James Wylie Howard, a 64-year-old Caucasian male, was among the 25 victims of Juan Vallejo Corona's 1971 killing spree in Sutter County, California. Born on May 25, 1907, in Elida, Roosevelt County, New Mexico, Howard was murdered between May 1 and May 13, 1971. His body was discovered buried in a peach orchard along the Feather River, exhibiting multiple stab wounds and severe head trauma consistent with Corona's modus operandi.
The investigation into these murders commenced on May 19, 1971, when a peach farmer near Yuba City noticed a freshly dug and refilled hole in his orchard. Upon excavation, authorities uncovered the body of Kenneth Whitacre, a 40-year-old transient man, who had been stabbed and suffered severe head injuries. This grim discovery led to a comprehensive search of the area, resulting in the unearthing of 25 male victims, all buried in shallow graves across multiple locations. The victims, primarily transient laborers, had been brutally attacked, with many showing evidence of machete wounds and blunt force trauma.
Juan Vallejo Corona, a Mexican-born labor contractor, quickly became the prime suspect due to several incriminating pieces of evidence. Employment records linked him to many of the victims, and witnesses reported seeing him in the vicinity of the burial sites during critical times. A search of Corona's residence and vehicle revealed bloodstained weapons, including a machete and knives, as well as a ledger containing the names of several victims. Corona was arrested on May 26, 1971, and subsequently charged with 25 counts of first-degree murder. In 1973, he was convicted on all counts and sentenced to 25 consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole. Although his conviction was overturned in 1978 due to inadequate legal representation, a retrial in 1982 reaffirmed his guilt, and he was again sentenced to 25 life terms. Corona remained incarcerated until his death from natural causes on March 4, 2019, at the age of 85.
