Thread by @KGETnews

The trial of Trezell and Jacqueline West resumes this morning with testimony from Apryl Brown, a criminalist at the Kern Regional Crime Lab. #WestsTrial

The Wests are charged with murder and other crimes in the deaths of adopted sons Orrin, 4, and Orson, 3. Their bodies have not been found. #WestsTrial

Brown helped process the Wests van in December 2020. She was told to look for blood stains in the vehicle. #WestsTrial

Brown testified she applied a chemical to the interior of the van to detect possible blood while another person photographed the van. There were very few, very tiny positive reactions on the bumper of the van, she said. #WestsTrial

There were four rows of seats and a total of five car seats in the van, Brown said. #WestsTrial

Prosecutor Eric Smith is displaying photos of the interior of the van. #WestsTrial

Smith gave Brown an exhibit and asked her to circle the car seats that were not properly secured in the vehicle. #WestsTrial

She circled a car seat on the passenger side of the rear of the vehicle and one on the third row seat. Smith ended his questioning and Alekxia Torres Stallings, lead counsel for Jacqueline West, has begun cross-examination. #WestsTrial

Brown testified the positive reaction of the chemical on the bumper was smaller than a grain of rice. There were three or four spots of that size and they were not swabbed because they didn't appear significant, she said. #WestsTrial

No DNA or fingerprints were taken on the van because they weren't asked for, Brown said. She said it's the family's van so it wouldn't be surprising to have the family's fingerprints or DNA on it. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is going through different methods to secure a car seat. Brown testified she did not determine whether there was a latch system for the car seats or ask law enforcement why the car seats were situated as they were. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings ended her questioning and Victor Nasser, an attorney for Trezell West, has begun cross-examination. Brown testified a color change from the chemical she sprayed on the van doesn't necessarily mean there is blood. It's a screening tool. #WestsTrial

There would have to be followup tests. Nasser ended his questioning. #WestsTrial

Smith, on redirect, asked Brown to look at her notes regarding the car seats. On Dec. 23, 2020, she wrote seat on passenger side not secured. She said she meant it wasn't in place, properly in the seat. #WestsTrial

She also wrote middle row car seat was not properly in place, was leaning forward. Smith ended his questioning and Brown has been excused. #WestsTrial

David Loyo has been called to the stand. #WestsTrial

Loyo lives on Lotus Lane, has for the past 5 to 6 years. That's in the same apartment complex where the Wests lived before moving to California City. #WestsTrial

In January 2020, he was aware of Trezell and Jacqueline West living near him, he said. He believes they were already living there when he moved in. #WestsTrial

Loyo testified he had brief contact with the Wests while walking in or out of the apartment complex. He doesn't know how long they lived near him. #WestsTrial

Loyo said he saw three or four kids with the Wests. His kids would wave hello to the West children. #WestsTrial

"They never went outside," Loyo said of the West children. #WestsTrial

Loyo said his children would play outside during the summer. They never played with the West children because they were indoors, he said. This was pre-COVID. #WestsTrial

The Wests' van was always parked near the back of the complex instead of in the assigned spot, Loyo said. #WestsTrial

Loyo said he became aware they had moved because saw the blinds open and the apartment was empty. "I didn't see them moving out." He said he remembers one day they were there and then they were gone. #WestsTrial

Smith ended his questioning. Torres Stallings is asking about his employment at Bolthouse. His hours in 2020 were midnight to 8 a.m. He slept during the day, four to five hours, from 8 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. #WestsTrial

Loyo acknowledged he went on a podcast to talk about this case. He went there first to give his statement and didn't talk to law enforcement until March 2022. #WestsTrial

Loyo testified he told law enforcement he saw four to five kids. He said he wasn't aware Jacqueline West's mother lived in a nearby apartment, and didn't see that apartment with any children. #WestsTrial

"Can you even give us a time frame?" Torres Stallings asked of when he noticed the Wests had moved. Loyo said he's not good with times. Regarding his YouTube interview, he was asked about how often he saw the kids, etc. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings ended her questioning and Nasser has begun cross-examination. #WestsTrial

Nasser asked a couple quick questions and ended. Loyo has been excused. #WestsTrial

