On September 25, 1941, a tragic and shocking event occurred on a farm near Hermiston, Oregon, resulting in the deaths of three individuals, including Marvin Adams, who was 25 years old at the time of his death. The victims were Marvin Adams, his aunt Cora Tokin, and her son Kenneth Gorsuch. The discovery of the bodies was made by a neighbor, Edna Mulkins, who had visited the farm to borrow some eggs.
Upon finding no one inside the house, which was in order with the beds made, she ventured outside and found Kenneth Gorsuch behind the pig-pen, shot in the back of the head. This gruesome discovery prompted the immediate involvement of law enforcement.
The investigation, led by authorities including Goad, revealed that the other two victims, Cora Tokin and Marvin Adams, had also been shot in the back of the head. It was clear that the murders were not motivated by burglary or robbery, as all valuables and personal items were still present on the farm, except for a 1929 automobile owned by Kenneth Gorsuch. The police obtained the license number of the missing vehicle and issued an all-points bulletin for Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana.
The swift and diligent efforts of the law enforcement led to a breakthrough when the car was spotted in Kennewick, Washington. Goad and his team staked out the car and a nearby hotel, where they apprehended 16-year-old John Sota as he approached the vehicle. Upon taking Sota into custody, the police searched his hotel room and found a 9-shot. 22 revolver before Sota could retrieve it. Sota subsequently confessed to the triple murder, stating that he killed the victims because they 'knew too much.'
John Sota's arrest and confession brought a swift resolution to the investigation. On October 6, 1941, Sota was indicted by the Umatilla County Grand Jury on three counts of First-Degree Murder. The rapid and effective response by the law enforcement ensured that Sota was apprehended before he could commit any further crimes, marking the end of a high-stakes manhunt that had captivated the small town of Hermiston and surrounding areas.
