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

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Courtesy of @Tortoise

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Back in session, Officer Brian Hansen says the day after the boys were reported missing he went to a home on Potomac Avenue to speak with the Wests other four children.

Another video is about to be played. This interview occurred after Officer Hansen interviewed the Wests' other children.

Officer Hansen goes back to the West home on Aspen Avenue in Cal City. Both Trezell and Jacqueline are present. The officer has photo lineups for the couple to look at.

One person resembles "the auntie," Jacqueline West says. Trezell agrees.

The officer gets contact information for other West family members. The Wests tell him they previously lived at an apartment in Bakersfield for three years.

Asked when Orrin and Orson last saw her mom, Jacqueline West says right before they moved to California City.

In the video, Jacqueline West says they moved to the Cal City home in mid-September.

Officer Hansen asks about their day-to-day routine. Jacqueline West says it's school and cleaning, feeding the pets. The kids won't get play time or TV if they don't listen, she says.

Asked if they fight or have any money problems, Jacqueline West says they have normal disagreements, but don't fight. She says her husband writes and produces music, and she makes art

She says they don't have money issues but they get more money from the adopted children than what they make.

All the children except Orrin and Orson are in school, Jacqueline West says.

Jacqueline West says her mom never really visited their home, but she would visit her mother.

Officer Hansen is asking again about the timeline of when the children went missing, when she last saw them, her interactions with Trezell after they noticed them missing.

Jacqueline West says she knows of people who would want to take the boys but says they don't know where they live.

Jacqueline West the other children "sometimes" like playing with Orrin and Orson. She says Orrin and Orson cry a lot.

She says she and Trezell got married in 2010.

Their eldest son was born the year they were married and the next a couple years later, Jacqueline West says. The other children were adopted.

An officer asks them for a cheek swab to collect DNA. They agree.

Officers also ask to examine their cellphones. Trezell says they need the phones for communication.

The video has ended.

Prosecutor Eric Smith told Officer Hansen he wants to go over some photos. Hansen says the photos were taken inside the house.

Hansen is describing a diagram displayed in court of the West home and nearby area.

Court is in recess until 1:30.
 
Courtesy of @Tortoise

https://twitter.com/KGETnews

Back in session in the trial of Trezell and Jacqueline West. California City police Officer Brian Hansen remains on the witness stand, under questioning by prosecutor Eric Smith.

Smith is displaying photos of the Wests' home on Aspen Avenue in California City, including the backyard.

The backyard is almost entirely dirt.

Hansen testified the dirt was very soft, "almost baby powder-type."

Smith is now showing photos inside the home. One was taken on Dec. 23, 2020. There are "Minecraft " eating mats, unused diapers inside a closet in one of the kid's rooms. The diapers were size 6, Hansen said.

The diapers were relevant in that he looked for dirty diapers inside the house or trash cans. There was trash in the trash cans but nothing relevant such as dirty diapers, Hansen said.

Two toothbrushes were found in a medicine cabinet, Hansen said. They seemed like they hadn't been used in a while, had dust on them and appeared to be stuck to the cabinet by some sort of fluid.

Hansen testified he looked for kids' cups, kids' silverware, juice boxes, kid snacks. They didn't find sippy cups "or anything like that," he said. He wanted to see evidence kids had been there.

There were multiple news crews around the West residence, Hansen said. He said he later viewed the interview the Wests gave the media.

Smith is playing the interview.

In the interview, Trezell explains how he was gathering wood when the boys went missing. The Wests are standing in the street near their home, multiple microphones set up in front of them.

The Wests ask the public to call police if they see the boys. Trezell says the boys are "going to be here, in this area."

A reporter tells the Wests the biological mother of Orrin and Orson thinks foul play is involved. "That's understandable," Trezell West says. "I'd think the same thing."

Trezell says the police took "just tech" from their house, "like our phones." He says they invited police to search their home.

The Wests say they were told to stay in their home and not go out searching, that authorities were doing that.

"Everybody is making their own conclusions," Jacqueline West says in the interview. "They don't know anything."

Trezell West describes the boys as playful and rambunctious. "They're kids," Jacqueline West says.

