Offender Record · OFF-2026-044
Juan Corona (photo from the Radford University biography)
Juan Vallejo Corona
Also known as Corona, The Machete Murderer
Sex
Male
Race
Hispanic
Born
1934
Custody
Deceased
States
CA, MX
Distinguishing featuresLost sight in left eye from 1973 stabbing attack in prison; droopy left eye visible in later photos
Custody
Deceased at California State Prison-Corcoran
Custody record at the facility
Corona died of natural causes on March 4, 2019. Corona was transferred from Correctional Training Facility to the Protective Housing Unit at CSP-Corcoran in 1992.
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Summary of the record
Juan Vallejo Corona was born February 7, 1934 in Ayutla, Jalisco, Mexico and was convicted of the murders of 25 transient laborers found buried in peach orchards along the Feather River in Sutter County, California, in 1971. Corona was tried in Colusa County and found guilty in January 1973. In 1978, Corona's conviction was overturned by an appellate court and he won a new trial, and in 1982, Corona was again convicted of all 25 murders and sentenced to 25 concurrent life sentences. He died of natural causes at 8:15 a.m. on Monday, March 4 at an outside hospital while serving his sentences at California State Prison-Corcoran.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Murder
Sutter County Sheriff's Department · Colusa County Superior Court (first trial); Alameda County Superior Court (second trial) · California Penal Code · Arrested May 26, 1971 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Corona was tried in Colusa County and found guilty in January 1973; he was sent to state prison on Feb. 17, 1973. Corona was found guilty on all 25 counts and sentenced to 25 consecutive terms of life imprisonment.
The span of crimes was February 1 – May 21, 1971. The cause of death for all but one of the 25 victims – one was shot – was a stab wound to the chest; they all also had deep machete gashes in the shape of a cross on the backs of their heads. On May 19, 1971, the first body was discovered; over the next week, investigators unearthed 25 bodies from various sites.
SourcesInmate Juan Corona Dies of Natural Causes; Juan Corona; Juan Corona: Key events; Radford University serial killer biography: Corona, Juan
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
25
Victims convicted
25
Victims confessed
0
Victims suspected
Active years
1971–1971
Stated motive
Sexual, Anger or revenge
Range from home
local
Confessed
Yes
Education
some high school
Marital history
Married, Divorced
Children
4
Died
2019-03-04 · natural
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
CA
Imperial Valley Mall, California
approx. 1950 – Jun 1950 · Migrant farm worker picking carrots and melons
Sacramento, California
approx. Jun 1950 – 1953 · Migrant farm worker
Marysville, California
1953 – 1971 · Yuba City/Marysville area; married in Reno 1953
Auburn, California
Jan 1956 – Apr 1956 · DeWitt State Hospital · Mental health commitment for schizophrenia; received shock treatments
Sutter, California
1962 – 1971 · Licensed farm labor contractor supplying workers to ranches near Yuba City
Yuba City, California
May 26, 1971 – May 26, 1971 · Arrested at Yuba City home with search warrant
Yuba City, California
May 26, 1971 – May 30, 1971 · County jail pending transfer
Marysville, California
May 30, 1971 – Jun 02, 1971 · Marysville Jail · Moved for security reasons
Yuba City, California
Jun 02, 1971 – Jan 18, 1973 · Held during first trial proceedings
Vacaville, California
approx. 1973 – Dec 1973 · California Medical Facility · Stabbed by inmates 32 times, lost sight in left eye
Soledad, California
approx. 1981 – 1982 · Correctional Training Facility · Safe-keeper commitment pending retrial; moved to Alameda County for second trial
Alameda, California
Feb 22, 1982 – Sep 27, 1982 · Held during second trial
Soledad, California
Dec 23, 1982 – 1992 · Correctional Training Facility · Began serving second sentence conviction
Corcoran, California
1992 – Mar 04, 2019 · California State Prison-Corcoran, Protective Housing Unit · Protective Housing Unit for inmates whose safety endangered by general population
MX
Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico
1934 – 1950 · Birth place
Timeline
Feb 07, 1934
Juan Corona was born on 7 February 1934 in Autlán, Jalisco, Mexico.
