BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — For the past 16 months, community members have been coming out to pray for two missing, toddler boys.
It started off as a way to gather community support to help find the boys, and a few months ago, it turned into asking for justice.
It used to be a candlelight prayer for Orrin and Orson West when they were reported missing in California City in December 2020.
But in March, law enforcement told the public that the boys are dead, and their adoptive parents were charged with murder.
People continue to come out for the boys, now trying to find their bodies ahead of the trial.
“They’re not just their kids, they became all of our kids.”
Community Members like Keisha Stevenson and Rosanna Wills have been gathering for over a year to pray and spread awareness about the missing West brothers.
“We made a commitment that this is what we’re going to do every twenty first. We are not going to stop. It doesn’t matter if the weather is bad, or whatever, we’re going to be here,” said Stevenson.
“We just want to keep their faces out there,” said Wills.
Outside the Kern County Superior Court Thursday evening, people came to pray for the boys and say they hope to find their bodies soon.
“We want Jaqueline and Trezell to speak, at least tell where their bodies are so they can have a proper burial.”
With the trial coming up soon, both Stevenson and Wills said emotions are high as details come through in how the boys died.
“Scary, nervous, hurt, don’t know what we’re going to hear. You know, it’s just a lot of emotions. I can’t explain it really because we don’t know what we’re going to hear.”
They say the work will continue.
“We’re not giving up, until we get justice, answers, and closure.”
The adopted parents have pleaded not guilty and are being held with no bail. The trial is set to begin on May 23.
