[Featured image: Orrin and Olson West/handout], Rasheem Carter: More Remains Discovered of Man Found Decapitated With Severed Genitals in Mouth, Crime Stories with Nancy Grace: Handsome Tech Star Staggers Begging for Help, STABBED DEAD, Letecia Stauch Murder Trial: Expert Tracks Accused Killer Stepmoms Phone During, After Gannon Stauch Disappearance, subscribe to the Crime Stories with Nancy Grace podcast. Moorer sought to prove the West boys could reside with her. The boys were adopted in 2019. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Pettus and the grandmother requested the West boys be released to their custody, but CPS did not fulfill their requests, according to the Pettuses claim. Positive Cases Among Kern Residents: 313,377, Recovered and Presumed Recovered Residents: 309,848, Percentage of all cases that are unvaccinated:70.85, Percentage of all hospitalizations that are unvaccinated:83.10, Source: Kern County Public Health Services Department. 00:00 / 00:00. Dean lost custody of then 3-month-old Orrin after he broke his leg while he was being cared for by Charles Pettus, the father of Orson. "They had no emotion on their face," Dean said of both adoptive parents, describing when she approached them to ask what happened. Im going to keep going until God calls me, Im here until the end.. Thank you for reading! Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This same child heard a thud in Orsons room one night when the Wests first moved to California City and never saw the 3-year-old again, according to Smith. 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. Video-footage enhancing technology. Dean said in the suit that she fought to get her children back but that she was repeatedly denied. DNA swabs. Orrins biological father, Charles Pettus, said he gave Orrin two baths that day and nothing else happened, according to the claim. 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, I got in the van and I hit a bunch of corners," he toldKBAK/KBFX. The boys are now presumed dead, and the Wests are on trial on charges including second-degree murder. After my parents go, its just me and my kids.. Closing arguments are expected to be given around mid-May. No matter how long it takes, how hard its going to be, I wont give, I will never give up.. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. Many blankets and mattress covers excluded Orrin and Orsons DNA profile from contributing to the DNA profile left behind. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter. Ryan Dean, the biological mother of Orrin and Orson, and Dana Moorer, the boys maternal grandmother, allege in the claim that Kern County Human Services ignored Deans repeated reports of suspected abuse while the West boys stayed with Trezell and Jacqueline West before their adoption. Adamant testimony. He claimed in the lawsuit that Child Protective Services was negligent when they took his biological children away and placed them with a couple outside of friends and family. 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. Evidence will not be presented again until Monday. Their trial is tentatively set for May 23. Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said during a March 2 news conference announcing the charges that the boys bodies have never been found. The Bakersfield Police Department took over the investigation seven months ago insisting its not a cold case. Sixteen months have passed since toddlers Orrin and Orson West were first reported missing. The children's biological mother accused the Wests of being complicit in their disappearance. The . Kim testified he didnt get any other toothbrushes from the West house to process, nor did he get any toys from the Wests house. I looked down the street in both directions; it was getting dark, getting cold.". They could face 30 years to life in prison if convicted. I mean, these guys are scavenging the desert themselves. The Wests reported the boys missing from California City, where they had moved from Bakersfield not long before. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. DNA results from one toothbrush collected from the West home showed it was used by a woman, he added. The brothers,Orrin West, 4, and Orson West, 3, had been put up for adoption by their biological mother,Ryan Dean, shortly after they were born, KBAK/KBFX reports. Orson and Orrin West have been missing since Dec. 21. Orrin and his brother Orson West were reported missing from their family's backyard in the desert town of California City on Dec. 21, 2020. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) 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 cases most crucial witnesses: the Wests four other children. She was allowed supervised visitation with her kids once they were cared for by a foster mother. The adoptive parents of California brothers Orrin and Orson West, who have been missing over a year, have been arrested on suspicion of killing the toddlers. The Wests have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, which include second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, child cruelty, falsely reporting an emergency, and conspiracy. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Sun and clouds mixed. 