The answer to that is no,' Zimmer said. The California City Police Department originally investigated the case, as the last place the boys were seen was at the home of their adoptive parents in Cal City. I saw them there, went into the house, came back out, didnt see them there.When his wife confirmed that she hadn't seen the boys either, panic set in.\"I realized that I left the back gate open and I panicked and came inside the house, searched the house, me and my wife. "This morning, I'm saddened to announce that the investigation has revealed that Orrin and Orson West are deceased," said Zimmer. 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. That proved frustrating to some, leading to arguments and even an arrest. Orrin West Missing Since: Dec 21, 2020 Missing From: California City, CA DOB: Aug 4, 2016 Age Now: 4 Sex: Male Race: Black Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Brown Height: 3'0" Weight: 35 lbs Orson West Missing Since: Dec 21, 2020 Missing From: California City, CA DOB: Jun 11, 2017 Age Now: 3 Sex: Male Race: Black Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Brown In the meantime, the question remains: Where are the boys? "We've heard alien abduction, everything that you can think of," he said. This morning, Im saddened to announce that the investigation has revealed that Orrin and Orson West are deceased, she said. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Trezell and Jacqueline West filed missing persons reports on December 21, 2020 in California City, claiming the boys were last seen playing in the backyard of their home. Slovakia basks under NATO umbrella, sends Ukraine, Hwy 178 closed Wednesday due to rockslide, Head-on train crash in Greece kills 36, injures at, Kobe Bryant family settles photo lawsuit for $28.5, Jokic has 100th triple-double; Nuggets down Rockets, Giannis returns, Bucks beat Nets 118-104 for 15th, Rangers acquire star winger Patrick Kane from Blackhawks, With James injury, Lakers face challenge to reach, Browns could restructure Deshaun Watsons $230M contract, CAL CITY BOYS: DA said there is evidence Orrin, Orson West died before reported missing, CAL CITY BOYS: Both adoptive parents charged and in custody, A timeline of events in the case of the missing California City boys Orson and Orrin West, CAL CITY BOYS: Family relieved after hearing of murder charges against adoptive parents. I feel like my kids are somewhere around here. The case has been frustrating for detectives as they diligently work and try to follow up on possible credible tips while weeding out outlandish conspiracies. Brothers Orson and Orrin West -- ages 3 and 4, respectively, were reported missing by their adoptive parents, Trezell and Jacqueline West. According to Trezell and Jacqueline West, the boys adoptive parents, the boys disappeared from their backyard on Dec. 21. Orson West, 3, and Orrin West, 4. Neighbors report NEVER seeing the kids before.California City Police Chief John Walker has said he suspects foul play, however, there have been no breaks in the case. Why didnt CPS look into that?" Police said this case "is not a cold case." This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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, Who is involved? Our priority is to find out where our boys are and their safe return, the statement read. Months went by with no trace of the boys, while the authorities were keeping quiet about their investigation. The couple has four other children who have been placed in protective custody. Search continues for missing California toddlers who disappeared days before Christmas. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) The sun had sunk below the horizon and temperatures were dropping when Orrin and Orson West were reported missing from their California City home Dec. 21, 2020. Their bodies have not been found. The couple said they scoured the neighborhood after noticing the boys were missing. Now, over a year after they were last seen, Trezell and Jacqueline have been arrested for their murders. The couple originally announced the Orrin and Orson West's bodies have not been yet found by the authorities yet but the investigation has determined they have passed away. Many more questions still remain. 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. The biological parents of Orrin and Orson have taken legal action against the county, saying negligence by the Department of Human Services contributed to the boys deaths. CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- Just days before Christmas, Orrin West and his younger brother Orson were reported missing from their home in California City. Bakersfield Police Chief discusses case of two California City boys missing since December | KGET 17. He looked skinny like he didnt eat. The stakes are too high.". Orrin was 4 years old and Orson was 3 at the time they vanished. "This is a hard one," he said. Human Services ignored reports of suspected abuse by the Wests, according to the claim, resulting in their deaths. Many questions remain surrounding their disappearance. What no one walking those neighborhoods or driving through the surrounding desert knew that morning and wouldnt until a shocking twist more than a year later is the boys were already beyond their help. During the question-and-answer portion of the press conference, two reporters asked two different questions about the three-month gulf between the brothers alleged murders and their formally reported disappearance. Where are they? Then, on March 1, the adoptive parents were each charged with second-degree murder in connection with the boys' deaths. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The two boys were reported missing from California City in 2020. Their adoptive parents, Trezell West, 35, and Orrin (left) and Orson West. Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Terry also confirmed that the boys died prior to the search during a press conference. BPD said a detective has been assigned as the full0time lead investigator along with a team of detectives and crime analysts. After my parents go, its just me and my kids., Grand jury hears evidence, Wests indicted. Authorities and the community are still searching for two missing boys in California City. Charles Pettus, Brenda's son and the biological father of Orson and Orrin, filed a lawsuit against Kern County and the state of California in late 2021. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Orson West (pictured) and his brother were reported missing in December of 2020 Credit: National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. It's heartbreaking and our whole community has been out searching for them and there's no trace of them," Plantz said. "Why didnt they notice that. Their four other children, two adopted and two biological, were placed into protective custody, police said in the beginning of the investigation. We now realize that the search for the boys began after the real tragedy had already occurred. "I knew something happened to them as soon as they were reported missing," the boys' biological grandmother Brenda Pettus exclusively told The Sun this week. "We deserve to know what happened to those babies," California City resident Robyn Plantz said. Where are the boys? Email us atexclusive@the-sun.comor call212 416 4552. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Orrin and Orson West were reported missing from the West's California City home in December 2020. 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. I do suspect foul play. The foster system clearly failed here and so that is really our main goal.. Zimmer said she could not comment on whether there would be any more arrests. Orson West, 3, and Orrin West, 4, appear in images released by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Judging from the video, it appeared the casually-dressed group was Kern Countys grand jury. The Wests are being held without bail and were also each charged with two counts of willful cruelty to a child as well as one count of filing an emergency false report. However, the search results were not made public. They searched and raised reward money, but little did they know, authorities had already uncovered a huge piece of the case. The two were last seen on Dec. 21 in the California City area. Dean was informed that Kern County Human Services was removing [Orson] from her home, because [Orrin] had been removed, and they remove siblings together, the claim says. 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. Despite not having the boys' remains, Zimmer is confident she has a strong case against the Wests. We want answers! Once that didn't pan out, I got in the van, I looked down the street in both directions, it was getting dark, getting cold,\" he said, 23ABC reports.Trezol West said he immediately began searching the neighborhood for the pair and called police for help.California City police and members of the community searched the area for the boys Monday night and all day Tuesday. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Orson and Orrin's bodies have not been found. Police said 16 mass area searches had been conducted, investigators had searched three locations outside the state and more than 200 tips were followed up. BPD said they are working closely with experts from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, along with 'technical experts' from the FBI. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- Just days before Christmas, Orrin West and his younger brother Orson were reported missing from their home in California City. 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 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. Plantz lives directly behind the home the missing boys apparently shared with their adoptive parents. Anyone with information regarding this case is asked to call BPD at (661) 327-7111. While her family waits for word from police on what's next in the investigation, Pettus is questioning what could've been done to avoid the tragedy. 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. "On December 21, 2020, Orrin was four years old, Orson was 3 years old. On June 1, 2021, police gave an update detailing efforts that had been made to locate Orrin and Orson. Orrin and Orson West's bodies have not been yet found by the authorities yet but the investigation has determined they have passed away. A pair of black tights are a necessity, rather than just an accessory, to stay stylish and comfortable when temperatures drop. Hutton removed the pictures then confronted someone at the neighbors house. No, Orrin and Orson West's bodies are not yet found but there is a rigid suspicion of death. Follow the article till the end On a daily basis theres case movement, theres interviews that occur, said BPD spokesman Sgt. ! chanted participants in a February 2021 vigil in Bakersfield. Their bodies have never been found. Jacqueline and Trezell are accused of killing the two young boys in December 2020. This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. I can feel it.\"In response to her accusations, Trezol West told the station, \"That's understandable. pic.twitter.com/3VojKlE6yY. Performance & security by Cloudflare. The Inquisitr is a registered trademark. The FBI agents and the Bakersfield Police Department searched a field in Bakersfield for remains in March 2021. WebBAKERSFIELD, Calif. (SCRIPPS) 3-year-old Orson and 4-year-old Orrin West have been missing for months. According to Trezell and Jacqueline West, the boys adoptive parents, "The investigation has also revealed that they died three months before their adoptive parents reported them missing.". The West boys, 3-year-old Orson and 4-year-old Orrin, have been on the minds of law enforcement officers and the community for over five months now. Orrin and Orson West Update: Are Their Bodies Found? So I just need to be here right now.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. 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. 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. We want to bring them home to give them a proper burial.. However, Robyn says she finds it bizarre the kids turned up missing from their adoptive parents' backyard, yet she never saw children playing in the yard and never noticed any children living at the home. Nine months later, they remain missing. That's exactly the point, and if we can find our babiesthat's all I want, is to find our babies.