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Police: Fresno slay suspect a polygamist
(Agencies)
Updated: 2004-03-14 14:52
A man suspected of murdering nine of his family members apparently was
involved in polygamy and incest, fathering two of the victims with his own
daughters, police said Saturday.
Suspect Marcus
Wesson is led from the Fresno, California, house where nine bodies were
found. [AP Photo] | The bodies of six females and
three males, ages 1 to 24, were found tangled in the back room of Marcus
Wesson's home Friday. Fresno's largest mass slaying ever quadrupled its
homicides for the year in a single day and disturbed officers so much that some
immediately needed counseling.
Wesson, described by police as "very calm," was arrested Friday after
emerging from his home covered in blood.
Wesson, 57, has fathered children with at least four women, two of whom are
his own daughters, said Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer.
"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.
An acquaintance of Wesson's said Wesson had lived with five women and
appeared to have a romantic relationship with each. The women appeared to be
under Wesson's control, walking behind him and not speaking when he was present,
Frank Muna said.
"The neighbors felt there was some weird kind of polygamy commune thing going
on," said Muna, a defense lawyer who sold the remains of his burned-out house to
Wesson and the women in 1999. Wesson moved to a different house about eight
months ago, in part because of neighbors' complaints, Muna said.
Police said they believe all the victims are members of Wesson's family —
likely children and grandchildren — but they declined to release names pending
notification of kin.
Wesson was cooperating with authorities, who planned to charge him with nine
counts of murder, Dyer said.
"If this does not qualify for the death sentence, then there is no case that
would," Dyer said.
Dyer said police planned to serve another search warrant in the case Saturday
but would not say where, adding, "We have not ruled out the involvement of any
other suspects."
Dyer 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."
Six coroners, triple the typical weekend staff, were working Saturday to
identify the victims and determine how they were killed, Deputy Fresno County
Coroner Sarah Davis said.
Officers were originally called to the home Friday afternoon for a child
custody dispute.
Inside was a discovery so grisly it reduced Dyer to tears. The bodies were so
entangled in a pile of clothing that it took hours for investigators to reach a
final count, police said.
Police were not sure of a motive, but Dyer said "there may have been some
type of ritual" involved. Ten coffins lined a wall inside the home's front room.
"I've been with the Fresno Police Department for 25 years, and I've never
experienced anything of this nature," said Dyer, who wiped his eyes Friday night
as officers carried bodies out of the home, cradling the youngest ones in their
arms.
The scene was so gruesome some of the first officers into the house were
placed on administrative leave and received counseling Friday night. Six police
chaplains were at the house throughout the evening as detectives continued to
gather evidence.
Officers were called to the home by two women who said a man had their
children and would not release them.
The man initially ignored orders to come out, running into a back bedroom as
two other women fled the house unharmed.
A neighbor, Chris Tognazzini, said he heard two gunshots moments before
police arrived.
Dyer said the women who called authorities told them they had given custody
of their children to Wesson two years ago and now wanted them back.
The slayings shocked authorities in Fresno, a city of 440,000 about 190 miles
southeast of San Francisco. Dyer said the city had seen three murders in the
last 2 1/2 months, the fewest number for a 10-week period in more than three
decades.
The nine deaths represent the largest mass killing ever in this San Joaquin
Valley city. Seven people were killed in rural Fresno in 1993.
"The only thing we can do now is mourn. We mourn for the kids, we mourn for
the police," said Mayor Alan Autry. "We will never be the same again."
Muna, the attorney, said Wesson's behavior had become more bizarre and his
appearance more disheveled in the last three years.
"He grew that one big, long, nasty dreadlock. It was just caked with dirt and
oil," Muna said.
Lois Dugovic, who sold Wesson the caskets, said he seemed aware that his
appearance frightened people, and that it made him laugh.
"He sure didn't look the part of a normal person," said Dugovic, owner of an
antiques store.
She said Wesson bought the hand-carved mahogany caskets about five years ago,
and that he told her he planned to use the wood to repair a houseboat.
Wesson had a strong influence on his sons, said Florian Tan, who in 2001 took
over the martial arts school where three of the sons attended classes.
Each boy had to earn a black belt in aikido in order to leave home when he
reached manhood, Tan said.
"They said they had to go through his program," which included martial arts
training, Tan said. He added that two of the sons, now in their 20s, earned
black belts and a teenage boy is still enrolled at the school.
Neighbors who milled around outside said they knew little about Wesson or the
house where a large yellow bus was parked in the driveway.
"He never said 'Hi,'" said Linda Morales. "I'd drive by and he'd make a point
to turn his face."
Another neighbor, Johnny Rios, said that on many nights he heard loud banging
coming from the house, as though the people inside were building something.
"There was something up over there," Rios said.
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