Weve felt so helpless, and seeing everybody out here really looking and helping out really means a lot, Jacqueline West told media two days after the boys disappearance. CALIFORNIA CITY, Calif. (KABC) -- Just days before Christmas, Orrin West and his younger brother Orson were reported missing from their home in California City. The two brothers reportedly disappeared from Bakersfield, California in December of 2020 while playing in their backyard. The foster system clearly failed here and so that is really our main goal.. They don't know anything. 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. On March 1, the grand jury indicted Trezell and Jacqueline West on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of child cruelty and falsely reporting an emergency. Jacqueline and Trezell are accused of killing the two young boys in December 2020. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Two brothers, Orson West, 3, and Orrin West, 4, went missing days before Christmas, on December 21, 2020. Suspecting abuse, Human Services took the child, the claim says. They This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A video sent to the station showed a group of people in casual dress examining the yard while deputies and men in suits stood nearby. "They dont need to hand out children to any old people to get rid them. The answer to that is no,' Zimmer said. At the Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival, you will find a palate-dazzling smorgasbord of cuisines and cocktails to indulge in. Wednesday, Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer revealed new details in the murder indictment handed down Tuesday along with the news we had all feared would be coming. Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer held a news conference where she said the bodies of Orrin and Orson had not been located but investigators believed the children died three months before the Wests reported them missing. WebOrson west, and Orrin west were reported missing 12/21/2020 from California city located in Kern County, California. I searched a bunch of corners, I searched and searched and I called their names, said Trezell West, the adoptive father. Who is involved? The boys biological father, Charles Pettus had been home with the child. CAL CITY BOYS: Both adoptive parents charged and in custody, DA prosecutes Orrin, Orson West's adoptive parents, no bodies, Adoptive parents killed California brothers Orrin and Orson West months before reporting them missing, DA says, Adoptive parents charged with killing two California boys before reporting them missing, DA says, Father of Cal City missing boys files lawsuit against Kern County, state of California | KBAK, BREAKING: The adoptive parents of #missing 3 and 4 year-old California City boys speak for the first time Wednesday, after the boys went missing Monday night. Judging from the video, it appeared the casually-dressed group was Kern Countys grand jury. "I don't believe the kids were ever here.". Around mid-February, KGET received word a couple vans had been spotted outside the California City home. [] This is not a resolution in this case and there will not be a resolution completely in this case until these boys are brought home. Their four other children, two adopted and two biological, were placed into protective custody, police said in the beginning of the investigation. Robert Pair says they've heard it all. Further details on what happened to the boys likely wont become available until trial begins. The boys' biological father, Charles Pettus, criticized the authorities for taking Orrin and Orson and placing them in the West's home and has filed a lawsuit against the county. They also face one misdemeanor count of making a false report of an emergency and could spend 30 years to life in prison, the district attorney said. Nine months later, they remain missing. He said he briefly went indoors and when he came back out the children were missing. The truth has to and will come to light.. Even with a larger group of volunteers and sunny conditions, searchers found nothing. 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. So I just need to be here right now.Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) The adoptive parents of Orrin and Orson West, also known as Cincere and Classic Pettushave, have been assigned a courtroom for their upcoming trial and are set to be back in court for a hearing on Mon, Jan 30. Trezell told police that the boys wandered out of their California City, California backyard while he was gathering firewood. Jacqueline and Trezell West have been charged with six-felony counts, including two counts of second-degree murder. RELATED: Search continues for missing California toddlers who disappeared days before Christmas. "To CPS, they need to take the proper precautions and getting the right parents to take care of the children," she said. Brothers Orson and Orrin West -- ages 3 and 4, respectively, were reported missing by their adoptive parents, Trezell and Jacqueline West. "The people working on this and the people that are invested in this, that's something that never even factors into it, and it's hurtful on a personal level," Pair said. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Orson West, 3, and Orrin West, 4, appear in images released by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The boys were declared dead by the Kern County District This morning, Im saddened to announce that the investigation has revealed that Orrin and Orson West are deceased, she said. Trezell and Jacqueline West both pleaded not guilty to the charges at a Thursday court hearing, KGET reported. Investigators haven't released information about what led to the conclusion that the boys are no longer alive. I feel like my kids are somewhere around here. Further postponements are possible. The Department of Human Services revoked Deans parental rights and denied Moorers requests. 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. Ms. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. And, prosecutors say, their killers were the two people trusted with their safety and well-being their adoptive parents. She blames the Wests for the boys' disappearance, saying, \"They did something. I cant comment on whether I think theyre alive or not, Walker told Nexstars KGET at the time. "As a matter of fact, there have been many, hundreds, of what we call no-body homicides prosecuted across the United States successfully.". 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. TWO boys allegedly killed in a double murder looked skinny and one had a bruised neck before they disappeared, their grandmother claims. Their van was towed and inspected. Ryan Dean, the boys mother, filed a claim the precursor to a lawsuit seeking $40 million. In a 2021 interview, Jacqueline West said: "Everybody's making their own conclusions. Two brothers, Orson West, 3, and Orrin West, 4, went missing days before Christmas, on December 21, 2020. The claims said Dean noticed her children had lost weight and seemed scared, and Orson had scratches on his face. Plantz says she only saw the man of the home coming and going at times. Some in the community turned on the Wests. 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. Follow the article till the end 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. 