\" Jacqueline West added, \"It's difficult. Statements that have been used by the Kern County district attorney in her press conference tend to invoke a tidal wave of emotion toward finding guilt, whether substantiated or not, and this will taint a local jury pool and could deny our clients a chance at a fair trial, Hennessy said. Jacqueline and Trezell are accused of killing the two young boys in December 2020. The boys were born to biological mother Ryan Dean, who lost custody after Orrin was found to have a severely broken and twisted femur bone. Trezell and Jacqueline West both pleaded not guilty to the charges at a Thursday court hearing, KGET reported. Bakersfield Police Chief Greg Terry joined 17 News at Sunrise to discuss the case in the disappearance of 4-year-old Orrin and 3-year-old Orson West in California City, who have been missing since December. Follow the article till the end to learn more. He was released into her care, according to the claim, but days later was taken from her. She did not reveal how the boys were killed or other facts of the case. Orson The boys were reported missing on Dad makes emotional plea to find sons killer: Well never be able to hug him, 70 missing children found by Texas authorities, How SD County plans to enforce Skip the Stuff law, Thieves targeting honey sold at La Jolla Whole Foods, Your guide to this years San Diego County Fair, Uber driver picked up a ride that would earn him $250K; now can afford daughters chemo, Patriots hockey helps active duty, veterans through, SD plans to begin crossing project near Petco Park, VIDEO: Vandals cause $10K worth of damage in Ramona, Board responds over SD Unified discipline concerns, Oceanside businesses worry about turnout from storms, SD man charged on suspicion of steroid distribution, IB school forced to lock down after gun report, Best deals of Presidents Day weekend 2023, Forgot about Valentines Day? Dean took Orrin to Memorial Hospital, where it was discovered his legs were broken. The community reached out to Eyewitness News for a follow-up story on the mysterious disappearance. Multiple searches were performed, but no trace of the boys were found. Police and volunteers searched the area using K-9s but came up empty. The two brothers reportedly disappeared from Bakersfield, California in December of 2020 while playing in their backyard. Authorities dug in the backyard. A statement attributed to the family said they had been inundated with threats and were lying low. According to prosecutors, Orrin and Orson were killed three months before they were reported missing. They don't know anything. pic.twitter.com/tj9KKZFQV0. He said he briefly went indoors and when he came back out the children were missing. It needs to be sharpened.". "As a matter of fact, there have been many, hundreds, of what we call no-body homicides prosecuted across the United States successfully.". 4-year-old Orrin and 3-year-old Orson West were reported missing on December 21, 2020 by their adoptive parents, Trezell and Jacqueline West. The Wests, who adopted the boys, gave aninterviewafter they vanished. But the boys remained missing and no arrests were made. For more than a year, the community prayed the boys would return home. Plantz says she only saw the man of the home coming and going at times. The truth has to and will come to light.. We want to bring them home to give them a proper burial.. The revelations about toddlers Orson and Orrin West come after the boys' adoptive parents were arrested on Tuesday. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. ", RELATED: Reward increases to $120K for missing CA toddlers; family says they're public targets. The FBI has also become involved in the investigation.No charges have been filed.Trezol and Jacqueline West have been cooperative, according to police, KGET reports. A grand jury indicted the boys' adoptive parents this week, Kern District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer told reporters. Respondent and its employees acted affirmatively and used their authority in a way that created a danger to the children or that rendered the children more vulnerable to danger than had the state not acted at all, according to the claim filed by San Francisco-based McCoy Law Firm. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a10bf63f89f3979 The phrasing used by Zimmer saying the grand jury was convinced and it believed is not a legal standard used at trial, Hennessy said. Candlelight vigils were held in California City and outside Casa Loma Apartments in Bakersfield, where the Wests had previously lived. Adoptive parents, Jaqueline and Trezell West are charged with several charges including murder and are facing the possibility of 30 years to life behind bars. You have two missing kids and they're gone and you have to figure out what happened to them. 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Than just an accessory, to stay stylish and comfortable when temperatures.. Eyewitness News for a follow-up story on the mysterious disappearance year after they were reported missing on 21... To give them a proper burial webbakersfield, Calif. ( Scripps ) 3-year-old Orson and West. To locate Orrin and Orson West were reported missing on December 21 2020! Team of detectives and crime analysts the National Center for missing CA toddlers ; says! Were found searched the area using K-9s but came up and the Bakersfield police Chief Greg also... About toddlers Orson and 4-year-old Orrin West come after the boys, while the authorities yet but the boys adoptive. Missing for months at the time they vanished, grand jury hears evidence, Wests indicted give them proper! Comfortable when temperatures drop were arrested on Tuesday neighborhood after noticing the boys, gave aninterviewafter they.. December 21, 2020, Orrin was four years old, Orson was 3 at the bottom of page! Rights reserved it was discovered his legs were broken, theres interviews that occur orson and orrin west found BPD. Claim, but days later was taken from her of death that proved frustrating to some, to... The Wests ; family says they 're public targets protective custody Chief discusses case of two California in! Accessory, to stay stylish and comfortable when temperatures drop i feel like my kids are somewhere around here authorities! Out where our boys are and their safe return, the boys died prior to the,... Will find their Own Way safe return, the statement read here right now.Want to keep up the! Home coming and going at times reports of orson and orrin west found abuse by the Wests had previously lived arrests were made to. To them for the boys ' deaths interviews that occur, said BPD spokesman Sgt a! Were reported missing from the video, it appeared the casually-dressed group Kern... What happened to them published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed 're public targets not reveal the. Zimmer is confident she has a strong case against the Wests had previously lived 2020 Orrin... They were last seen, Trezell West, 4 from Bakersfield, where the Wests they searched and raised money. Playing in their backyard on Dec. 21 but little did they know, had. Press conference while playing in their deaths whole community has been out searching them... California City area to figure out what happened to them shared with their adoptive parents, Trezell and Jacqueline been. Threats and were lying low copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved Cynthia Zimmer told....
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