Marcus Wesson

{{Infobox murderer

| name = Marcus Wesson

| image = Marcus Wesson mug shot.jpg

| image_size = 220

| caption =

| birth_name = Marcus Delon Wesson

| occupation =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1946|08|22}}

| birth_place = Kansas, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| cause =

| children = 16+

| conviction = First degree murder with special circumstances

| penalty = Death (de jure){{cite news|url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/will-jerry-brown-commute-sentences-of-every-death-row-inmate-in-one-of-his-last-acts-as-california-governor|title=Will Jerry Brown commute sentences of every death row inmate in one of his last acts as California governor?|first=Elizabeth|last=Llorente|date=August 30, 2018|work=Fox News}}

| spouse =

| date = March 12, 2004

| time =

| targets = Family

| locations = Fresno, California

| victims = 9

| weapons = Stainless-steel Ruger MK II Target .22 caliber handgun

| criminal_status = Incarcerated

}}

Marcus Delon Wesson (born August 22, 1946) is an American mass murderer and child rapist, 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 children, fathered through incestuous sexual abuse of his daughters and nieces, as well as his wife's children.{{Cite news | last = Fontana | first = Cyndee |author2=Anderson, Barbara |author3=Coleman, Donald E. | title = The Many Portraits of Marcus Wesson | newspaper = The Fresno Bee | location = Fresno, CA | date = April 18, 2004 }}"Marcus Wesson's Family Tree", Court TV, May 10, 2005

Early life and education

Marcus Wesson was born in Kansas, the eldest of four children of Benjamin and Carrie Wesson. His mother raised him in the Seventh-day Adventist Church.{{Cite news |last=Arax |first=Mark |date=June 30, 2005 |title=Wesson Gets Death in 2004 Mass Murder |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jun-30-me-wesson30-story.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827142254/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jun-30-me-wesson30-story.html |archive-date=2019-08-27 |access-date=2024-01-17 |work=The Los Angeles Times}} Wesson claimed that his mother was a religious fanatic. His father was an alcoholic child abuser who abandoned his family when Wesson was a child.{{cite news|last1=BOVSUN|first1=MARA|title=Justice Story: Vampire king|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/justice-story/justice-story-vampire-king-article-1.1621606|accessdate=March 24, 2017|work=NY Daily News|date=February 23, 2014|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170409130026/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/justice-story/justice-story-vampire-king-article-1.1621606|archive-date=April 9, 2017|url-status = live}}

After dropping out of high school, Wesson joined the U.S. Army, serving from 1966 to 1968 as an ambulance driver, which included a deployment in the Vietnam War.The Many Portraits of Marcus Wesson - Those who know the accused killer draw starkly conflicting views of him. (April 18, 2004). The Fresno Bee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/justice-story/justice-story-vampire-king-article-1.1621606|title = Justice Story: The 'Vampire king' of Fresno kills 9 children|website = New York Daily News| date=February 23, 2014 }}

Abuse

Shortly after leaving the military, Wesson moved in with an older woman, Rosemary Solorio, and her eight children in San Jose, California. In 1971, Solorio gave birth to Wesson's son. In 1974, Wesson began sexually abusing Solorio's eight-year-old daughter Elizabeth.{{cite web|last=Guthrie|first=J.|date=September 14, 2009|url=https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Survivors-recall-horror-of-Wesson-mass-killing-3287074.php|title=Survivors recall horror of Wesson mass killing|work=San Francisco Chronicle}} Wesson married Elizabeth when she turned 14 and he was 34. Four months later, she gave birth to her first child. Eventually, the couple had 10 children together, including one infant who died.{{cite news|last=Ryan|first=H.|date=May 19, 2005|url=https://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/04/22/wesson/|title=Child brides and vampire names: Bizarre the norm in mass murder trial|work=CNN}}

One of Elizabeth's younger sisters left her own seven children with them, claiming that her drug problem made her unable to care for them. Wesson never held a steady job; he lived off welfare and forced his working adult children to give him all their earnings.{{cite web|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/marcus-wesson-mass-murder-surviving-family-speaks-abuse/story?id=11089648&singlePage=true|title=Marcus Wesson Mass Murder: Surviving Family Speaks Out on Abuse|work=ABC News|access-date=June 26, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dad-guilty-of-killing-his-9-kids/|title=Dad Guilty Of Killing His 9 Kids|date=June 17, 2005|work=cbsnews.com|access-date=June 26, 2015}} In 1989, Wesson was convicted of welfare fraud and perjury.{{cite web|url=http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/family/marcus_wesson/6.html |title=Shiftless Life — Marcus Wesson - Crime Library — Crime Library |access-date=September 5, 2014 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140905191649/http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/family/marcus_wesson/6.html |archive-date=September 5, 2014 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna4518675|title=Suspect in 9 slayings had hold over women - US news - Crime & courts - NBC News|work=msnbc.com|date=March 13, 2004 |access-date=June 26, 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/news/many-questions-in-fresno-slayings/|title=Many Questions In Fresno Slayings|date=March 16, 2004|work=cbsnews.com|access-date=June 26, 2015}} The family often lived in run-down shacks, boats, and vacant houses.

Wesson was abusive towards 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. Wesson's school "curriculum" involved teaching girls oral sex as young as 8 or 9. Their domestic responsibilities included washing Wesson's dreads and scratching his armpits and head. The girls were not allowed to talk to their male siblings or their mother. Both male and female children were physically abused. Wesson raped two daughters and three nieces beginning at age eight; all five girls became pregnant.