Jacqueline West says she thinks her boys were "picked up, or something." She says the boys wouldn't wander around.

Some members of the public react angrily to the Wests, telling them the boys should never have been left alone. They ask why didn't they shut the gate. "Y'all are supposed to take care of my nephews!" a woman shouts.

Others are asking why the Wests weren't out searching. They say the police told them to stay inside.

The Wests go back inside their home. People can be heard yelling and cursing.

The recording is over. Hansen testified he searched the West home 3 or 4 times. He said he found no items pertaining to Orrin or Orson.

The FBI began assisting on Dec. 22, 2020, Hansen said. Bakersfield Police Department and Kern County Sheriff's Office also assisted, he said.

The BPD assisted with search warrants and interviews, Hansen said.

Another interview Hansen had with the Wests is going to be played. The transcript of this interview is about an inch think.

The video has begun, showing Hansen and Trezell West in an interview room along with another member of law enforcement.

Asked about his background, Trezell says he attended Bakersfield High School then Vista West to catch up on credits.

Trezell West says he attended Bakersfield College for a while, then started working with a friend of the family. That ended after a few years.

Trezell West says he and Jacqueline began dating in 2008 and got married in 2010. "I love it," he says of living in Cal City. "I mean, until recent events.

Asked why he left Lotus Lane in Bakersfield, Trezell West says the house in Cal City was cheap and he loves it there.

He said they've lived in Cal City since Sept. 9, 2020. The interview occurred in December 2020.

Wests says he doesn't know his neighbors well but hasn't had issues with anyone.

Trezell West is going over each of his 6 children for the officers. Two are biological, the other 4 adopted.

The children are home-schooled, Trezell West says. His wife teaches them.

Trezell says his eldest son -- 10 at the time -- is a "genius" and he thinks he'll be an astronaut.

His then-9-year-old son is "mischievous," Trezell says. He says he had some issues earlier in life.

Trezell says the dates they home school the children are much the same as going to a regular school. They let the kids have summer and holidays off.

Orrin came to them after suffering a broken leg and his mother lost custody, Trezell West says. He says Orrin cried whenever anyone left his presence, had separation anxiety.

Trezell says Orrin still cries, but now it's for a reason, not just someone leaving. He says Orrin has some anger issues.
 

"You have not been honest," an officer says. He tells Trezell he and his wife's story don't match at all. "They have not been missing since Monday," the officer tells him. He tells Trezell his mom has not seen the kids. #WestsTrial
4:15 PM · Mar 29, 2023

"We talked to your kids. We talked to them. And they have not seen these babies in weeks," an officer says. #WestsTrial
4:16 PM · Mar 29, 2023


He says the 10 year old would have known. And he says the children say that Trezell tells them "they'll be coming back soon." Trezell says he doesn't tell them that. #WestsTrial

4:17 PM · Mar 29, 2023

Trezell denies lying. Law enforcement keeps pressing him, telling him he and his wife's stories aren't the truth. "You have shown zero emotion. Your wife has shown zero emotion." #WestsTrial
4:18 PM · Mar 29, 2023

An officer says all 4 children said the same exact thing. They all have the same story -- they haven't seen Orrin and Orson in weeks, the officer says. Trezell denies knowing where the kids are. "This is your chance to come clean," another officer says. #WestsTrial
4:21 PM · Mar 29, 2023

Trezell says he didn't give them permission to speak with his children. They tell him they don't need his permission. The kids' stories are the same. "You know where they're at," the officer says of Orrin and Orson. "You haven't even shed a tear." #WestsTrial
4:23 PM · Mar 29, 2023

Trezell asks if he can leave. "I'm done with this," he tells them. One person leaves the room. Trezell keeps talking with Officer Brian Hansen. #WestsTrial
4:25 PM · Mar 29, 2023

"Either you're protecting her or she's protecting you," Hansen tells Trezell, referring to Jacqueline West. #WestsTrial
4:27 PM · Mar 29, 2023
 
MAR 29, 2023

WEST TRIAL: Officer testifies no children’s shoeprints found by West home​

[...]

“This is not a normal situation,” Hansen says in a body-worn camera video that was played in court Tuesday. “These kids didn’t just walk away.”

