09/22/2026
California City
September 21, 2026
UPDATE ‼️‼️‼️
Okay, let’s talk about Orrin & Orson West — because once you get into the timeline of this case, things get real confusing, real quick.
Orrin was born Cincere Pettus, & Orson was born Classic Pettus
Orrin was 4 & Orson was 3.
Two little brothers who were adopted by Trezell & Jacqueline West in 2019. In 2020 the family had moved from Bakersfield to California City where they had been living for only about 3 months.
Then, on December 21, 2020, the boys were reported missing.
But here’s where this case gets complicated.
There are different timelines for when Orrin & Orson were last seen.
& depending on which timeline you look at, you end up asking a whole different set of questions.
So let’s walk through it step by step.
🗓️ THE TIMELINE
SEPTEMBER 2020
The prosecution eventually argued that Orrin & Orson had died around September 2020, months before they were reported missing.
That was the prosecution’s theory at trial — not a date established by an autopsy, because the boys were never recovered.
📌 DECEMBER 19, 2020 — THE WESTS’ VERSION
Trezell & Jacqueline told investigators that all six children were together that Saturday
They said they drove the four older children to Trezell’s parents’ home for a Christmas visit, while Orrin & Orson stayed with them.
They said the two younger boys were in the back of the van during the drop-off.
According to the Wests, they returned home with Orrin & Orson.
📌 DECEMBER 19, 2020 — WHAT THE OTHER CHILDREN SAID
The four older children gave investigators a very different account the following day
They said Orrin & Orson were not in the van when they were dropped off at their grandparents’ home.
They also told investigators they had not seen their younger brothers for weeks, possibly longer.
Surveillance footage from that day showed Trezell, Jacqueline & four children getting into the van, although the detective who reviewed it could not identify the children by age or determine with certainty whether anyone was carrying a child.
📌 DECEMBER 21, 2020 — THE 911 CALL
Trezell West called 911 & reported Orrin & Orson missing.
He told police the boys had been playing in the backyard. He said he went inside briefly, came back outside & they were gone.
He believed they had gotten through an open gate.
Police searched the area that night, but the boys were not found.
📌 DECEMBER 22, 2020 — THE INVESTIGATION CHANGES
The day after the 911 call, investigators interviewed the four older children at their grandparents’ home.
🤔 Their statements about Orrin & Orson not being around for weeks caused investigators to take a much closer look at what had happened before December 21st.
🤔 Investigators also began looking into events earlier in December, including a family trip to Bakersfield around December 5th The appeals court later noted that there was no evidence showing Orrin & Orson accompanied the family on that trip.
📌 THEN INVESTIGATORS LEARNED ABOUT ORRIN
One of the West children, Adrian, told investigators about an incident involving Orrin at the family’s Bakersfield apartment.
According to Adrian, Orrin had been choking while sleeping.
Adrian said Orrin was later found with vomit coming from his nose & his color was fading. His parents tried to wake him, & he was cold, then there was discussion about calling an ambulance.
But no medical help was called.
Adrian told investigators that his parents said Orrin was deceased & instructed him to keep what happened a secret
But there was no autopsy.
Because Orrin was never recovered, the court could not establish an official medical cause of death. Prosecutors argued that Orrin was still alive when he was found in medical distress & that failing to get him medical help caused his death.
The jury ultimately convicted Trezell & Jacqueline West of second-degree murder involving Orrin.
📌 & THEN THERE WAS ORSON
According to Adrian’s statements, Orson disappeared from the home sometime after Orrin’s medical emergency, & Adrian said he never saw his little brother again.
But the exact timeline of when either boy was last seen was never completely established.
That’s important because there were competing timelines:
📌 The Wests’ account: Orrin & Orson were alive on December 19, stayed with them after the older children were dropped off, & disappeared from the backyard on December 21.
📌The other children’s accounts: Orrin & Orson had not been seen for weeks, possibly longer, & were not seen in the van on December 19.
📌 The prosecution’s later theory: The boys had actually died months earlier, around September 2020.
📌 SO HOW DID THE CASE END?
In 2023, Trezell & Jacqueline West were convicted of second-degree murder involving Orrin.
But the jury did not reach a unanimous verdict on the homicide charge involving Orson.
They were, however, convicted of felony child cruelty involving Orson.
The Wests maintained their innocence, & their defense argued that the boys could have been abducted or wandered away.
In 2026, a California appeals court upheld the murder convictions involving Orrin
💙Orrin was 4.
💙Orson was 3.
Their story raises questions that still don’t have answers.
Where are the boys? When were they last alive? What happened inside that home? & why were they reported missing on December 21st if investigators later came to believe they had been gone much longer?
Those are questions their family & the public have been left asking for years.
This case is also a reminder that when something doesn’t add up, pay attention. Ask questions. Speak up‼️
Because sometimes the smallest details can matter more than we realize. 💔
💙Please keep the family in your prayers🕊️🙏🏽
Sources: California Court of Appeal records, trial testimony, law enforcement/public records & established news reporting. Statements regarding the circumstances surrounding the boys’ deaths reflect evidence & arguments presented in court
🖤 DISCLAIMER: This post is for awareness & informational purposes only. Details are based on publicly available reports, court records, & available information at the time of posting & may continue to develop as new information emerges. Dear Humans does not determine guilt or innocence. Our goal is to bring awareness, share stories, keep the community informed, & amplify voices while following developments as they become available
