Mr. Raimondo sought to provide context

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — UPDATED: 5/19/23 at 6:25PM

Judge Brehmer said the jury reached a verdict yesterday afternoon right around 4:40. Friday they announced their verdict to a packed courtroom.

Friday, a Kern County jury making a historic decision-finding Trezell and Jacqueline West guilty of five out of seven counts in connection to the deaths of their adoptive children 3-year-old Orson Wear and 4-year-old Orrin West.

Trezell and Jacqueline West were found guilty of five out of seven counts. The counts they were found guilty of were:

• Count one-Second degree murder
• Count two-Involuntary manslaughter
• Count three-Willful cruelty to child
• Count six-Willful cruelty to child
• Count seven-False report of emergency to law enforcement
• Count four-Conspire to commit a crime
• Count five-Second degree murder

Counts one through three were related to Orrin and counts four through six were related to Orson. Count seven was concerning both boys. The jury voted eight votes guilty to four votes not guilty for count four and ten votes guilty and two votes not guilty for count five.

“The district attorney will decide what to do with those counts at the next hearing,” local Criminal Defense Mark Anthony Raimondo said. Raimondo was not involved in the case. “It would be unlikely they would probably go forward given they’ll get multiple life sentences for the charges that they were convicted of today,” Raimondo said.

Raimondo was in the courtroom when the verdicts were read.

“The second-degree murder carried a life sentence,” Raimondo said. “The willful cruelty to a child resulting in death also carried a life sentence,” Raimondo said. “It will be I believe most likely consecutive life sentences. So, those charges are much less serious, given the exposure on the other two counts they were found guilty of” Raimondo said.

Since the case is still under a gag order the DA’s office and attorneys for the Wests cannot comment.

The West’s sentencing will be July 13th at 8:30 AM. Prosecuting attorney Eric Smith requested counts 4 and 5 to be tried at the sentencing. There is no bail pending.

——–A Kern County jury has found Trezell and Jacqueline West guilty of 5 of the 7 counts they were charged with Friday morning in regards to Orrin and Orson West.

The jury did not find a verdict for two counts, second-degree murder and conspire to commit a crime. Those counts are in regard to 3-year-old Orson West.

The Wests reported the toddlers missing nearly two and a half years ago. On the night of December 21, 2020, the family was living at their home in California City at the time of the disappearance. They allege the boys were last seen playing in their backyard.

The Wests were each facing a total of seven charges including:

• 2 counts of Murder: Second Degree
• Involuntary manslaughter
• 2 counts of willful cruelty to child
• Conspire to commit a crime
• False report of emergency

Jurors found Trezell guilty of:

• Second-Degree Murder
• Involuntary Manslaughter
• 2 counts of Willful Cruelty to child
• False report of emergency

Jurors did not find a verdict of Trezell in:

• Second-Degree Murder
• Conspire to commit a crime

Jurors found Jacqueline guilty of:

• Second-Degree Murder
• Involuntary Manslaughter
• 2 counts of Willful Cruelty to child
• False report of emergency

Jurors did not find a verdict of Jacqueline in:

• Second-Degree Murder
• Conspire to commit a crime

Full Story Here: https://bakersfieldnow.com/news/local/verdict-reached-for-5-counts-in-trezell-and-jacqueline-west-murder-trial-kern-county-bakersfield-california-city-orrin-and-orson-verdict-reached-homicide