He told the Wests to tell him the truth, and accused Trezell West of becoming defensive.

Trezell West stuck to what he initially told police — he was gathering firewood then noticed Orrin, 4, and Orson, 3, were gone and searched for them. He made reference to the boys being Black and how that was impacting the police response.

[...]

Trezell West curses and asks if he’s telling him the boys were kidnapped. He says there have been issues with the boys’ biological parents.

Hansen says surveillance footage doesn’t show vehicles traveling along the street within the short time span Trezell West says they went missing. The only person seen walking along the street was a man walking in the dog whom footage captured leaving the area, the officer says.

“The kids were never there,” an officer says. There were two officers in the interview room and it was unclear whether Hansen or the other officer was speaking.

[...]
 
MAR 29, 2023

Day Two: West Boys trial continues with more testimony​

An interview between Trezell West, Officer Hansen, and an FBI agent at the California City Police Department was then played for the court. The video was hours long.

... When talking about Orrin and Orson, Trezell mainly talked about how the boys came to be a part of the West family and how Orrin would cry a lot, especially when alone. He also explained that the boys were separated from the other four children due to having "issues" and not getting along.

After talking about his family, Trezell began speaking about his dogs and how the gate in the backyard needed to be closed to prevent the dogs' escape. He claimed that his dog Mia would leave the yard but his dog Violet would not, contradicting a recorded statement from an earlier interview saying that Violet would leave the yard but the other dog would not.

[...]

After Trezell expressed that fear, Trezell was asked if his children would lie to the police, to which he responded that they did not lie a lot but that he would not know if they would. Trezell was then accused of lying by the FBI agent as he revealed that Officer Hansen had interviewed all four children and Wanda West individually earlier that day.

According to Hansen, each family member that was interviewed consistently said that they had not seen Orrin or Orson for weeks and possibly even months.

While pushing for Trezell to tell them where the missing boys were, Trezell became upset with the FBI agent and Hansen before threatening to walk out of the interview. The agent left, but Hansen stayed behind to continue talking with Trezell.

The video was paused with approximately 10 minutes left and the jury was released for the day.

[...]
 
MAR 29, 2023

‘You know where they’re at’: Wests accused of lying days after reporting boys missing​

For more than an hour, Trezell West spoke calmly, laughing at times, as he gave law enforcement details of his life with his wife and their six children leading up to the disappearance of their two youngest.

He broke down the events of Dec. 21, 2020, the day he reported Orrin, 4, and Orson, 3, missing from the backyard of the family’s California City home.

Then the interview, a recording of which was played in court Wednesday, takes a sharp turn. It was conducted with several law enforcement officers just days after the Wests reported the children missing.

“You have not been honest,” an officer says. He tells West officers have spoken to his other children and their stories match — they haven’t seen Orrin and Orson in weeks. He says the boys were never at the home the day the Wests said they disappeared.

“You know where they’re at,” the officer tells West. “You haven’t even shed a tear.”

[...]

Hansen was the only witness called Wednesday, and will resume testifying Thursday. The Wests’ attorneys have not yet had an opportunity to cross-examine him.
 
MAR 29, 2023
www.bakersfield.com

Video shows police confronting adoptive father over conflicting accounts of Cal City toddlers’ disappearance​

In a two hour video played in court Wednesday, police confronted the father of two missing California City boys about alleged contradictions relating to their disappearance.

[...]

Trezell West laid out each move he made when Orrin, 4, and Orson, 3, reportedly vanished from their California City backyard three days before Christmas in 2020.

But then, after about a hour and a half of questions, police changed the script.

“You have not been honest with us,” ...

Police told Trezell in the video they had interviewed his four children and learned they hadn’t seen Orrin or Orson in weeks. The police said the children had said their parents told them Orrin and Orson would be back soon.

All four had the same story, contradicting the Wests’ accounts ...

“I have nothing else to say,” Trezell West said as the videotaped interview drew to a close.
The entire video wasn’t finished playing by Wednesday and will resume Thursday. Defense attorneys haven’t yet had an opportunity to cross examine information presented by the prosecution.

[...]
 
MAR 29, 2023
bakersfieldnow.com

West Trial Day 2: In interrogation video police say to Trezell West he's not telling truth​

[...]