David Hunter has been called to the stand. He's employed by the FBI, has been there 12 years. He's a special agent in the Bakersfield field office. #WestsTrial

Hunter primarily conducts investigations regarding crimes against children. He said he assists local agencies on occasion. #WestsTrial

Cal City in December 2020 asked for assistance from the FBI's evidence response team to collect evidence, Hunter said. #WestsTrial

On Dec. 23, 2020, Hunter went to the Wests' home to search the backyard. "We conducted a search of the ground of the property," Hunter said. They used "probes," to poke into the soil for depressions or hollow areas in the ground. #WestsTrial

There were 2 locations that had loose soil or hollow areas, Hunter said. Flags were placed there and they were excavated, he said. They obtained soil samples. No human remains were found. #WestsTrial

The FBI took digging tools from a shed on the property and gave them to local law enforcement for analysis, Hunter said. #WestsTrial

Eight items were seized and turned over to Cal City police. Smith ended his questioning and Timothy Hennessy, lead counsel for Trezell West, has begun cross-examination. #WestsTrial

The FBI by May 2021 was in a secondary role, and Hunter said he recalls receiving a report of a sighting of the boys in Texas. #WestsTrial

The location was Arlington, Texas, Hunter said. The information was passed on to Bakersfield law enforcement, he said. #WestsTrial

Hennessy asked about a license plate and Hunter said he didn't personally follow up on that but provided it to the Bakersfield Police Department. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is now questioning Hunter. #WestsTrial

Hunter said he was on the evidence response team on Dec. 23, 2020. Torres Stallings said the search warrant was issued at 8 p.m. and gave him a copy. Hunter said the warrant indicates the time the warrant was executed, not obtained. #WestsTrial

Hunter said he was provided info that a K-9 had been at the location but doesn't recall that an officer disturbed the ground before they got there. #WestsTrial

The pole used to prove the ground is made of fiberglass and T-shaped and it's pressed into the ground. It's just to find if the ground was disturbed, any hollowness under the surface, Hunter said. #WestsTrial

"Nothing that appeared to be a human remain to the visual eye" was found, Hunter said. #WestsTrial

On Dec. 29, 2020, the FBI did not "stop" investigating the case, but a report handed him by Torres Stallings indicates they stopped investigating electronic evidence, Hunter said. The FBI was in a secondary role. #WestsTrial

Hunter said he has investigated missing children cases before, but couldn't give Torres Stallings an exact number or how much of his job is taken up with that. #WestsTrial

Hunter acknowledged they can investigate crimes across state lines. Torres Stallings ended her questioning and he has been excused. #WestsTrial

Ryan Hulse has been called to the stand. He's an officer with California City police. #WestsTrial

He went to the Wests' home on Aspen Avenue on the night they were reported missing, Dec. 21, 2020. #WestsTrial

Hulse testified he drove around the area to see if there were any children matching the boys' description. He spent a couple hours doing this. #WestsTrial

Hulse said he found no signs of Orrin or Orson West. #WestsTrial

Hulse said he wrote search warrants for the home, van and DNA samples from Trezell and Jacqueline West. #WestsTrial

Smith has displayed photos of the envelopes of the DNA swabs taken from the Wests. #WestsTrial

Smith ended his questioning. Torres Stallings asked if he spoke to any residents regarding the disappearance. Hulse said he didn't, nor did he look for homes with surveillance cameras. #WestsTrial

Hulse said he didn't write a report of his actions on Dec. 21, 2020, nor did he tell anyone where he was driving as he looked for the boys. He said he doesn't remember what streets he drove. #WestsTrial

Hulse testified when he first arrived he got a quick story about what happened then drove around looking for the boys in the southeastern portion of the city. "Most of 'em," he said when Nasser asked if he drove up and down every street. #WestsTrial

Hulse has been excused. #WestsTrial

The next witness will testify remotely. The court is taking a 15-minute break to get set up. #WestsTrial

Court is back in session. Megan Silverlake is testifying via Zoom. She's a field photographer with the FBI. #WestsTrial

She also receives and can enhance video and audio. #WestsTrial

Silverlake testified she received video related this case. There were 3 videos she was asked to enhance. #WestsTrial