1950
He first illegally entered the United States through the California border in 1950 at age 16, following the footsteps of his four brothers and one sister.
1953
Juan met and married his first wife in Reno.
May 1953
At his brother's suggestion, Juan returned to the Marysville-Yuba City area.
1956
After being returned by his brother to Mexico, Juan returns to the United States legally with a green card to work.
Jan 1956
Sutter County Hospital found Corona suffering from symptoms of schizophrenia and his brother Natividad authorized his commitment to DeWitt State Hospital in Auburn.
1958
Corona married a second time to Gloria Moreno.
1962
Corona obtained the contract for the Sullivan ranch and became a licensed labor contractor.
Feb 01, 1971
The span of crimes began February 1, 1971.
May 19, 1971
Mr. Kagehiro found a hole in the northeast corner of his peach orchard at about 10 a.m. on May 19, 1971.
May 20, 1971
The first victim body, Kenneth Whitacre, was discovered in the rest room of a peach orchard after the hole was found filled in.
May 26, 1971
Juan Corona was arrested, and his home was searched.
Jun 04, 1971
By the time the search was terminated on June 4, a total of 25 male victims had been discovered.
Jul 12, 1971
Corona was indicted on 25 counts of first degree murder after 6 separate sessions during the preceding 12 days.
Apr 13, 1972
The court of appeals granted Hawks writ of mandate that the trial be moved out of Sutter County because it is not possible for the defendant to receive a fair trail there.
Sep 11, 1972
The trial began in the Solano County courthouse in Fairfield, CA, more than an hour from Yuba City.
1973
He barely survived a stabbing attack in 1973 while at California Medical Facility in Vacaville that cost him the sight in his left eye.
Jan 18, 1973
Corona was found guilty of all charges on January 18, 1973, and sentenced to 25 consecutive life sentences.
Feb 17, 1973
He was sent to state prison on Feb. 17, 1973.
Jul 30, 1974
Juan's wife Gloria was granted a divorce.
May 09, 1978
Corona conviction overturned.
Feb 22, 1982
Juan Corona's second trial began on February 22, 1982, in California.
Sep 23, 1982
Verdict: Guilty on all 25 counts.
Dec 23, 1982
Corona began serving time for the Sutter County commitment.
1992
Corona was transferred from Correctional Training Facility to the Protective Housing Unit at CSP-Corcoran.
Mar 04, 2019
California State Prison-Corcoran inmate Juan Vallejo Corona, 85, died of natural causes at 8:15 a.m. on Monday, March 4 at an outside hospital.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
Other · Texas A&M University ·
Corona, Juan - Texas A&M Forensic and Investigative Sciences“Birth February 7, 1934; Death March 4, 2019; Convicted January 1973 on 25 counts; conviction overturned 1978; reconvicted 1982”
News report · Wikipedia ·
Juan Corona“Juan Vallejo Corona (February 7, 1934 – March 4, 2019) was convicted of 25 counts of first-degree murder in 1973; conviction overturned 1978; again found guilty 1982”
Court record · CourtListener / California Appellate Courts ·
People v. Corona“Kenneth Whitacre was the first victim whose remains were uncovered; evidence of Corona's presence at gravesite during crucial time period”
Other · Grokipedia ·
Juan Corona“First body discovered May 26, 1971 during investigation of stolen firearms report; Kenneth Whitacre 50-year-old transient laborer; stabbed and bludgeoned”
Law enforcement release · California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation ·
Inmate Juan Corona Dies of Natural Causes“California State Prison-Corcoran inmate Juan Vallejo Corona, 85, died of natural causes at 8:15 a.m. on Monday, March 4 at an outside hospital.”
News report · San Francisco Chronicle ·
Juan Corona, California's most prolific serial killer, dies of natural causes“Corona was serving 25 concurrent life sentences after being convicted of 25 counts of first-degree murder; at Corcoran State Prison”
News report · Appeal-Democrat ·
Juan Corona: Key events“Sutter County grand jury indicts Corona for 25 murders July 25, 1971; trial moved to Solano County June 30, 1972; convicted January 18, 1973”
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Corona, Juan“Juan Corona born in Mexico 1934; convicted of 25 counts of first-degree murder; 25 life sentences with possibility of parole”
Discussion
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