During his testimony, officer Hansen told smith he and his partner, officer Cabrielas were looking for dirty diapers in trash cans and for child shoe prints in the dirt of the West’s backyard all in an effort to find any sign of the boys being there. but they did no find either of those.

Officer Hansen continued to question in the video and then demanded from Trezell that he wants the truth. Trezell then responded by saying, "I told you the truth."

The officer then referenced security video from around the time the boys were reported missing and told Trezell that the video never shows the boys.

[...]
 
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Back in session on the third day of trial of Trezell and Jacqueline West, the couple charged with murder in the deaths of their adopted children Orrin, 4, and Orson, 3. #WestsTrial
9:07 AM · Mar 30, 2023

Prosecutor Eric Smith has resumed playing a video of an interview law enforcement had with Trezell West in the days after the boys' disappearance. They accuse him of lying, saying evidence shows the boys weren't at the home on the night he said they went missing. #WestsTrial

The video is 2 hours long, most of it played yesterday. There are about 10 minutes left. Trezell repeatedly denies having anything to do with the boys' disappearance. #WestsTrial

Trezell says he kept Orrin and Orson separate from the others. There was an age difference, the other 4 children in the house were being home-schooled. #WestsTrial

"You and your wife are full of (expletive)," California City police Officer Brian Hansen tells Trezell. He says their story is full of holes. #WestsTrial

Trezell leaves the interview room and Jacqueline West is brought in. The recording ends. #WestsTrial

Trezell was told he was not under arrest and was free to go. #WestsTrial

Officer Brian Hansen, who testified at length yesterday, is back on the witness stand. Smith is questioning him again. #WestsTrial

Hansen testified he made contact with a neighbor of the Wests named Jesse Dobbins. He saw he had a Nest surveillance camera and tried to retrieve footage but it hadn't been saved. #WestsTrial

On the night of Dec. 21, 2020, when the Wests reported the boys missing, Hansen said he believes he had contact with Child Protective Services. He said he never told them there was video of the missing boys walking in the street. #WestsTrial

A CPS report says otherwise, and Smith has said that was a mistake -- there was no footage of the children. #WestsTrial

Smith ended his questioning and Timothy Hennessy, Trezell West's attorney, has begun cross-examination. #WestsTrial

Hennessy is asking Hansen about his actions on the night the boys were reported missing. The attorney asks about looking for footprints, speaking to the Wests. #WestsTrial

Hennessy asks about using ruses, saying they have evidence they don't actually have in order to get someone to confess. #WestsTrial

Hennessy is displaying an overheard view of the California City neighborhood where Orrin and Orson were reported missing. He's using a laser pointer to point out the West home and the east dirt lot next to it. #WestsTrial

Hansen testified on the day of the report he reviewed surveillance footage from one house. #WestsTrial

Hennessy has moved the questioning to when Hansen questioned the Wests. He asked if Hansen and other officers were engaging in ruses and bluffing about evidence they didn't have when he spoke about having surveillance footage of the east lot. #WestsTrial

Hansen said it wasn't a ruse, he told Trezell he saw footage contradicting West's statement that he was doing yard work. From a doorbell camera across the street he couldn't see Trezell working in the yard, Hansen says. #WestsTrial

Hansen said he also told Trezell he didn't see any vehicles leaving the area in the footage. #WestsTrial

Hennessy asks Hansen if he looked backward from the time frame the boys were reported missing to see if any cars went by. Hansen says he doesn't believe he saw any cars go by other than Trezell West's van. #WestsTrial

Hennessy asks about the dogs used to search for the boys that night. The attorney asks Hansen if he would be surprised to learn the dogs were not trained to smell a specific human scent. Hansen said he's not sure what they were trained in. #WestsTrial

Hansen testified he believed they were searching for Orrin and Orson's scent and couldn't find it. #WestsTrial

Hennessy is asking about the sex offender registration list and the rules people have to follow if they're on it. #WestsTrial

There were roughly about 42 sex offenders in Cal City at the time the boys were reported missing. Hansen says he doesn't remember if they received a list of registered sex offenders that night. #WestsTrial

