BAKERSFIELD, Calif.(KBAK/KBFX) — More than four years after Orrin and Orson West disappeared, a California appeals court has upheld the murder conviction of their adoptive parents, Trezell and Jacqueline West, while ordering the case sent back for re-sentencing.
The case centers on the disappearance of the two young boys, who were last seen in 2020 while living with their adoptive parents, Jacqueline and Trezell West.
RELATED: Trezell and Jacqueline West sentenced in connection to deaths of Orrin and Orson West
Orrin and Orson West (Photo: KBAK)
A jury previously found the couple guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Orrin, along with child abuse and filing a false police report. Last week, the Court of Appeals ruled there was enough evidence to support the second-degree murder conviction.
However, the court threw out a separate manslaughter conviction, saying it overlapped with the murder charge, and ordered the case returned for re-sentencing.
The children’s bodies have never been found.
In Sept. 2023, Trezell West was sentenced to 15 years to life, plus 4 years, and Jacqueline West was sentenced to 15 years to life, plus 4 years.
They were both found guilty of five of the seven counts in connection to the deaths of Orrin and Orson West.