March 12, 2004: Officers are called to a scene on West Hammond Avenue in Fresno, California, where a heated argument over custody is breaking out. Once there, officers speak to Ruby Ortiz and Sofina Solorio, along with some family members who are with them. They are worried to the point of panic, claiming their children are being held captive inside the run-down office building. They are adamant that the man inside — their uncle, Marcus Wesson — is going to hurt their children.
So the police knock on the door to speak to Wesson and try to resolve the issue. A titanic man with greying dreadlocks down to his waist answers. Unlike the clearly upset women outside, Wesson is calm and cooperative. He agrees to turn over the children, but wants to tell them goodbye first. He asks the officers to wait and returns inside, closing the door.
Neighbors will later say they heard gunshots. The police deny hearing any. Without a warrant or any indication that there is a safety issue (despite Ortiz and Solorio’s claims), the police don’t have the authority to enter the Wesson house.
So they wait.
After nearly an hour and a half, Wesson walks out the front door. His clothes are covered in blood.
As he surrenders to the arresting officers, other officers rush inside the house. Inside, despite the sunny afternoon, the building is dark and silent. Against one wall, several coffins are stacked up. Then they enter a back room. Inside, covered in blood, is a pile of bodies — some of which are children. Each had been shot through the eye.
Because they were in such a tangle, it would take many hours before the police could even determine how many victims there were, and it would be several days before they were all identified:
- 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; and
- Jeva St Vladensvspry Wesson, age 1.
In trying to determine next of kin, the coroner had DNA testing done on all the victims. When the results came back, the true extent of Marcus Wesson’s depravity was finally revealed.
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