The first night he didn't follow up on any of those registrants, he was searching for the boys and interviewed the Wests, Hansen said. #WestsTrial

Hennessy is asking if it's true they didn't look into any sex offenders until 11 days after the boys were reported missing. Hansen is reviewing his report to see if that's accurate. #WestsTrial

That's correct, Hansen said. 11 days had passed. Hennessy notes Hansen wrote they were making contact with sex offenders to search their homes and see if they could find information about Orrin and Orson. #WestsTrial

Hansen said he believes they went to six houses, he doesn't recall what registrants he spoke to. Hennessy asked him to read his report for the information. #WestsTrial

Of 6 contacts, Hansen spoke to 2 registrants and to 3 people living at homes where people were registered. One address was wrong, Hennessy, said the person who was at the home said it wasn't the registrant's house. Hansen agrees that's true. #WestsTrial

Hennessy said that particular registrant wasn't where he was supposed to be living, and law enforcement didn't know where he was. #WestsT

Hennessy asked Hansen if he remembers saying, "Go (expletive) yourself." Hansen said he doesn't remember, and Hennessy says it's on the body-worn camera footage. Hansen again said he doesn't remember saying that. #WestsTrial

Hansen said he knows the interview ended poorly, but doesn't recall saying that. #WestsTrial

It appears Hennessy misquoted Hansen. What he actually said was "Get the (expletive) out of here," according to a transcript of the interview the attorney reviewed. #WestsTrial

Hennessy has finished his cross-examination. Alekxia Torres Stallings, Jacqueline West's attorney, is now cross-examining Hansen. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked Hansen what he reviewed before coming to court to testify. He said hardly anything. He said he hasn't asked for transcripts of his prior testimony at earlier hearings. #WestsTrial

Hansen filed a 1-page report on the night of the investigation. #WestsTrial

Hansen testified he has used a personal cellphone for investigations, he wasn't given a work one by the Cal City Police Department. He said he no longer has the phone he had in 2020 and doesn't have messages or calls from that time saved anywhere. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked about his unit's ID on the night of Dec. 21, 2020, and his communications with dispatch. #WestsTri

"Is there any body-worn camera footage of you canvassing the area at all that night . . . ?" Torres Stallings asked. Hansen said he doesn't believe so. #WestsTrial

The cameras they had at that time were "really bad" and would turn off and on by themselves, Hansen said. #WestsTrial

The only body-worn camera footage from Hansen that night is when he spoke to Trezell and Jacqueline West. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is pointing out Hansen has never previously testified to reviewing surveillance footage from a certain residence, despite having testified at multiple prior hearings. #WestsTrial

This is the first time he's said that evidence existed. Torres Stallings asked if he was lying at earlier hearings, or if he's lying now. "Neither," Hansen said. #WestsTrial

The home where Hansen said he viewed the footage was located on Harvard Avenue. #WestsTrial

Hansen has no formalized training in footprint analysis, or on "dog hits," he said. He hadn't seen the search and rescue team's dogs before. #WestsTrial

Hansen is saying "I don't know" or "I don't recall" to questions Torres Stallings said he previously answered for the other defense attorney. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is now going over a diagram Hansen made. He made it on July 12, 2021, not around the time of the boys' disappearance. She's questioning his measurements in the diagram of the West address, yard and nearby residence. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked Hansen if he knows if the West house and the house next to it are on the same level. The officer said he doesn't know. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is moving the questioning on to Child Protective Services. Hansen said he has contacted them before. The attorney has handed him a document. #WestsTrial

It's an emergency response log. Hansen said he doesn't recall contacting CPS the night the boys were reported missing despite his person phone number and name appearing on the document. #WestsTrial

Another document handed to Hansen says there is video footage of Orrin and Orson walking down the street. "That's what it says," Hansen said. #WestsTrial

In his police report, Hansen only mentions viewing surveillance footage at 2 homes. Torres Stallings is asking when he made contact with the homeowner across the street from the West home. #WestsTrial

Information on a log of police activities that night says the homeowner was contacted about midnight. Hansen testified he still doesn't remember what time he contacted him. Pressed by Torres Stallings, he said it was around that time. #WestsTrial
10:27 AM · Mar 30, 2023
·
Court is in recess for 15 minutes. #WestsTri

