Dean was excused after testifying for the prosecution but will likely be recalled for further testimony once defense lawyers begin presenting their case.

[...]

 

[PommyMommy]

Morning Testimony, Part 1
DAY FOURTEEN - May 1, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

Ashley Penland is testifying via Zoom at the trial of Trezell and Jacqueline West. She lives in Arizona and previously lived in California City. #WestsTrial

Penland testified she became aware of the search for Orrin and Orson West the evening of Dec. 21, 2020. Cal City police went to her home. #WestsTrial

Penland said she never had contact with the Wests but knew where they lived. A sidebar has been called. #WestsTrial

Trezell and Jacqueline West are charged with crimes including murder in the deaths of Orrin, 4, and Orson, 3, their youngest adopted children. Their bodies have not been found. Authorities say evidence indicates the boys died 3 months before reported missing. #WestsTrial

Sidebar is over and Penland has resumed testifying. She said she did not have a working security system on her house the night the boys were reported missing. #WestsTrial

Prosecutor Eric Smith finished his questioning and defense attorney Timothy Hennessy is cross-examining her. #WestsTrial

Penland said she recently figured out when she bought the wires to set up the camera, and it wasn't until March 2021. #WestsTrial

Hennessy finished and defense lawyer Alekxia Torres Stallings is asking questions. Penland said there were no street lamps on the road at the time and she didn't know any of her neighbors. #WestsTrial

Penland has been excused. #WestsTrial

Court will be in recess for 10-15 minutes. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Morning Testimony, Part 2
DAY FOURTEEN - May 1, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

Court is back in session. Ramon Hernandez has been called to the stand. #WestsTrial

He lived at a home on Aspen Avenue at the time of the boys' disappearance. #WestsTrial

Hernandez has pointed out his home on a map displayed in court. He had a surveillance camera on his home. #WestsTrial

Hernandez has described what he could see through his camera as it faced northwest. The Wests lived in the house across the street. #WestsTrial

Hernandez testified he didn't see children at the home and the people there would run inside when they say him. #WestsTrial

On the night of the reported disappearance, police came to his home to view the footage his camera captured, Hernandez said. #WestsTrial

The footage showed the Wests' white van leaving and then returning, Hernandez said. #WestsTrial

The footage he saw didn't show children walking in the street. The camera shoots continuously, Hernandez said. #WestsTrial

The officers did not request him to download the footage and did not return to get it, Hernandez said. The footage is stored for a year. He said law enforcement never returned for it. #WestsTrial

Hernandez said he doesn't have any stored footage from that day. Smith ended his questioning and Torres Stallings has begun cross-examination. #WestsTrial

Hernandez said he was not aware that his wife and Jacqueline West talked together on occasion, or that his wife brought them cookies after the children were reported missing. #WestsTrial

He testified he and his wife talked about the Wests being "odd." #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is asking Hernandez to describe the officers who went to his home. He said one was slim, tall, with hair and no beard. He said the other officer was a little more chunky. Both were white. #WestsTrial

Hernandez testified he believes one of the officers wrote information down. He believes they were in his home between 5:30 to 6 p.m. #WestsTrial

Hernandez said he can't recall if officers asked to see footage taken before the Wests' van left. #WestsTrial

Hernandez testified he doesn't recall seeing Jacqueline West leave the home with her dog and walk down the street, or seeing Trezell West return and stand in the middle of the street. #WestsTrial

On April 19 -- just last week -- an investigator spoke with Hernandez. This is the first time he's talked about the footage. #WestsTrial

No one asked to look at footage from Dec. 19, 2020, and he didn't view it, Hernandez said. #WestsTrial

Asked about his comment that the Wests ran when they saw him, Hernandez said he was outside painting his gate days before the disappearance. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is showing an image of footage taken by another camera showing both the West house and Hernandez's house across the street. She asked about a next door neighbor, Hernandez said he talked to the man a few times. #WestsTrial

Asked if he ever saw the man carry an AK-47 at night, Hernandez said no. Prosecutor Eric Smith objected and Judge Charles R. Brehmer sustained the objection and ordered the answer stricken. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked Hernandez about a person seen walking into an enclosed area on his property on Dec. 19, 2020. Hernandez said this is the first time he's seen this footage and he doesn't know who the person is. #WestsTrial

Hernandez said he doesn't recall seeing the Wests go into the van on Dec. 19, 2020. He said he worked from home at the time. #WestsTrial

Asked how many times he saw the Wests outside in December 2020, Hernandez said maybe twice. Maybe once in November, and couldn't recall in October or September. #WestsTrial

