[chris]

Penniless native Mexican Juan Corona arrived in Yuba City, California, sometime in the 1950's and slowly built a more than respectable living as a labor contractor. He was respected and seemingly happily married with children. But he was also a schizophrenic and a sexual sadist who turned to murder in the spring of 1971.

Corona found workers in the steady flow of migrant laborers coming out of his home country just plain vagrants that were looking for a paycheck. Most were men that were transient in nature and not likely to be missed. He would simply select a new worker, one that was owed money usually, kill them, and bury them. The disappearances never raised any concerns. Workers often just up and left without notice.

A fruit farmer in the area found a hole dug on his property on May 19. When the man checked on the mysterious hole the next day, it was filled up. Even to a simple farmer it was obvious that this was more than likely a grave for someone or something and he called the police. Kenneth Whitacre was dug up from the earth, his throat and head hacked viciously and his upper body stabbed repeatedly.

A search for more graves turned up more than anyone would have imagined and by early June the grand total had reached 25 bodies, all men who had been seen with or had gotten their jobs through Corona's labor contracting business. He was arrested for the murders and tried and though there were murmurings of an accomplice, Corona was found guilty and given 25 separate life sentences in January of 1973.

After barely surviving a stabbing attack in prison, Corona won an appeal for a new trial about a decade after the original. The basis was that he had been improperly defended and that new evidence would point to his own brother as the true murderer.The second trial was a money-wasting sham and Corona was sent back to the California penal system to continue serving out his life sentences.

Here are the known victims of Juan Corona:






Last known prison address:

Juan Corona C58140
Box 3476, Rm 4A4R- 62L
Corcoran State Prison
Corcoran, CA 93212

[Davis916]

Since 1856, My family has lived and farmed in Sutter County, about 15 minutes from where most of the bodies were recovered. My Father often shipped Rice and other Ag Products from those fields. He remembered seeing Mr. Corona at the local store. This case really freaked out my Father, his friends and my family.

[CrunchyCripple]

So he was just a serial killer? I've heard of killings like this, but it was to collect the victims ss money. The body counts aren't this high either.

[Ninjavandal]

Yeah, that asshole sure seemed proud of himself.

[Susan]

herbies gone bananas

[10michele62]

Those murder victims aren't from the "steady stream coming out of Mexico" - they are straight up white guys, except for one. Call this case what it is - a hate crime.

[Broadjumper]

Originally Posted by 10michele62 ↗

Those murder victims aren't from the "steady stream coming out of Mexico" - they are straight up white guys, except for one. Call this case what it is - a hate crime.

B.S. He had a record of attacking other men for various reasons, but it's believed he was probably a closeted homosexual.

"Most of the victims were stabbed or hacked to death, with several bearing signs of homosexual assault. Four of the dead were ultimately unidentified. The rest were migrant workers, rootless drifters, with a sprinkling of skid row alcoholics. None of them had been reported missing by surviving relatives...Defense attorneys tried to blame the murders on Natividad, a known homosexual given to fits of violence, but no one could document his presence in California during the murder spree. Jurors deliberated 45 hours before convicting Corona on all counts, in January 1973. A month later, he was sentenced to 25 consecutive terms of life imprisonment."

[RUTHIE7]

Correct me if I'm wrong but... all his victims look like 'hobos!'

[depraved1]

Originally Posted by 10michele62 ↗

Those murder victims aren't from the "steady stream coming out of Mexico" - they are straight up white guys, except for one. Call this case what it is - a hate crime.

Well said!

[depraved1]

Originally Posted by RUTHIE7 ↗

Correct me if I'm wrong but... all his victims look like 'hobos!'

Yes.