Back in session with Cal City Officer Brian Hansen being cross-examined by defense attorney Alekxia Torres Stallings. #WestsTrial

Hansen is checking is police report to see if he wrote about contact Nest Camera to obtain surveillance footage. #WestsTrial

It's not in the report, Hansen said. Torres Stallings asked if the first time he testified to contacting Nest was on March 9 of this year. He said yes. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is asking about diapers found at the home. Hansen said he's never bought diapers before, but the ones in the home said size 6. He said he wasn't aware diapers correspond to weight, not to age. #WestsTrial

Hansen agreed with Torres Stallings that the Wests had voluntarily allowed him to search their home before a search warrant was served on Dec. 29, 2021. #WestsTrial

Correction: Dec. 29, 2020. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings said a photo was taken of a used diaper when the warrant was served. #WestsTrial

Hansen testified there were gifts for Orrin and Orson by the Christmas tree. #WestsTrial

Jacqueline West told police she was wrapping gifts while the boys were playing outside. #WestsTrial

Hansen confirmed there were Christmas stockings hanging for Orrin and Orson. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings has displayed photos of the stockings and gifts that were marked for Orrin and Orson inside the home at the time they were reported missing. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings displayed a bunk bed, and the officer agreed the bottom bunk would have been for Orson. There's a bin of toys next to the bed. #WestsTrial

Showing a photo of the dining room table, Torres Stallings noted there are seven chairs and five have Christmas hats on them. An eighth dining room chair with a Santa hat on it is seen in a photo of one of the bedrooms. #WestsTrial
11:20 AM · Mar 30, 2023
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MAR 30, 2023

WEST TRIAL: Defense hammers Cal City officer over missing boys investigation​

In blistering questioning Thursday, defense counsel suggested a California City police officer who investigated the disappearance of Orrin and Orson West failed to properly document evidence and missed numerous signs supporting statements given by the boys’ adoptive parents.

Officer Brian Hansen responded with “I don’t know” or “I don’t recall” to numerous questions posed by attorney Alekxia Torres Stallings.

[...]

Hansen testified he didn’t know if he went inside the Wests’ van parked outside their California City home. He didn’t know if police seized “little fingerprints” found on a sliding glass door on the West home. He couldn’t remember if he identified himself as a police officer before questioning the Wests’ four other children, and was unaware if any of them had specialized needs or educational disabilities.

Torres Stallings noted Thursday was the first time Hansen, who has provided testimony at multiple prior hearings, said he viewed surveillance footage from a home on Harvard Avenue. Previously — and as recently as March 9 — he said he only viewed footage from two homes. The Harvard Avenue footage makes three.

[...]
 
MAR 30, 2023

Day Three: West Boys trial continues as Cal City officer takes the stand​

UPDATE (4:28 PM): The trial resumed after lunch, with Officer Brian Hansen still testifying. Alekxia Torres-Stallings continued to question him.

Hansen stated that he was unaware of how wrong the date and time were on the California City Police Department (CCPD) cameras, referring to earlier when he explained that they were "bad." He also clarified that there was a misunderstanding between himself and prosecutor Eric Smith when he claimed that the body cameras were wrong in his testimony.

Hansen was then asked by Torres-Stallings if he interviews male and female suspects differently, to which he replied "not that I know of." He then was asked if he recalls touching Jacqueline West's thigh, which he claimed was instead her knee. A clip from the interview with Jacqueline is played for the court.

"You touched my client underneath the table, yes?" asked Torres-Stallings.

"Wherever her legs were," replied Hansen. He then claimed that the video clip in question was of him comforting Jacqueline, giving a reason for touching her leg.

[...]
 