He said he can't recall the exact date the Wests moved in. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings ended cross-examination and now Victor Nasser, one of the attorneys representing Trezell West, is questioning Hernandez. #WestsTrial

Hernandez said he can only see the lot to the west of the Wests' home from his camera, not the right lot. #WestsTrial

The camera captures about half of the garage, the left side if you're facing the house, Hernandez said. #WestsTrial

The officers didn't ask for any dates of surveillance footage to view from September 2020, only the one day in December, Hernandez said. #WestsTrial

Hernandez confirmed he was contacted by a detective on April 19, 2023. Before then, the only time he spoke with officers was the night they came to his house in 2020, he said. #WestsTrial

Nasser ended his questioning. Under redirect, Hernandez said there was some footage the officers reviewed that included daylight hours as well as night footage. #WestsTrial

Hernandez has been excused. #WestsTrial

Court is in recess for 15 minutes. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Morning Testimony, Part 3
DAY FOURTEEN - May 1, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

Back in session. AT has been called to the stand. He's a sophomore in high school. #WestsTrial

AT lives in foster care, he's been there for years. He had brothers in the system. #WestsTrial

AT said he was 4 years older than the others. #WestsTrial

AT testified he was in foster care in the apartment of Trezell and Jacqueline West about 6 years ago. He identified the Wests two other adopted children as ones he lived with. It's the Wests' older adopted children, not Orrin and Orson. #WestsTrial

AT said he lived with the Wests for about a year before he moved to his aunt's house. He said he also met the Wests' biological children. #WestsTrial

AT said Jacqueline West would scream at the adopted children, hold them down. He said she would grab the children around their neck and wrap her legs around them to stop them from moving. #WestsTrial

Smith has displayed a photo of AT demonstrating the hold Jacqueline West would put on the older adopted children. This was before Orrin and Orson were adopted. AT said she would get annoyed with their crying. #WestsTrial

AT said he would get mad but he couldn't do anything. #WestsTrial

An arm would be placed around a child's neck and she would interlock it with another arm then put her legs around the child and tighten the grip so the child couldn't move. #WestsTrial

The adopted children were very young at the time, AT said. He said he was regularly told to stay in his room. #WestsTrial

"I don't even know," AT said as to the last time he saw the adopted children he lived with at the West home. #WestsTrial

Smith ended his questioning and Torres Stallings has begun cross-examination. #WestsTrial

At the time he lived with the Wests he had enough food, clothing, AT said. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is referring to incidents that occurred in the home of AT's birth mother. AT confirmed the incidents and why they were removed from the home. #WestsTrial

Asking about the discipline AT described, Torres Stallings asked if Jacqueline West held the children from behind. AT said yes. He said she'd scream at them and do it for an hour. #WestsTrial

AT said this happened multiple times. He said he did not tell law enforcement it happened 40 times, which is what the report says. #WestsTrial

AT said police wrote things he didn't say and he's "going to have a chat with him later." The last time he saw the Wests' older adopted children was 6 or 7 years ago. #WestsTrial

AT said he told his aunt about the discipline the Wests used but didn't tell social workers. #WestsTrial

The first time he spoke with law enforcement about it was April 7, 2021, AT said. He said he had previously seen information about the West case on the news. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings finished her questioning and Nasser has begun questioning him. #WestsTrial

On redirect, Smith said he didn't talk to social workers about what happened because he doesn't trust them. He said they lie. #WestsTrial

Correction, AT said he didn't talk to social workers. He's being questioned by prosecutor Eric Smith. #WestsTrial

AT said the chokeholds used by Jacqueline West would last from 5 minutes to an hour. #WestsTrial

AT has been excused. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Morning Testimony, Part 4
DAY FOURTEEN - May 1, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

One of the Wests' adopted children has been called to the stand. #WestsTrial

The child is 10. He said he knows the difference between a truth and a lie. He's in fourth grade. #WestsTrial

He said he likes to play with Legos. He likes math at school. He lives with his 3 brothers -- the other West children. #WestsTrial

He said he doesn't know the name of his adopted parents. #WestsTrial

Smith is displaying photos of the apartment on Casa Loma in Bakersfield and the house in California City where the 10-year-old used to live. #WestsTrial

The child said he recognizes the home and the Wests' van. He identified photos of Trezell of Jacqueline West. #WestsTrial

He said he thinks Orrin and Orson lived with him in the apartment in Bakersfield. He doesn't remember when they came to live there. #WestsTrial

