Police: Suspect In 9 Fresno Slayings Led Strange Life

FRESNO, Calif. -- Six coroners, or triple the typical weekend staff, were working in shifts Sunday to identify the nine victims of a mass killing.

Victims are believed to all be family members of a man who lived a bizarre life of polygamy and incest, according to police.

Police found the bodies in a home on Friday. They said the victims may have been the children and grandchildren of suspect Marcus Wesson.

Police said Wesson had fathered children with at least four women, two of them his own daughters. Police say some of the victims may have been the product of incest.

Coroner's officials said they may release Monday the names of the nine people found dead.

The 57-year-old man is being held on $9 million bail in the deaths.

A coroner told the Fresno Bee that police are investigating whether Wesson had help in committing some of the killings -- perhaps even from one of the victims.

Police are looking into whether there was gunshot residue on the hands of one of the victims. The police chief said they still don't know the motive.

The coroner said each of the victims was shot at least once, and that six autopsies conducted so far found that a gunshot was the fatal wound. The remaining autopsies could be completed Monday.

Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer described Wesson as "very articulate."

Dyer said there are reports Wesson had relationships with several women, and police are trying to explore all the possibilities.

Asked if Wesson had confessed to anything, Dyer replied, "He has been cooperative and we're continuing with the investigation."

Police also said they found a dozen wooden coffins in Wesson's house. Earlier reports said 10 coffins were found.

A lawyer who once sold Wesson a house said Wesson had once lived with five women -- and appeared to have a romantic relationship with each. He said it also seemed the women were under Wesson's control, walking behind him and not talking when he was around.

The owner of an antiques shop said he sold Wesson some hand-carved mahogany coffins several years ago. He said he seemed to hold unusual control over his daughters, who sometimes came with him on his visits to the shop. He said the girls were clean and well-dressed, but were also quiet and avoided eye contact.

Police also returned to the scene Sunday to disperse the growing crowd that began to stop traffic on the narrow neighborhood street. Officers have cordoned off the home's perimeter with police tape again, and carried several boxes of material from the home.

A makeshift memorial of stuffed animals, balloons and flowers has grown on the sidewalk in front of the single-story house over the weekend.

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• March 14, 2004: Fresno Man Charged With Murdering Nine Relatives