Jury: The People Vs. Juan Corona

by Victor. Villasenor

On May 20, 1971, the body of a brutally murdered man was dug up by sheriff's deputies near Yuba City, California. Over the next two weeks, two dozen more bodies would be discovered. Juan Corona, a labor contractor, was arrested and charged with the largest mass murder ever attributed to one man in the United States. Victor Villasenor's detailed recreation of the trial is the product of sixty hours of taped interviews with each juror and reveals the shocking truth behind a devastating murder spree that rocked the country.

Genres: True Crime

Hardcover

First published May 1, 1977

Reviews

[Steve]

Came across this title and recommendation in Bill James book, Popular Crime and finally got around to reading it. True crime fans will probably appreciate the uniqueness of Villasenor's work as he presents a fly on the wall account of a jury deliberation, with each chapter constituting a full day on the jury, from wake up call to lights out. Without spoiling anything this was far from an open and shut case so it was most interesting to see the myriad personalities interact as you watched in horror at just how differently human beings process, experience, and defend their reality.

[Fishface]

A maddening, terrifying read! Takes you through, not the crimes and trial, but the jury deliberations in the Juan Corona serial-murder case. Really makes you realize how dicey the decision-making process can be and how arbitrary the outcome. The take-home message is to never let yourself get into a position where your future is in the hands of 12 strangers, all of whom might turn out to be idiots.

[Katie]

dissertation book