FRESNO, Calif. – The house where a convicted murderer molested and killed nine of his own children was demolished on Monday.
Marcus Wesson, patriarch of the cultlike clan that lived in the home, was sentenced to death in 2005 on nine counts of first-degree murder, and to 102 years in prison for sexually abusing the minors in his care.
Police broke into the home in 2004 after a prolonged standoff brought on by a family dispute. They found nine bodies in a back room and ten white coffins in the living room.
Since then, the house has stood empty, a reminder of the bloody scene that reduced officers to tears.
Neighbors welcomed the bulldozers.
“It means that I don’t have to wake up and see the building anymore, and it’s like a closure for me and my kids,” said neighbor Linda Morales.
Steve Hosey bought the home last fall with a partner in Frazier Realty and Investments. He said they have “no specific plans” for the property.
“We’re just moving a little bit at a time,” Hosey said. “We’re happy to have gotten to this point.”