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. Where are the boys? The neighbor then put pictures of Hutton all over the Wests house along with a banner asking Doug Hutton, Where are the boys?. pic.twitter.com/SFAztR0K54. We want to bring them home to give them a proper burial.. The case of the disappearance of Orrin and Orson West seemed to have deteriorated for a year at this point. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Orrin and Orson West's bodies have not been yet found by the authorities yet but the investigation has determined they have passed away. The following day, the boys' biological mother arrived from Bakersfield to help search.I just had to be here because my babies are supposedly missing from this house, Ryan Dean said, KGET reports. "We deserve to know what happened to those babies," California City resident Robyn Plantz said. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Violent crime is no stranger, but homicides remain relatively rare. Follow the article till the end to learn more. He said the standard of proof at grand jury proceedings is much lower than the standard of being found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt required at trial. Jacqueline and Trezell West, the adoptive parents of Orrin and Orson West, will be in court again on Wed, March 1. ", "It's difficult. The couple originally announced the "There was a bruise around the neck. Where are they? Police and volunteers searched the area using K-9s but came up empty. On a daily basis theres case movement, theres interviews that occur, said BPD spokesman Sgt. "Nobody likes to be accused of that, but I think the product of the work when the truth comes to light is going to speak for itself. Many more questions still remain. "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. Its painful to the family, these kids didnt have a chance in this world, so Im just, said Keisha Stevenson, a biological family friend, as she began to sob. Jacqueline and Trezell are accused of killing the two young boys in December 2020. Orrin (left) and Orson West. That amount included $30,000 offered by the adoptive family and $25,000 from the city. Nine months later, they remain missing. Groups swarmed the area. They searched and raised reward money, but little did they know, authorities had already uncovered a huge piece of the case. "They didnt ask to come into this world to be treated like this," the boys' grandmother said. "To be handed out to dogs, as a figurative of speech. A statement attributed to the family said they had been inundated with threats and were lying low. These are babies. 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. She said prosecutors requested the grand jury convene to hear evidence. 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. This family shouldnt have gone through this, McCoy said during an April interview. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Robert Pair. 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 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. At that point, 44 search warrants had been served, 83 people interviewed and 170 items seized. BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) Orrin and Orson West were first reported missing from their home in California City on Dec. 21, 2020. 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, The adoptive parents Trezell and Jacqueline West said the boys were playing with chalk in the backyard when they suddenly went missing. Thats all I want, is to find my babies. The phrasing used by Zimmer saying the grand jury was convinced and it believed is not a legal standard used at trial, Hennessy said. A pair of black tights are a necessity, rather than just an accessory, to stay stylish and comfortable when temperatures drop. Nine months later, the search for them continues. "There's never been any kids there," Plantz said. 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. The two boys were reported missing from California City in 2020. Orrin and Orson West were reported missing from the West's California City home in December 2020. Orson The boys were reported missing on Monday, Dec 21st by their adoptive parents, Trezell West \u0026 Jaqueline West. The question now is where are the boys bodies? said Rosanna Wills, Orrin and Orsons biological cousin. Attorney Waukeen McCoy said the suit was filed to help prevent other families from going through the suffering Dean has experienced. Police have undergone multiple massive searches for the boys. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases.According to KGET, authorities obtained a search warrant and have been gathering evidence from the family's home -- even digging up the backyard. By the next morning, the community came together in the first of many massive searches. However, the search results were not made public. No information was released on new developments. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. "Were trying to take it one day at a time," Pettus said of her family. Cloudflare Ray ID: 7a10bf63f89f3979 Charles Pettus, the biological father of Orrin and Orson, spoke with KGET in October, 10 months after their disappearance. 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. 5. 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. Jacqueline and Trezell West, the adoptive parents of Orrin and Orson West, will be in court on Wed, March 1. 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 Months went by with no trace of the boys, while the authorities were keeping quiet about their investigation. For more than a year, worried people all over the country have asked: Where are the boys?, The question now is where are the boys bodies? said Rosanna Wills, Orrin and Orsons biological cousin. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Authorities and the community are still searching for two missing boys in California City. According to BPD, in connection to this case, 83 people have been interviewed, 44 search warrants have been conducted on residences and electronic devices, 170 items have been seized, over 200 tips have been received, `16 mass area searches have been conducted and three searches have been conducted outside of California. On March 8, in a move agreed to by both sides, a Kern County judge issued a gag order barring attorneys and their investigators and law enforcementfrom speaking about the case. After the update, you can listen to our original episode on Orrin and Orson's disappearance to get the full story and timeline. The community reached out to Eyewitness News for a follow-up story on the mysterious disappearance. The Wests were arrested and held without bail, a development that sent shockwaves through the community. Human Services ignored reports of suspected abuse by the Wests, according to the claim, resulting in their deaths. 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. Plantz lives directly behind the home the missing boys apparently shared with their adoptive parents. Offers may be subject to change without notice. The couple originally announced the disappearance of Orson and Orrin's bodies have not been found. 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. 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. 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. 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