He said both Orrin and Orson were nice. They played together, with little toy blocks. #WestsTrial

The child said he was home-schooled in the apartment. #WestsTrial

The 10-year-old said they moved from the apartment to the desert. #WestsTrial

He said he was also home-schooled in the house in Cal City. #WestsTrial

The child said he remembers going to the house and they were cleaning the house. He said he thinks he helped carry boxes in. #WestsTrial

The child said he would play tag in the backyard or play with the dogs. #WestsTrial

The boy said Orrin and Orson were among the children living with them in the house. #WestsTrial

He said he doesn't remember how long Orrin and Orson lived there. #WestsTrial

The child appears unsure of some of his answers. When he first entered the courtroom Jacqueline West had a small smile on her face. #WestsTrial

Court is in recess until 1:30 p.m. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Afternoon Testimony, Part 1
DAY FOURTEEN - May 1, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

The trial of Trezell and Jacqueline West has resumed with the Wests' adopted 10-year-old child on the stand. #WestsTrial

Prosecutor Eric Smith is displaying a photo of bunk beds in the Wests' California City home. The child said he had the top bed. Orrin or Orson had the bottom bed he said, adding he can't remember. #WestsTrial

The boy said he thinks Jacqueline and Trezell West told him Orrin and Orson were going to sleep down there. He said sometimes he would see them sleep on the bottom. Smith is asking him about his prior testimony for the grand jury. #WestsTrial

When he testified before, according to Smith's questioning, the child said "no" to seeing Orrin or Orson on the bottom bed. #WestsTrial

The boy says he thinks he saw Orrin and Orson sleeping in the bottom bunk. #WestsTrial

Smith asked the boy if he remembers going to his grandmother Wanda West's house in December 2020. The boy said yes. #WestsTrial

The boy said he remembers the white van used to take him to the grandmother's house. He listed the others in the van with him. He said he doesn't know if Orrin or Orson were in the van with him and the other children. #WestsTrial

The boy said he remembers police coming to the grandmother's house. The boy has identified an image of himself at a table. #WestsTrial

Smith is about to play the boy's interview with law enforcement. #WestsTrial

The interview is being played now. The boy says he broke his arm when he was at the apartment when he fell while climbing the monkey bars. #WestsTrial

An officer is asking the boy to spell his name, asks him if he knows the difference between a lie and the truth. The boy was 8 at the time of the interview. #WestsTrial

The boy says he doesn't know the difference between doing something right or something wrong. #WestsTrial

Asked what happens at home when he does something wrong, the boy says "we miss out on stuff" like cake. #WestsTrial

He says yes when the officer asks if he knows it's wrong to hurt somebody. #WestsTrial

"If I were to punch you would it be wrong?" the officer asks. "Yes," the boy says. #WestsTrial

The officer asks who was in the car when the boy went to the grandmother's house. He lists the Wests and his brothers, but not Orrin and Orson. He says the last time he saw them was at the apartment in Bakersfield. #WestsTrial

The video has ended. The child said he remembers speaking with the officer. #WestsTrial

The child, shown a photo of the Wests' apartment in Bakersfield, testified that's where he last saw Orrin and Orson. #WestsTrial

The Wests moved from that apartment to Cal City in September 2020. #WestsTrial

He said either the Wests or one of the biological children told him Orrin was staying at Jacqueline West's mother's house. #WestsTrial

The boy said he doesn't know where Orson went and didn't ask Trezell or Jacqueline West. Smith ended his questioning. #WestsTrial

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

Torres Stallings asked how many times the boy has talked with Smith. He said he thinks 4 times. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked the boy what he was told he'd be doing today. He said to tell the truth. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings has asked if the boy was given anything to read before coming here today. He said no. #WestsTrial

He said no one told him to refer to the Wests as "Jackie" and "Trezell." Torres Stallings said when he previously testified he called Jacqueline West "mom" and Trezell West "dad." #WestsTrial

"Did anyone tell you not to look at them?" Torres Stallings asked. "No," he said. #WestsTrial

The boy said he hasn't seen them in a long time. #WestsTrial

The boy said his favorite memory of Jacqueline is when they moved to the desert. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings showed him a photo and he said he remembers it. He said they sometimes went on picnics. His favorite memory of Trezell is when he made bread because "it was good," the boy said. #WestsTrial

Trezell West wiped his eyes and attorney Victor Nasser handed him a tissue. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is asking about Christmas and the toys they received. #WestsTrial

