Sebhrenah April Wesson
Elizabeth Breahi Kina Wesson
Illabelle Carrie Wesson
Aviv Dominique Wesson
Johnathon St. Charles Wesson
Ethan St. Laurent Wesson
Sedona Vadra Wesson
Marshey St. Christopher Wesson
Jeva St. Vladensvspry Wesson
Marcus Delon Wesson
Summary of Offense:
Wesson ran a cult-like family organization which included home schooling, extreme religious teachings that promoted suicide, polygamy, and incest and rape of his daughters and nieces. Wesson would begin to sexually abuse his daughters and nieces when they were eight years old, marry them, and father children with them. On March 12, 2004, when police were called to his house, Wesson emerged with blood on his clothes and nine of his children were dead in a pile on the bed. Wesson had directed his adult daughter to kill eight of her siblings and then commit suicide. The defense contested guilt by arguing that Wesson did not physically pull the trigger that killed his nine children. The prosecution argued it did not matter who pulled the trigger because Wesson directed the murders and controlled all of the women in the house. Wesson was found guilty of nine counts of murder, nine counts of rape, and five counts of continuous sexual abuse. During the penalty phase, the defense argued Wesson should not be put to death because he had an obvious mental illness and did not actually fire the gun.
Victims: Sebhrenah April Wesson, 25; Elizabeth Breahi Kina Wesson, 17; Illabella Carrie Wesson, 8; Aviv Dominique Wesson, 7; Johnathan St Charles Wesson, 7; Sedona Vadra Wesson, 2; Marshey St Christopher Wesson, 2; ; Ethen St Laurent Wesson, 4; and Jeva St Vladensvspry Wesson, 1
Wesson was sentenced to death in Fresno County on July 27, 2005.
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