Marcus Wesson

Marcus Delon Wesson (born August 22, 1946) is an American criminal convicted of nine counts of first-degree murder and 14 sex crimes, including the rape and molestation of his underage daughters. His victims were his own children, fathered by incestuous relationships with his daughters and nieces, as well as the children by his wife.[1][4] He has been described as the worst mass murderer of Fresno, California.[5]

Marcus Delon Wesson
Born (1946-08-22) August 22, 1946
Kansas[1]
Parent(s)Benjamin[2] and Carrie Wesson[1]
Conviction(s)Murder
Criminal penaltyDeath[3]
Details
DateMarch 12, 2004
Location(s)Fresno, California
Target(s)Family
Killed9
WeaponsStainless-steel Ruger MK II Target .22 caliber handgun

Early life and education

Marcus Wesson was born in Kansas, the eldest of four children of Benjamin and Carrie Wesson. They were raised as members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Wesson claimed that his mother was a religious fanatic. His father was an alcoholic and child abuser who abandoned the family when Wesson was a child.[6] By the early 1960s, the family had moved to San Bernardino, California.

After dropping out of high school, Wesson joined the Army and was stationed in Europe. Shortly after returning to the US and leaving the military, he became involved with Rosemary Solorio, a married woman living in San Jose, California. Soon Solorio broke up with her husband, and Wesson moved in with her and her children.

In 1971, Solorio gave birth to Wesson's son. At the same time, Wesson was cultivating a relationship with one of Solorio's daughters, Elizabeth, telling her that God had chosen her to be his bride. In 1974, at the age of 8, Elizabeth was "married" to the 27-year-old Wesson in a home wedding ceremony. He began sexually abusing her at age 12. At age 15, they married legally when she became pregnant. Four months later, she gave birth to her first child. Eventually the couple had 10 children together; one died as an infant.

One of Elizabeth's younger sisters left her own seven children with them, claiming to be unable to care for them. Wesson never held a steady job; he lived off welfare, and had his adult children work and give him all of their earnings.[7][8] In 1989, Wesson was convicted of welfare fraud and perjury.[9][10][11] The family often lived in run-down shacks, boats, and vacant houses.

Wesson was abusive toward his wife and children. He prevented Elizabeth from participating in the children's upbringing. He homeschooled the children and taught them from his own handwritten Bible that focused on Jesus Christ being a vampire. He told the children that he was God and had them refer to him as "Master" or "Lord". He taught the children to be prepared for Armageddon and said that the girls were destined to become Wesson's future wives. He separated the boys from the girls, fearing they would develop sexual feelings for each other. He had the boys stay in a shack in a heavily wooded area and the girls on a rundown boat for several months. Wesson sexually abused two daughters and three nieces, "marrying" each in home ceremonies when they were around 7 to 9 years old. Each of the five girls became pregnant as a result of the incest. The mothers never disclosed the paternity of their children because Wesson threatened to harm them and the children if they did so. Court records indicate that Wesson fathered up to 18 children with 7 women and girls, including his five daughters.

Murders

Prior to March 12, 2004, Wesson had declared his intention to relocate his daughters and their children to Washington state, where Wesson's parents lived.[12] On March 12, 2004, several members of Wesson's extended family, along with two nieces who rebelled against him, converged on his family compound demanding the release of their children.[12][13] Fresno police were summoned to what was described as a child custody issue, and a standoff ensued.[5] Fresno police testified they did not hear gunshots being fired shortly after, though other witnesses present at the standoff testified they did hear gunshots fired at that time.[14] In the aftermath, police discovered nine bodies, including two of Wesson's daughters and a total of seven of their children, in a bedroom filled with antique coffins.[12][14] Each victim had been fatally shot through the eye. Wesson's other children, who were not present inside the house, survived the incident.[14]

Victims
  • Sebhrenah April Wesson (age 25)
  • Elizabeth Breahi Kina Wesson (age 17)
  • Illabelle Carrie Wesson (age 8)
  • Aviv Dominique Wesson (age 7)
  • Johnathon St Charles Wesson (age 7)
  • Sedonia Solorio Wesson (age 2)
  • Marshey St Christopher Wesson (age 2)
  • Ethen St Laurent Wesson (age 4)
  • Jeva St Vladensvspry Wesson (age 1)

Trial

At Wesson's trial, the prosecutor was Chief Deputy District Attorney, Lisa Gamoian. Wesson was represented by public defenders Peter Jones and Ralph Torres. They presented the defense that his 25-year-old daughter Sebhrenah, committed all the murders, including of her son Marshey and then committed suicide.[15] The murder weapon, a .22 caliber handgun, was found with her body, and Sebhrenah's DNA was found on the gun, which lent credence to Wesson's claim.[14] The jury declined to find that Wesson fired the fatal shots, but convicted him of murder anyway, presumably finding that he had persuaded his children to enter into a suicide pact.[15]

Conviction and sentence

Wesson was convicted of nine counts of first-degree murder on June 17, 2005, and also found guilty on 14 counts of forcible rape and the sexual molestation of seven of his daughters and nieces. Wesson was sentenced to death on June 27, 2005 and is currently in San Quentin State Prison.[16]

References
  1. Fontana, Cyndee; Anderson, Barbara; Coleman, Donald E. (18 April 2004). "The Many Portraits of Marcus Wesson". The Fresno Bee. Fresno, CA.
  2. "truTV - Reality TV - Comedy". Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  3. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/will-jerry-brown-commute-sentences-of-every-death-row-inmate-in-one-of-his-last-acts-as-california-governor
  4. "Marcus Wesson's Family Tree", Court TV, May 10, 2005
  5. Marshall, Carolyn (16 March 2004). "Fresno Victims Were Shot, Police Report". The New York Times. Fresno, CA. Archived from the original on 2014-09-05. Retrieved 11 January 2010.
  6. BOVSUN, MARA (23 February 2014). "Justice Story: Vampire king". NY Daily News. Archived from the original on 2017-04-09. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  7. ABC News. "Marcus Wesson Mass Murder: Surviving Family Speaks Out on Abuse - ABC News". ABC News. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  8. "Dad Guilty Of Killing His 9 Kids". cbsnews.com. 17 June 2005. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 5, 2014. Retrieved September 5, 2014.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Suspect in 9 slayings had hold over women - US news - Crime & courts - NBC News". msnbc.com. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  11. "Many Questions In Fresno Slayings". cbsnews.com. 16 March 2004. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  12. Francis, Monte (29 May 2007). By Their Father's Hand: The True Story of the Wesson Family Massacre. New York: Harper Collins. pp. 10. ISBN 978-0-06-087824-5.
  13. Francis, Monte (3 November 2007). "Wesson massacre largely forgotten". The Daily Journal. Retrieved 24 March 2017.
  14. Child brides and vampire names: Bizarre the norm in mass murder trial Archived 2006-02-07 at the Wayback Machine By Harriet Ryan, Court TV via CNN.com, Thursday, May 19, 2005
  15. i Barbassa, Juliana (2 June 2005). "Prosecution says Marcus Wesson carried out murder-suicide pact". Associated Press. Fresno, CA. Archived from the original on 2012-08-21. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
  16. Barbassa, Juliana (17 June 2005). "Marcus Wesson guilty in murders of nine of his children". Associated Press. Fresno, California. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 19 October 2010.
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