Buried Bones - a historical true crime podcast with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes · Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

The Machete Murderer PT 2

October 15, 2025·1 hr·5 clips

Paul Holes identifies a sexual component in the machete murders, pointing to exposed genitalia and planted homosexual literature.

This episode continues the case of the 1971 Yuba City orchard murders, hosted by journalist Kate Winkler Dawson and retired cold case investigator Paul Holes. They analyze the investigation into Juan Corona, charged with 25 murders of transient white male farmworkers. Paul Holes examines the forensic and behavioral evidence, questioning the official psychiatric assessment of Corona. The victims were all older white transient men killed with sharp weapons like knives and a meat cleaver, then buried in graves about three feet deep in local orchards. In one case, a bloody trail led 15 yards from the attack site to the burial location. Some victims were found with their lower clothing disturbed or genitalia exposed, which Holes interprets as a potential sexual motivation. A 1970 assault on a man named Jose Romero Rea in a restaurant bathroom was linked to Juan Corona by his half-brother, Natividad Corona. Natividad Corona had previously petitioned to have Juan committed to DeWitt State Hospital in 1956, citing paranoia and violent behavior after a local flood. Juan Corona later worked as a licensed labor contractor, hiring migrant workers for the orchards where bodies were found. Upon his arrest on May 26, 1971, police seized numerous bloody tools from his possession, including knives, a meat cleaver, a bolo machete, and a pistol. Bank deposit slips bearing Juan Corona's name were found in one victim's grave. Paul Holes argues the offender displayed organized traits through victim selection and body disposal, but disorganized traits by keeping bloody evidence. He contrasts Corona with the "psychotic offender" model, exemplified by Richard Trenton Chase, doubting the schizophrenia diagnosis. The prosecution's case was hampered by circumstantial evidence and forensic mishaps, including mislabeled victims and lost evidence like a tire track cast. A forensic scientist testified that ABO blood typing from a cigarette butt in a grave indicated a type O secretor, while Corona and that victim were type A. Holes expresses skepticism about the reliability of 1970s ABO testing and secreter status analysis, referencing its later dismissal in the Golden State Killer case. The prosecution could not establish a clear motive, and the term "serial killer" was not in use at the time. The trial was moved to Fairfield, California, due to concerns about anti-Mexican sentiment in Yuba City. The tone is analytical and conversational, blending historical narrative with modern investigative critique. Listeners interested in forensic psychology, cold case methodology, and historical crime will find this episode compelling. Those seeking a resolved narrative or who are frustrated by procedural errors might find the details of the botched investigation discouraging.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Buried Bones - a historical true crime podcast with Kate Winkler Dawson and Paul Holes