The boy said Orrin and Orson helped decorate the Christmas tree. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is asking about the arm the boy had broken. He said he had a cast and drew on it. He said it happened a long time ago. #WestsTrial

The boy said he started referring to the Cal City area as "high desert" when he was placed in another home after the Wests. #WestsTrial

The boy paused, then said "sometimes" when asked about other children he lived with in a foster home after the Wests. He said sometimes they hit him. #WestsTrial

The boy's testimony has changed multiple times as to if Orrin and Orson went to the California City home. #WestsTrial

Asked by Torres Stallings, the boy said Orrin and Orson weren't in the van when the Wests dropped off him and the other children at his grandmother's house. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings has finished and Timothy Hennessy has begun cross-examination. #WestsTrial

The boy said when they first moved to Cal City they slept on the floor because the bunk beds hadn't been built. #WestsTrial

Hennessy finished and Smith is again asking questions. The boy said he doesn't remember if he also slept on the floor at the Bakersfield apartment. The child has been excused. #WestsTrial

Court is in recess for 15 minutes. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Afternoon Testimony, Part 2
DAY FOURTEEN - May 1, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

Court is back in session with another of the Wests' adopted children on the witness stand. #WestsTrial

The boy is 8 years old. He's in 3rd grade. He said he knows the difference between the truth and a lie and answered a couple questions showing he knows the difference. #WestsTrial

He said math is his favorite subject. He also like reading. #WestsTrial

Shown a photo of Trezell, the boys said that's his dad. Shown a photo of Jacqueline, he said that's his mom. #WestsTrial

The boy said he recognizes a photo of the apartment building in Bakersfield where he used to live. #WestsTrial

The boy said he used to play games with Orrin. He said he didn't play with Orson because he was in another bedroom. #WestsTrial

The boy said Orrin and one of the Wests' biological children slept in his bedroo. The boy said he doesn't remember if Orrin and Orson ever got in trouble, and said no when asked if they were punished by his father. #WestsTrial

The boy said he doesn't remember moving to the house in California City. He said "the outside" was his favorite part of the house because he could play outside. He played with his dogs in the backyard. #WestsTrial

The boy said he doesn't remember who stayed in which bedroom in Cal City. Smith is going to show him some photos. #WestsTrial

Shown a photo of one of the bedrooms, the boy said it was his, another of the adopted children's and Orrin's room. He said he saw Orrin sleeping there. #WestsTrial

Smith asked the boy if he remembered Orrin and Orson moving with them. "No" the boy said. He said he doesn't remember who moved with him. #WestsTrial

The boy said he didn't go to school in the high desert and doesn't remember a classroom with a sliding door. Previous testimony has indicated the West children were home-schooled. #WestsTrial

The boy said he remembers going to his grandmother's house around Christmas in 2020 and he went there in a van. He said he doesn't remember where he sat in the van and doesn't remember who was in the van with him. #WestsTrial

Smith is going to play the video of the boy's interview with police. #WestsTrial

The video is playing. Smith stopped it to fix a technical issue. #WestsTrial

Smith has gone back to asking questions of the boy. The boy said Orrin and Orson moved to Cal City and stayed with him but doesn't remember for how long. #WestsTrial

The boy has answered "I don't remember" to many of the prosecutor's questions. #WestsTrial

The boy said he recalls testifying previously but doesn't remember how long ago it was or being asked about Orrin and Orson. #WestsTrial

Smith asked if he remembers saying Orrin and Orson left one day after they moved to the desert. The boy said he doesn't remember saying that. #WestsTrial

Smith is now playing the interview video. #WestsTrial

The boy says they "miss out" if they do something bad. On what? "Good stuff." #WestsTrial

The boy says he lives with his dad and brothers at the Cal City house. He doesn't mention Orrin and Orson but names the other brothers. #WestsTrial

When they traveled in the van to his grandmother's house his parents, he and his brothers were in the van -- but not Orrin and Orson, he said. #WestsTrial

The boy says both Orrin and Orson moved to the Cal City house "but then they left." He says they were only there one day and he doesn't know where they went. #WestsTrial

The video has ended. #WestsTrial

Asked by Smith, the boy said he remembers that interview and did the best to the tell the truth. #WestsTrial

He said he doesn't remember what he meant by saying Orrin and Orson were only in Cal City one day. #WestsTrial

Smith ended his questioning and Torres Stallings has begun cross-examination. #WestsTrial

She's asking the boy some quick, easy questions, including what he had for breakfast and lunch. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked who else was in the car that brought him to court. "My brothers," the boy said. He said he was told he would be coming to court on Monday by prosecutor Eric Smith. #WestsTrial

