The Dark Legacy of Fernando Eros Caro

The Early Years

On December 3, 1949, Fernando Eros Caro Jr. was born in Brawley, California, into a life tinged with hardship and adversity. The firstborn of eight children to migrant workers of Mexican-Aztec and Yaqui descent, Caro's childhood was marked by relentless labor in the fields alongside his parents and frequent beatings. School was no refuge for Caro, where he endured the nickname "Stinky" due to the pungent odor of pesticides that clung to him from his work in the fields.

Despite these challenges, Caro persevered academically, eventually attending San Diego State University to study civil engineering. However, his academic pursuits were short-lived, and he soon left university to enlist in the Marine Corps. Rising to the rank of officer, Caro flew attack helicopters, a position of prestige that ended with an honorable discharge. Yet, the transition to civilian life was troubled. In 1976, Caro committed his first known crime, abducting and raping a law clerk in the desert. Convicted for this heinous act, he served two years in prison before returning to society—a society that would soon witness far darker deeds.

A Trail of Tragedy

The Abduction of Victoria DeSantiago

February 3, 1979, dawned like any other day in Fresno, California, for 8-year-old Victoria "Toria" DeSantiago. Tasked with buying bread, she left home with her 3-year-old sister, Eva Marie, and the family dog. The errand turned nightmarish when the dog bolted, leading the sisters into the path of Fernando Caro. Offering to help find the runaway pet, Caro instead kidnapped the girls. Hours later, he released Eva Marie after raping her, but Victoria's fate was sealed. Caro drove her to a field, where he raped and brutally beat her to death. Her lifeless body was discovered in a dry creek bed three days later.

The city of Fresno was left reeling from this atrocity. Outpourings of sympathy flooded in for the DeSantiago family, and local establishments rallied financial support. Under immense pressure to solve the crime, the Fresno Police Department launched a massive investigation, interviewing 292 suspects. Yet, despite employing aerial photography and even hypnosis on potential witnesses, the case grew cold. The sole reliable witness was only three years old, and without concrete evidence, the killer remained free.

The impact of Victoria's murder spurred the community into action, birthing advocacy programs like "Play It Safe," aimed at educating children on self-protection and pushing for tougher laws against child predators.

The Double Murder of Mark Hatcher and Mary Booher

A year and a half later, on August 20, 1980, tragedy struck again. Fifteen-year-old cousins Mark Hatcher and Mary Helen Booher were enjoying a bike ride near a peach orchard when they encountered Caro in his orange pickup. Under the guise of friendliness, he convinced them to stop, then shot Hatcher dead and abducted Booher. In his escape, Caro collided with a parked truck, prompting the vehicle's owners, Jack Lucchesi and Rick Donner, to pursue him. Unbeknownst to them, Caro was armed. When confronted, Caro opened fire, injuring both men before fleeing once more.

Later that night, Booher was executed in an orange grove outside Fresno. Her body was soon found and laid to rest beside her cousin.

Investigation and Capture

Lucchesi and Donner, despite their injuries, provided police with a description of Caro and his vehicle. One was even hypnotized to recall part of the license plate, which closely matched Caro's. This breakthrough led investigators to Caro at his workplace on August 25, 1980. Attempting to flee, Caro was swiftly captured and jailed, much to the disbelief of his coworkers, who knew him as a reserved, seemingly amiable man.

Charged with two counts of murder, assault with a deadly weapon, kidnapping, and attempted rape, Caro's arrest seemed to close a dark chapter. Yet, shadows loomed over other unsolved cases.

Unsolved Murders: Charlena Simon and Robin Snead

In the summer of 1980, the bodies of two unidentified teenage girls were discovered in an orchard near Shafter. They bore signs of brutal violence—bound, raped, and shot. Despite having items that should have led to identification, the girls remained "Jane Does" for years. In 1993, they were finally identified as Charlena Marie Simon and Robin Denise Snead, runaways whose parents believed they had started new lives elsewhere. Though Caro was never charged with their murders, detectives considered the case closed with his arrest.

Trial and Legal Proceedings

Facing the death penalty, Caro's trial was moved to San Jose due to the case's notoriety. Witnesses Lucchesi and Donner testified against him, recounting their harrowing encounter, while arresting officers noted Caro's attempts to alter his appearance and hide his truck. Despite Caro's defense efforts to separate charges related to the Kern County murders, he was convicted and sentenced to death.

Over time, Caro's legal team pursued numerous appeals, citing his abusive upbringing and chemical exposure at work as factors that led to mental abnormalities. In 2002, his death sentence was overturned, and he was resentenced to life imprisonment. However, in 2009, DNA evidence linked him to the murder of Victoria DeSantiago, and prosecutors sought the death penalty once again.

Life on Death Row and Death

While awaiting the outcome of this new trial, Caro remained on death row at San Quentin State Prison, where he turned to painting, selling his work worldwide. On January 28, 2017, Caro was found dead in his cell, his death attributed to natural causes.

In the end, Fernando Eros Caro's life was a tapestry of violence and tragedy, leaving an indelible mark on the communities and families shattered by his actions.

Sources

For more detailed information and references, visit the Wikipedia article on Fernando Eros Caro.