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Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. They lived with their adoptive parents, Trezell and Jacqueline West. The adoptive parents, Trezell West, 35, and Jacqueline West, 32, entered pleas in a Bakersfield courtroom Thursday to two counts of second-degree murder, two felony counts of willful cruelty to a child and a misdemeanor charge of making a false report of an emergency. But now the adoptive dad's family says they're targets -- not from authorities -- but from the public. Trezell and Jacqueline West told police in December 2020 that 4- and 3-year-old Orrin and Orson disappeared from their backyard. After Orson was brought home, a Kern County sheriffs deputy took him away because the Kern County Human Services officials said they remove siblings together, according to the claim. Torres Stallings, who represents Jacqueline West, focused on one such visit. Hollywood braces for potential strike with WGA contract set to expire, Free COVID-19 tests aren't guaranteed after May 11, El Camino HS academic decathlon team wins national championship. Kern County District Attorney's Office via AP, Biological mom of two brothers allegedly killed by adoptive parents files lawsuit, two California brothers alleged to have been killed by their adoptive parents, should be considered innocent until proven guilty. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. The suit says no allegations of abuse were lodged against Dean when Cinsere was removed. Their attorneys say the disappearance remains a missing persons case and that police took the easy way out to explain why they couldnt find the boys charge the parents with murder, KGET reports. After reporting the missing toddlers to the California CityPolice, West alerted his community of their disappearance, gathering concerned neighbors and community members to join them in their search. Charles Pettus is the biological father of Orrin West, 4, and Orson West, 3, whose birth names were Cinsere and Classic Pettus. Due to a paternity test done before the children were reported missing, investigators were able to gather DNA profiles for Orrin and Orson. Jacqueline and Trezell West have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter and other charges in the deaths of Orrin, 4, and Orson, 3. A request for comment from Charles Pettus attorney was not returned. That year, Trezell West, 34, and Jacqueline West, 31, became the boy's foster parents. Trezell West told Bakersfield ABC affiliate KERO, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The Wests three other children also told law enforcement Orrin and Orson hadnt been seen for weeks when the Wests reported them missing on Dec. 21, 2020, according to testimony. Low 51F. Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer holds a press conference with law enforcement leaders and prosecutors regarding missing California toddlers Orrin and Orson West, on Mar. He said he is unsure why the deputy removed the child because of facts being withheld by Kern County Human Services. Trezell and Jacqueline have two biological children and two additional adoptive ones. WNW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. The foster system is set up to keep children safe and to reunite them with their family, said Waukeen McCoy, the attorney for Dean and Moorer and president and CEO of McCoy Law Firm. Jacqueline and Trezell West, the adoptive parents of Orrin and Orson West, sit in Kern County Superior Court at their arraignment March 3, 2022. You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. 3, 2022. Dean took Orrin to Memorial Hospital, where it was discovered his legs were broken. The family previously lived in Bakersfield, about 60 miles west of California City. Pettus says it's been tormenting having to find out what happened to his children. Dean was excused after testifying for the prosecution but will likely be recalled for further testimony once defense lawyers begin presenting their case. No suspects or persons of interest have been named in the case at this time. Hennessy has asserted the kids are missing, and suggested with his line of questioning the kids may have been around the area where Dean lives. When given the chance during cross-examination, Defense Attorney Timothy Hennessy asked Dean if she lives in Texas. She confirmed she has . The child's father said that he gave the baby two baths and that nothing else had happened that day. Last month, adoptive parents Trazell and Jacqueline West were arrested on murder charges. All rights reserved. Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. Orson reportedly disappeared with his brother, Orrin West, from California City, California at 4:00 p.m. on December 21, 2020. Missing toddlers Orrin and Orson West are shown in undated family photos. Classic was removed days after his birth in 2017 because the human services department said "they like to keep siblings together," the lawsuit says. The Wests are charged with second-degree murder, among other offenses, and face life in prison if convicted. "Im not a criminal. A prosecutor focused on evidence Wednesday demonstrating the movements of two California City toddlers who were reported missing by their adoptive parents in an effort to show theyve been murdered. Speed. Thank you for reading! Orsons DNA was excluded as a match, Kim added. Its been 10 months and there are still no answers on the whereabouts of Orson and Orrin West, but the boys biological family is still holding out hope theyll be found safe. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. He heard the loud thump in the night never saw his brother again. Winds WNW at 15 to 25 mph.. Overcast. