By Their Father's Hand

The True Story of the Wesson Family Massacre

By: Monte Francis

Narrated by: John Glouchevitch

Length: 7 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's summary

Neighbors were unaware of what went on behind the tightly closed doors of a house in Fresno, California - the home of an imposing, 300-pound Marcus Wesson, his wife, children, nieces, and grandchildren. But on March 12, 2004, gunshots were heard inside the Wesson home, and police officers responding to what they believed was a routine domestic disturbance were horrified by the senseless carnage they discovered when they entered. By Their Father's Hand is a chilling true story of incest, abuse, madness, and murder, and one family's terrible and ultimately fatal ordeal at the hands of a powerful, manipulative man - a cultist who envisioned vengeful gods and vampires, and totally controlled those closest to him before their world came to a brutal and bloody halt.

©2007 Monte Francis (P)2017 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Well written . . . heartbreaking . . . the story by itself is amazing." ( True Crime Book Reviews)

Deeply upsetting

I tend to listen to audiobooks or podcasts on true crime while I’m doing house work, and picked this one a bit haphazardly as i had a big project to get done and needed something to listen to.

This was one of the most intense cases I’ve come across in a while. By the time we reached the end of the trial I was completely flabbergasted, largely at how the girls who survived could sit there and blame the other women for the murders of all these children, while tacitly acknowledging that their father may have actually DONE(or ordered) the killing, but it wasn’t his fault. By the young man who pretty much said maybe his dad did put babies inside his babies, then killed all those babies. But it couldn’t be proven, therefore he wouldn’t believe it because he loved his dad, while I’m sitting there gaping at how dismissive this was of not only the experiences of his siblings, but also of their murder. At the son (I can’t recall if it was the same son) who hashed his way through a statement over how he’d carry on his fathers name and teachings, but legally, mixed in with near incomprehensible assertions that he will be good and how he’s hot headed.

Seeing the way their minds were so completely warped by this man, seeing how they couldn’t understand that their father/uncle having sexual contact with them since they were eight was rape, seeing that they couldn’t assign the blame of death anywhere but on the surviving victims... it’s just heartbreaking. I can’t imagine how they will ever be able to be free of him, even with him in prison and on death row, he’s destroyed their personalities.

it was creepy......

the book was a disturbing tale of an extremely strange family..... but all in all the fact that it was SO creepy..... but didn't really tell you that much about the family members..... except the main character..... it left me with a bad taste in my mouth..... I was living in California during this and they didn't report on it except for the first week of so........ I only read true crime but I could have passed on this book

A decent murder documentary

I think the point of the book: covering a hideous murder and abuse case. All of which was covered and hidden away by bigger and other news of the day. it is nice to see the perspective about something that I vaguely remembered hitting the news but them things disappearing.

It is a long listen, sometime it feels redundant or repetitive. Stop the author and reader did a good job giving this book life.

An overwhelming urge to strangle this man!!

I had heard nothing of these murders until I stumbled across this book. As it states in the beginning, it must have been somewhat "glossed over" as a result of Scott Peterson's case, but should have gotten much more media coverage. What a sick, deranged and manipulative individual. Each of these stories that I read involving molestation, brainwashing, manipulation, justification..... it just gets harder & harder to understand the illness in some people. I like to believe that people are GOOD, but more & more, I'm proven wrong every doggone day.
A good read. The author did a good job or telling the story without being too graphic or gross. The story behind it is graphic enough - I didn't need any more detail than what was given. Narrator did a good job to keep me interested in the story. Recommended listen.

Never felt the urge to kill before...this.

As a simple mortal, I do not possess adequate verbiage to describe the contents of this book. The author was neither judgmental nor overly gross. It is a gross subject in and of itself, but I can SO relate to this type of brainwashing. It didn't happen to me, but I saw it happen in my own family...not the incest nor the sexual issues, but the brainwashing, yes. Do give it a listen, and believe it, it does happen.

It was WELL worth the time and money.

Could not stop listening

Loved the book. I am a Fresnoian 😊 and have always kept up with this case. I learned some facts that I did not know. It was written in such a way that respected the victims and survivors. I recommend this to any true crime junkie.

Wow

It's s amazing how this man controlled this family. Very well told story. I recommend.

Ok

This was not a bad book, but I feel like the story was skimmed over. I finished it with a little bit of disappointment...like I didnt learn enough because it was too vague. However, I would still recommend this audible. It is an interesting story, but very heartbreaking how the victims were so close to freedom.

Immersing...depressing

Oh. My. A very chilling account of the Wesson murders. I thought, how could a book about a family shot in one day be interesting. How could it keep me hooked. But this story is so much deeper than that one afternoon. Beautifully written and disheartening. My heart hands heavy for this family

Diluted, horrible man.

Wanted to put it down but I had to find out why he did these terrible things to his family. But this sadistic, insane man never explains why. Just goes around the truth with nonsense.