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Father murdered 'incest clan'
17/06/2005 21:25 - (SA)
Fresno - Marcus Wesson, the domineering patriarch of a clan bred through incest, was convicted on Friday of murdering nine of his children, whose bodies were found in a bloody pile last year at the end of a police stand-off.
He now faces a possible death sentence.
The jurors began deliberating on June 2.
The defence had argued that Sebhrenah Wesson, 25 - the oldest to die - killed herself as well as her siblings and the one-year-old son she had with her father.
Several witnesses testified that Wesson had repeatedly coached the children to be ready to kill each other and themselves if authorities ever threatened to break up the California clan.
The prosecution said Wesson had plenty of time to shoot his children during the 80-minute standoff with police on March 12, 2004.
He had closed himself in a back bedroom with the victims, keeping out mothers whose attempt to get their children out of the home had prompted the police stand-off.
Prosecutor Lisa Gamoian said in closing arguments that even if Sebhrenah Wesson did pull the trigger, Marcus Wesson should still be found guilty if he encouraged her to kill them, or was part of a conspiracy that led to their slaughter.
- AP
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