The Wests' two biological children and two other adopted children were brought to the courthouse together. #WestsTrial

The boy said he doesn't remember how long ago he testified. #WestsTrial

"I don't remember," the boy said when asked to say something good about his mom. Under questioning by Torres Stallings he said he remembers her cooking for him and his dad playing with him. #WestsTrial

The boy said Orrin and Orson were at the Cal City house for a long time. #WestsTrial

The boy said everyone, including Orrin and Orson, helped put up the Christmas tree. #WestsTrial

He said Orrin and Orson slept in a bedroom in Cal City. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings finished her questioning. The boy has been excused. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

Afternoon Testimony, Part 3
DAY FOURTEEN - May 1, 2023
https://twitter.com/KGETnews

One of the Wests' biological children has been called to the stand. #WestsTrial

Each of the West children has shown up wearing a collared white shirt. #WestsTrial

This boy is 9 years old. He's in 3rd grade. His favorite subject in school is writing. #WestsTrial

He identified the Wests as his parents. He said he remembers living in an apartment in Bakersfield. #WestsTrial

The boy said he doesn't recognize a photo of the apartment complex where the Wests lived but does recognize a photo of house in California City. He said he doesn't remember what room he stayed in or what it looked like. #WestsTrial

Asked who lived at the house, he named the Wests and his brothers but didn't name Orrin or Orson. #WestsTrial

Smith is asking the boy about bunk beds and who slept where. The boy said he slept in the middle bunk. #WestsTrial

The boy testified he doesn't remember Orrin or Orson. #WestsTrial

Smith displayed photos of Orrin and Orson. The boy said he doesn't recognize them. #WestsTrial

The boy said he doesn't remember going to his grandmother's house in December 2020, being there when police showed up or talking to police. #WestsTrial

Smith is going to play video of an interview police conducted with the child. #WestsTrial

The video is playing. The boy keeps rubbing his face and fidgeting in his seat. #WestsTrial

The officer answers his phone during the interview then goes back to questioning the boy. #WestsTrial

The boy is having difficulty answering any of the questions, including giving examples of something right and something wrong. #WestsTrial

He starts answering some questions and says mom and dad taught him right from wrong. #WestsTrial

He says he came to his grandmother's house a few days ago. His parents were in the van when they traveled there, and so were his brothers. He gives their names but doesn't name Orrin or Orson. #WestsTrial

Asked who lives with him, he also doesn't name Orrin or Orson but does say they lived in the apartment in Bakersfield. Asked why they didn't move to the house in Cal City, the boy says, "Because they were crying a lot." He says his parents told him that. #WestsTrial

He says his parents told him the boys went back to where they used to live. #WestsTrial

The boy says he didn't like having Orrin and Orson at home because they cried. #WestsTrial

The video ended. The boy testified he still doesn't remember the interview with the police officer. #WestsTrial

Asked what he meant when he told the officer Orrin and Orson West went to the place they used to live, the boy said, "They went home." #WestsTrial

Smith ended his questioning. Torres Stallings has begun cross-examination. #WestsTrial

She asked what he had to eat that day and how he got there. #WestsTrial

The boy told her what he had to eat and that someone drove him to court. The boy said he has been in the courtroom before. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings went over the differences between truths, lies and mistakes with the boy. #WestsTrial

The boy said his mom was a good teacher. He was home-schooled by Jacqueline West. #WestsTrial

"Every memory" is his favorite memory of his mom and dad, the boy said. #WestsTrial

Attorney Victor Nasser handed tissues to Trezell and Jacqueline West. #WestsTrial

Court is in recess until 9 a.m. tomorrow. #WestsTrial

 

[PommyMommy]

MAY 1, 2023

West Trial Day 14: Prosecution begins calling West children to testify​

A 16-year-old boy who lived with the couple charged in the deaths of Orrin and Orson West testified he witnessed the wife on multiple occasions place younger children in a chokehold to get them to stop crying.

The teen, a foster child who lived with Trezell and Jacqueline West for about a year around 2016 — years before before the Wests adopted Orrin and Orson — demonstrated in court on Monday the move he said Jacqueline West used on the Wests’ two other adopted children, especially one who cried frequently. He said Jacqueline West would sit on the floor with the child in front of her and interlock her arms around his neck while using her legs to grip the child’s legs and hold the rest of the body still.

The teen said Jacqueline West would scream at the child as she held him in that position for a period of time that could last anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour. The teen said he got angry but was young and couldn’t do anything to stop her.