She received the videos April 13, 2021. #WestsTrial

Silverlake said she changed the contrast and lightening and added a sharpening filter for all 3 videos. #WestsTrial

Silverlake sent the files back to the agent who requested them. #WestsTrial

The videos Silverlake worked on have been admitted into evidence and prosecutor Eric Smith ended his questioning. #WestsTrial

Alekxia Torres Stallings is asking about the work done on the videos. Silverlake said they're taught to look at the image and, if they can make it clearer, save that image. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings asked if there were other methods used to enhance a darker image as daylight went to dusk. Silverlake testified she used more intense levels for that, to potentially see any objects. #WestsTrial

Silverlake enhanced 2 videos from Dec. 19, 2020, and one from Dec. 21, 2020. Torres Stallings ended her questioning and Victor Nasser is questioning Silverlake. #WestsTrial

For brightness and contrast she uses the software manually to make it as clear as possible, she said. Silverlake has been excused. #WestsTrial

Austin Huynh has been called to the stand. He's a forensic lab technician at the Kern Regional Crime Lab. #WestsTrial

Huynh currently works in the DNA unit. #WestsTrial

Huynh was shown photos he took of a sealed evidence bag. He said the bag was properly sealed when he received it. #WestsTrial

One of the items was a diaper. Huynh said he photographed it and swabbed it for DNA. He swabbed on the inner linings. #WestsTrial

The swab was cut and placed in a tube and labeled with a lab number for later DNA analysis, Huynh said. #WestsTrial

Smith ended his questioning. #WestsTrial

Huynh has been excused. #WestsTrial

The court is taking a brief break to set up for the next witness. #WestsTrial

Ryan Dean, Orrin and Orson's biological mother, is testifying via Zoom. #WestsTrial

She named the children Cinsere and Classic, and the Wests renamed them Orrin and Orson. #WestsTrial

Dean said Cinsere (Orrin) lived with her for 3 months, until he was taken. Classic (Orson) was taken from her after a few weeks. #WestsTrial

Dean said she came to know a foster parent named Latoya who gave her access to the children through visitation at an office. She had visitations 2 to 3 times a week, she said. #WestsTrial

Dean testified the visitations lasted about 8 or 9 months. She said Orrin was happy, smart, funny, loved music. Orson also was happy, she said. #WestsTrial

Dean said she did not become aware the children were being adopted. "After all of this" she learned they had been adopted. #WestsTrial

Dean said she never went to the Wests' apartment or had any visitations outside the ones with Department of Human Services. She had no contact info for the Wests. #WestsTrial

Dean said she met attempts to get the boys back. She took parenting classes and other steps. #WestsTrial

She learned the boys were missing after hearing from someone then seeing it on the news. Their photos were on the news, Dean said. She hadn't realized their names had been changed. #WestsTrial

Dean went to Cal City to get answers. She asked the Wests what happened and they "lied to me" Dean said. That comment was stricken from the record. #WestsTrial

Dean said she had never been to Cal City before that day. #WestsTrial

She helped search the area, Dean said. She had contact with Cal City police. #WestsTrial

Dean testified she provided a DNA swab to Bakersfield police detectives and gave them a cellphone number. #WestsTrial

The BPD eventually became the lead agency on the investigation. #WestsTrial

Asked if she took the boys or asked someone else to, Dean said no. #WestsTrial

Smith ended his questioning. Hennessy has begun cross-examination. #WestsTrial

Hennessy asked Dean if she remembered telling Latonda the boys went missing early the morning after the disappearance. Dean was unsure at first, then confirmed that and said she learned the address of the Wests from the news. #WestsTrial

Dean said she's "back and forth" from Texas. She lives at an apartment in Arlington, Texas. #WestsTrial

Torres Stallings is now questioning Dean. She said Orrin was taken from her because he had a broken leg. #WestsTrial

Dean testified she was not aggressive or confrontational with Jacqueline West during a visitation. #WestsTrial

"Have you ever lied to law enforcement?" Torres Stallings asked.
Yes, Dean said. #WestsTrial

Through redirect, Dean testified she wasn't home at the time Orrin's leg was broken. Dean has been excused. #WestsTrial

Court is in recess until 1:30