Murders

Before March 12, 2004, Wesson had declared his intention to relocate his daughters and their children to Washington state, where Wesson's parents lived.{{Cite book | last = Francis | first = Monte | title = By Their Father's Hand: The True Story of the Wesson Family Massacre | publisher = Harper Collins | date = May 29, 2007 | location = New York | pages = [https://archive.org/details/bytheirfathersha00fran/page/10 10] | isbn = 978-0-06-087824-5 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/bytheirfathersha00fran/page/10 }} 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.{{cite news|last1=Francis|first1=Monte|title=Wesson massacre largely forgotten|url=http://www.daily-journal.com/life/wesson-massacre-largely-forgotten/article_389f9b7f-4237-511d-a6b7-b003bddc088a.html|accessdate=March 24, 2017|work=The Daily Journal|date=November 3, 2007}} Fresno police were summoned to what was described as a child custody issue, and a standoff ensued.

{{Cite news | last = Marshall | first = Carolyn | title = Fresno Victims Were Shot, Police Report | newspaper = The New York Times | location = Fresno, CA | date = March 16, 2004 | url = https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/16/us/fresno-victims-were-shot-police-report.html?pagewanted=1Fresno | access-date = January 11, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140905192348/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/16/us/fresno-victims-were-shot-police-report.html?pagewanted=1Fresno | archive-date = September 5, 2014 |url-status = live}}

Wesson told the police to wait at the door and disappeared into the home. When he came back to the door, his clothes were bloodied.

Fresno police testified they did not hear gunshots being fired shortly after, though other witnesses at the standoff testified they did hear gunshots fired at that time.[http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/04/22/wesson/ Child brides and vampire names: Bizarre the norm in mass murder trial] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060207085804/http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/04/22/wesson/ |date=February 7, 2006 }} By Harriet Ryan, Court TV via CNN.com, Thursday, May 19, 2005, 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. Each victim had been fatally shot through the eye. Wesson's other children, who were not present inside the house, survived the incident.

Victims

Sebhrenah April Wesson (age 25): Daughter{{cite web|author=Schalder, J., Phillips, H. & Stohler, E.|date=July 5, 2010|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/marcus-wesson-mass-murder-surviving-family-speaks-abuse/story?id=11089648|title=Family brainwashed by dad struggles to heal|work=ABC News}}
Elizabeth Breahi Kina Wesson (age 17): Daughter
Illabelle Carrie Wesson (age 8): Daughter/Granddaughter{{cite web|author=Stewart, J.Y.|date=June 4, 2005|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2005-jun-04-me-wesson4-story.html|title=Jury gets Fresno murder case|work=The Los Angeles Times|accessdate=2024-02-04}}
Aviv Dominique Wesson (age 7): Daughter/Grand-niece
Johnathon St Charles Wesson (age 7): Son/Grand-nephew
Ethan St Laurent Wesson (age 4): Son/Grand-nephew
Marshey St Christopher Wesson (age 1): Son/Grandson
Jeva St Vladensvspry Wesson (age 1): daughter/granddaughter
Sedona Vadra Wesson (age 1): Daughter/Grand-niece

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.i

{{Cite news | last = Barbassa | first = Juliana | title = Prosecution says Marcus Wesson carried out murder-suicide pact | newspaper = Associated Press | location = Fresno, CA | date = June 2, 2005 | url = http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20050601-1754-ca-fresnomurders.html | access-date = October 19, 2010 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120821082012/http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20050601-1754-ca-fresnomurders.html | archive-date = August 21, 2012 |url-status = live}} 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. There was also no gunpowder residue on Wesson's hands at the time of his arrest.{{Cite web |date=2004-05-27 |title=Defense: Accused family killer had no gun residue on hands |url=https://www.9news.com/article/news/defense-accused-family-killer-had-no-gun-residue-on-hands/73-344902981 |access-date=2024-08-11 |website=KUSA.com |language=en-US}} The jury declined to find that Wesson fired the fatal shots but convicted him of murder anyway, presumably finding that he had pressured his children into entering a suicide pact.

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 Rehabilitation Center.{{Cite news|last=Barbassa |first=Juliana |title=Marcus Wesson guilty in murders of nine of his children |newspaper=Associated Press |location=Fresno, California |date=June 17, 2005 |url=http://www.nctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/article_56211e32-4220-5599-8ac5-ca69aa648a91.html |access-date=October 19, 2010 |url-status = dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629173508/http://www.nctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/article_56211e32-4220-5599-8ac5-ca69aa648a91.html |archive-date=June 29, 2011 }}{{Cite web|url=https://abc30.com/marcus-wesson-mass-murder-children-killed-convicted-murderer/14518182|title=20 years since the worst mass murder in Fresno history|last=Willis|first=Brianna|date=March 13, 2024|website=KFSN-TV|access-date=July 9, 2024}}

The house that the murders took place in was later demolished.{{Cite web |date=2024-03-13 |title=20 years since the worst mass murder in Fresno history |url=https://abc30.com/marcus-wesson-mass-murder-children-killed-convicted-murderer/14518182/ |access-date=2024-08-08 |website=ABC30 Fresno |language=en}}

References

External links

[http://edition.cnn.com/2004/US/West/03/13/dyer/ Fresno police chief: 'Horrific' scene at home] at CNN.com
Scheeres, Julia. [https://web.archive.org/web/20071218102531/http://www.crimelibrary.com/notorious_murders/family/marcus_wesson/1_index.html Marcus Wesson orders the death of 9 of his children all spawned of incest]. Crime Library. Retrieved on 2007-11-16.

Category:1946 births

Category:2004 murders in the United States

Category:African-American United States Army personnel

Category:American mass murderers

Category:United States Army personnel of the Vietnam War

Category:American murderers of children

Category:American people convicted of child sexual abuse

Category:American people convicted of murder

Category:American prisoners sentenced to death

Category:American rapists

Category:Criminals from Kansas

Category:Filicides in California