US man charged with 9 murder counts (Agencies) Updated: 2004-03-15 11:08
Six coroners, triple the typical weekend staff, worked in shifts Sunday to
identify the nine victims of a mass killing, believed to all be family members
of a man who lived a bizarre life of polygamy and incest.
Suspect Marcus
Wesson is led from the Fresno, California, house where nine bodies were
found. [AP Photo]
Marcus Wesson, who may have
fathered two of the victims with his own daughters, was charged Saturday with
nine counts of murder. Bail was set at $9 million.
Identifying the victims and tracking down next of kin to be notified was a
difficult process.
``It's just very complicated,'' Deputy Fresno County Coroner Amy Hance said
Sunday. ``Who do you make notification to if eventually some of the victims are
other victims' relatives?''
Wesson, 57, covered with blood but described by police as ``very calm,'' was
arrested Friday when he emerged from his home, where authorities found the nine
bodies tangled in a pile of clothing in a back room.
Investigators said the victims were six females and three males, ranging in
age from 1 to 24 and probably all Wesson's children and grandchildren.
A memorial of stuffed animals, balloons and flowers grew Sunday on the
sidewalk in front of the single-story house, as a steady flow of people came by
with more cards and teddy bears. Police closed off the block in front of the
house to keep onlookers away from the property.
Officers cordoned off the home's perimeter again on Sunday and carried
several boxes of material from the home.
No motive had been determined, Police Chief Jerry Dyer told reporters.
Police said Wesson had fathered children with at least four women, two of
them his own daughters.
``We are exploring the possibility that there were other women he was
involved with, either sexually or in some sort of polygamist relationship,''
Dyer said Saturday.
He said police believe they know the cause of death but would not release
that information.
``I can tell you that there were no mutilations,'' Dyer said. ``The bodies
were intact.''
Dyer added that police ``have not ruled out the involvement of any other
suspects.''
The grisly tale of polygamy, incest and murder stunned not only police but
also Wesson's 29-year-old son, Dorian.
``He was a good father. He wasn't abusive at all,'' Dorian Wesson told the
Los Angeles Times.
``I don't want to believe it. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt.
But they're all dead,'' said Dorian Wesson, adding that he hadn't seen his
father in about a year.
Officers were called to the house Friday for a child custody dispute. After
finding the ghastly scene, some officers were placed on administrative leave and
were being given counseling.
Police also found 10 wooden coffins. Antique store owner Lois Dugovic said
Wesson bought the hand-carved, mahogany coffins about five years ago, saying he
planned to use the wood to repair a houseboat.
Wesson had once lived with five women and appeared to have a romantic
relationship with each, said Frank Muna, an acquaintance. The women seemed to be
under Wesson's control, walking behind him and not speaking when he was present,
Muna said.
Neighbors said they knew little about Wesson but noticed that his behavior
had become more bizarre, Muna said.
``A lot of what he was saying wasn't relevant to what we were discussing,''
Muna said.
It is the largest mass killing ever in Fresno, a city of 440,000 people about
190 miles (305 kilometers) southeast of San Francisco.