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) - Two new legal battles in connection to the case of brothers Orrin and Orson West, have been filed by their biological mother Ryan Dean, and family. A huge search by law enforcement agencies and community members failed to find them. "It is misguided to blame uncles and aunts and grandparents for children who are missing that we love and care about and are trying to find," Watkins said. You have permission to edit this article. Zimmer previously said that a week after the boys were reported missing "crucial information came to light" that brought in the involvement of police in Bakersfield. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. This wide-ranging evidence was presented by a prosecutor Tuesday as he attempted to prove adoptive parents Trezell and Jacqueline West murdered their adoptive children Orrin, 4, and Orson,. Go to Fox Nationto start a free trial and watch the extensive library from Tomi Lahren, Pete Hegseth, Abby Hornacek, Laura Ingraham, Ainsley Earhardt, Greg Gutfeld,and many more of your favorite Fox News personalities and thrilling blockbusters. 25Wiretapped phone calls. Timothy Hennessy, an attorney for Trezell West, said at a news conference in March that the couple should be considered innocent until proven guilty. Authorities have received more than 2,000 tips and are now using imaging devices at the adoptive parents' home to search for the boys. Charles Pettus is the biological father of Orrin and Orson, whose birth names were Classic and Cincere.The boys were removed from their biological mothers home by Child Protective Services and adopted by Trezell and Jacqueline West in September 2020. If you want to plan the perfect spring picnic, food and drink are important, but its certainly not the only factor to consider. Since then, the boys biological family has held monthly prayer vigils and conducted their own searches, but still no sign of the boys. Wiretapped phone calls. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, The brothers, Orrin West, 4, and Orson West, 3, had been put up for adoption by their biological mother, Ryan Dean, shortly after they were born, KBAK/KBFX reports. "It's like people don't realize we are grieving we are hurting just like they are," West said. And what youll hear (through testimony), (Adrian) knew if they told somebody they would be taken away from their parents, Smith said. Q&A: How does the grand jury process work? Adrian, the couples oldest biological child Orrin, Orson, and two other children were adopted will testify that he awoke one night to odd noises coming from Orrin and that he saw the color drain from his brothers face before he vomited and died, Smith told the court. Orrin and Orson West, who were 4 and 3, were reported missing in 2020. The Wests were indicted by a grand jury and arrested Tuesday night. 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In September, Charles Pettus, the biological father of Orrin and Orson west and Brenda Pettus, Charles's Grandmother, filed a lawsuit against Kern County and the state of California. When the boys' biological mother took the stand via Zoom Tuesday, the defense brought that tip back into question. Gardening tools collected from the Wests California City home didnt test positive for blood, Kim said. I dont want my kids to be deceased, I want them to come back home because my kids is all I got, Charles Pettus, biological father to the West boys, said. Sun and clouds mixed. The murder trial in that case is scheduled to begin May 23. Dean testified she lives in the Arlington, Texas area. This is a tragic accident is what the evidence will show, said Timothy Hennessy, one of Trezell Wests attorneys, in his opening statement. Parents of toddlers Orrin and Orson West, who were reported missing from their California City home days before Christmas in 2020, were arrested and indicted for . Trezell and Jacqueline West both pleaded not guilty to a pair of second-degree murder charges, two counts of willful cruelty to children and a single misdemeanor count of falsely reporting an emergency in the deaths of the West boys. Testimony is scheduled to resume Wednesday. 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. While she wanted to get her children back, even going to parenting classes, Dean testified that she had no involvement, nor did she employ anyone else to take the boys. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace on Fox Nation: Missing Boys. All rights reserved. When the boys' biological mother took the stand via Zoom Tuesday, the defense brought that tip back into question. The boys were in the care of another family, but in late 2018, without provocation, CPS placed Orrin and Orson into the Wests home for no reason, according to the claim. His parents didnt call for help, he told investigators, and instead discussed keeping Orrins death a secret. An urgent search for two California City, California, toddlers missing since Dec. 21, 2020, continues. McCoy said he based the request for $40 million on similar cases. The father has also expressed dismay at how the boys' blood relatives were made aware of the children's disappearances . The brothers had been through a lot in their young lives much of it in foster care. Now, the boys . BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) Since the beginning of the West trial, the court has heard from the defense that at some point, police received a tip about a possible sighting of the Orrin and Orson in Arlington, Texas. Copyright 2023 KABC Television, LLC. The only time Dean said she became aware the defendants had adopted the boys was after both were reported missing from California City. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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