In the late summer of 1941, tragedy struck a Hermiston, Oregon farm family, forever altering the course of their lives. Cora Tobin, a 60-year-old woman, was living with her son, Kenneth Gorsuch, and her nephew, Marvin Adams. Their lives intersected with that of 17-year-old John Anthony Soto, whom they had taken into their home. The quiet life on the farm was shattered on September 25, 1941, when a dark secret came to light.
Cora had discovered that Soto was an escapee from an institution
for the "feeble-minded" in Sonoma County, California. A woman of principle, she informed the young man that she intended to report him to the authorities. This declaration sealed her fate. Around lunchtime that day, in the familiar surroundings of her own farmhouse, Soto shot and killed her to maintain his freedom.
The violence did not end with Cora's death. As the day wore on, both Marvin Adams, who was about 35 years old, and Kenneth Gorsuch, aged 30, returned home from work, unaware of the horror that awaited them. Soto, lying in wait, shot and killed both men as they arrived at different times. After committing the triple homicide, he fled the scene.
Soto's freedom, however, was short-lived. He was apprehended in Kennewick, Washington, later that same day. Faced with the evidence of his crimes, he immediately confessed to the murders of Cora Tobin, Kenneth Gorsuch, and Marvin Adams. The legal process that followed was swift. John Anthony Soto was tried, convicted, and ultimately executed for his crimes. On March 20, 1942, he was put to death in the gas chamber. His final words were reportedly, "I'm sorry. I want to be remembered to my folks."