Day Three: West Boys trial continues as Cal City officer takes the stand​

www.turnto23.com
www.turnto23.com

Jesse Dobbins has been called to the stand. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

According to Dobbins, he worked at NASA. He claims he moved "to get out of California... Respectfully," earning a laugh from the court. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

According to Dobbins, he is a Texas resident who once lived in California City. Dobbins gave footage to the police during the search for the missing boys. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins claims he had first met Jacqueline and Trezell West when they moved into their California City home. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins is describing times he had talked with the Trezell West before the boys were reported missing. He says that he had seen children in the house and thought he had heard more in the back. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

According to Dobbins, the children he had seen were "little ones, hip height." #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins confirmed that he is the owner of the Google Nest camera. He also confirmed that he was not home when CCPD first contacted him. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

According to Dobbins, the Nest subscription service only allowed still photos. He had upgraded to a higher package after being contacted by CCPD about footage. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins is describing the area that his Nest camera captures. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins had never informed Trezell that he owned a Google Nest doorbell camera. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins says that he took screenshots of the still shots from his doorbell camera and sent them to the CCPD. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins claims that the CCPD later came to Dobbins to try and retrieve the footage. Dobbins provided his account email and password in order to help with the search. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

A screen recording of a small clip from the Nest doorbell recorded off of Dobbins' Nest app on his phone is played for the court. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

A video of the Wests thanking Dobbins for food he had brought them after the boys went missing is played for the court. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

According to Dobbins, he had taken screenshots of each Nest video that was sent to his phone through the app. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Smith has finished questioning Dobbins. Hennessy will now begin questioning him. #WESTBOYSTRIAL
 

Day Three: West Boys trial continues as Cal City officer takes the stand​

www.turnto23.com
www.turnto23.com

On the night the boys went missing, Dobbins was at a family Christmas party, according to him. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins says that his original Nest subscription package only caught still photos. Short video clips were not taken until he upgraded his system, according to him. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins does not know if he heard a TV or if he heard children at the Wests' home, but he knows that he did not hear adults. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Torres-Stallings is now questioning Dobbins. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins says that the children he saw were as tall as Trezell's hip. Trezell is made to stand in court for reference. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins describes surveillance cameras on other neighbors' homes. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins is describing other neighbors on his street. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins bought pizzas and let civilians and police use his home and garage during the search for Orrin and Orson West. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins is answering questions about the civilian search, as well as the media interviews that took place at the Wests' house. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

According to Dobbins, he had witnessed someone drive to the Wests' house and throw a brick through their window around ten days after the boys went missing. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

According to Dobbins, he was also being harassed during the search, with people "going through" his trash and entering his yard. He had to change his number due to unsolicited phone calls. His grandmother was also harassed with phone calls. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Law enforcement had contacted Dobbins after he had moved to Texas in order to retrieve more information and take his phone in 2021. Dobbins did not know what information they were retrieving. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins is unaware if law enforcement followed up with Google Nest about his account. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Dobbins has been excused from the stand. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

The court has entered a 15 minute recess. #WESTBOYSTRIAL
 

Day Three: West Boys trial continues as Cal City officer takes the stand​

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The trial has resumed. Robyn Plantz has taken the stand. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz is a former California City resident who lived on Proctor Boulevard for 21 years. She is now a resident of New Mexico. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz describes her house and claims that she and her family (husband and grandkids) spent a lot of time in their backyard because they enjoyed it. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

A photo of Plantz's backyard is shown for the court. She points out where she would often sit. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz describes holes and gaps in her backyard fence. Photos of the gaps are shown for the court. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz describes her discovery of the Wests moving in behind her home. She claims that she had never seen anyone or any animals aside from Trezell in the backyard. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz claims that her dog had barked at a man going in and out of the gate at the Wests' house. "I knew that he was at least looking for something. I didn't see him bring anything in." She does not confirm if this man is Trezell #WESTBOYSTRIAL

According to Plantz, the man was either collecting wood or trash. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

"There was never, in 21 years, children in that backyard," according to Plantz. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz claims that she saw a white van (suspected to belong to Trezell) drive by once on the day the boys went missing. She did not see the van again. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz is describing citizen search efforts for the missing boys. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz only assisted on the search for one day because she needs to care for her disabled husband, Joe. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Smith has finished questioning Plantz. Torres-Stallings is now questioning her. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Torres-Stallings points out that Plantz had previously told Detective Hernandez that she had not seen any law enforcement or people searching for one to two days after she had seen the man (Trezell) collecting wood. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz told Hernandez previously on record that she did see a dog. She claims that she does not recall this. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Torres-Stallings is asking questions about an "overlap" in Plantz's fence. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz says that she has had glasses since she was six years old. She is farsighted and has an astigmatism in both eyes. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz says that she has seen the man (Trezell) after 5 p.m. It was close to dark, according to her. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz admits that she had given two news interviews, but she "didn't know what [she] was doing."#WESTBOYSTRIAL

