John Joseph Haluka was 52 when his body was found in a Sutter County peach orchard on May 25, 1971. A local farmer discovered a freshly filled-in hole on his property; excavation revealed Haluka’s body among several shallow graves containing other victims, all believed to be transient farm laborers.

Investigators focused on labor contractor Juan Corona after witnesses said they last saw some victims in his vehicle. A May 26, 1971 search of Corona’s home turned up bloodstained knives, a machete, a pistol, bloody clothing and a ledger listing several victims’ names. Corona was charged with 25 counts of first-degree murder, including Haluka’s, and was convicted in 1973; a later retrial in 1982 again returned guilty verdicts on all counts, resulting in consecutive life sentences.

What details about Haluka’s life or his time working in the orchards might help explain how he came to be targeted?