BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — A judge on Tuesday granted a motion modifying a gag order issued in the case of accused child killers Trezell and Jacqueline West to allow prosecutors to share information not only with defense counsel, but with parties in a related child dependency case.
Prosecutor Bryant Estep said discovery gathered in the criminal case — enough to fill two terabytes of data — is expected to be available Friday and will be given simultaneously to defense attorneys and parties in the dependency case. A gag order barring attorneys, investigators and witnesses from publicly commenting on the case will also apply to parties in the dependency case, Judge Chad Louie said.
The Wests are accused of killing adopted sons Orrin, 4, and Orson, 3. They have four other children: two biological and two other adopted children.
Timothy Hennessy, representing Trezell West, and Alekxia Torres Stallings, defense counsel for Jacqueline West, waived their clients’ appearance for Tuesday’s hearing. Both Wests remain in custody without bail on two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of felony child cruelty and falsely reporting an emergency.
Prosecutors have said the Wests killed Orrin and Orson three months before they were were reported missing from their California City home. Their bodies have not been found.
Trezell West, 35, told authorities the boys were playing outside while he gathered firewood Dec. 21, 2020. He said he briefly went inside and when he came back out the boys had vanished.
The Wests were indicted by grand jury and arrested March 1.
Grand jury transcripts and other documents related to the case have been ordered sealed.