On the news, Plantz claimed that she had not been interviewed by law enforcement. She claims that this is because she did not realize she was interviewed by law enforcement because the woman who interviewed her says it was "for law enforcement," not "by." #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Hennessy is now questioning Plantz. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Hennessy is asking questions about Plantz's dog. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz describes what she did after she noticed her dog barking at the man in the other yard (Trezell). #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Hennessy has finished his questioning. Smith is now questioning Plantz again. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

"My memory is bad in a lot of areas," said Plantz when asked if she remembers the sequence of events that night. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz claims that she does remember events well before explaining her version of the events on the night she noticed a man in the yard behind hers. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz thinks, but does not swear, that the man (Trezell) was wearing a dark ski-type hat. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz admits that she was nosey and looked through the fence. She says that she saw Trezell picking up wood. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

"There were never any children. Ever," said Plantz. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Plantz has been excused from the stand. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

The court has entered a sidebar. #WESTBOYSTRIAL

Court has been released for the day. The trial will resume next week. #WESTBOYSTRIAL
 
MAR 30, 2023

Day 3 of murder trial for missing boys: Defense questioning police practices​

On day three of the West trial, the attorneys for Trezell and Jaqueline are questioning the methods used by California City police in the investigation and interrogation.

Thursday, California City Police Officer Brian Hansen returned to the stand, and we also heard from neighbors that lived in front of Trezell and Jacqueline's house and behind it. Jurors were first shown more video of officer Brian Hansen's interrogation of Trezell West. During that questioning, we learned that Trezell’s other children told officers they hadn’t heard Orrin and Orson cry. Hansen testified that he thought there were holes in Trezell and Jacqueline’s story a that their four other sons were telling the truth.

[...]

Next on the stand was Jesse Dobbins, who used to live in front of the Wests. After the Wests moved in, he went to the West's front door and asked Trezell if he could borrow their air compressor. He said saw and heard three to four kids that were about as tall as the height of an adult's hip. He couldn't tell what they looked like.

Last on the stand Thursday was Robyn Plantz. She lived behind the Wests. On the day the boys were reported missing, she said she looked through the holes in her fence. She said could see an African-American man with a grey hoodie going back and forth in the yard with wood. She eventually saw him go into a white van.

[...]

The trial will be on hold for about a week in anticipation of Spring Break. Everyone will return on April 10.
 
MAR 30, 2023

Defense attorney attacks officer’s police report about missing Cal City boys investigation​

With sharp questions about information missing from a key police report, a defense attorney sowed doubt Thursday about a California City police officer’s investigation of the December 2020 disappearance of two toddlers.

[...]

Hansen had maintained there were two houses with video cameras to review, according to testimony. But, Hansen testified, there are actually three videos.

“So were you lying to court on March 9, 2023 or are you lying to the jury now?” Torres Stallings asked.

“Neither,” Hansen responded.

Hansen also testified he didn’t seize “small fingerprints” seen on a glass sliding door leading to a backyard in the Wests’ home. When he interviewed Wests’ children to corroborate their parents’ statements, Hansen testified he doesn’t have formalized training to interview children or children with special needs, and that he didn’t contact Child Protective Services to ask whether the Wests’ children have special needs.

[...]

Hansen also testified previously there were no dirty diapers in Wests’ home, which led him to believe Orrin and Orson never lived in California City. But Torres Stallings showed a picture of a diaper in the trash that was taken by another officer on Dec. 29, 2020.

Hansen testified he didn’t see the diaper.

Previously, Hansen testified the lack of children’s snacks, sippy cups and toothbrushes covered in dust also led him to believe Orrin and Orson didn’t live at California City and that both adoptive parents were lying.

But Torres Stallings showed the jury photos of stockings for Orrin and Orson, presents with the toddlers’ names on them and toys for the boys.

[...]
 
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