FRESNO, California - A California man, portrayed by prosecutors as a cult leader who claimed to be Jesus, was found guilty on Friday of killing nine of his children and grandchildren after fathering them by incest.
The Fresno jury found Marcus Wesson guilty of nine counts of first-degree murder and
14 sex crimes, including raping and molesting his underage daughters and nieces.
Wesson, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, appeared stoic as the jury returned its verdict. He faces the death penalty or life in prison without parole.
The jury deliberated for 10 days before reaching its verdicts.
Wesson, 58, was charged with fatally shooting seven of his children and two of his grandchildren, aged 1 to 26, at his home in Fresno in March 2004. He had fathered the victims with his wife and with daughters and nieces.
The killing started after a child custody dispute when two of Wesson's estranged nieces returned to claim their children provoking a standoff with police.
Wesson was suspected of impregnating family members so they could have "babies for the Lord," held Bible study sessions three times daily and proclaimed himself Jesus, prosecutors said.
Wesson's lawyers had argued the forensic evidence in the case did not prove that he had killed the nine victims.
In his closing arguments, lead defence attorney Ralph Torres said the Wesson family was "dysfunctional to the 10th power," but dismissed the prosecution's theory of a murder-suicide pact as "made up."
Prosecutor Lisa Gamoian had told jurors the two adult females who died were conspirators with Wesson and they aided each other in carrying out a murder-suicide pact.
- REUTERS
