Imperial Valley press., 1923-03-29


PENDANT Mariana Cazarcs guilty of
murder in the first degree
Worried About Sweater
The long drawn out trial was
ended and Justice had been measur-
ed ont TO the murdercrs of Mike
lGlnasero. Both accused men I'M
Nerstand enough English to know
THAT the verdict was against them,
II but neither made any comment. At
H ter the court had set the time for
n imposing sentence, Richard Cohen,
n court interpreter, told both men in
3 Spanish that the verdict Of the jury
means they must each hang. Men
dcz made no comment, but CaZareZ
said the punishment was too severe
H or words to that effect. He then
asked if he could not have his red
sweater, which has been used as an
exhibit in the trial and was one Of
the chief clues used in finding Ca.
4 zares after the murder. Sheriff
q Gillett informed him he could have
it today.
at VI iHt htH, WHcH liSIeI
eight days, drew large crowds of
spectators and was bitterly contest
,fed from the start. Wilbur w.
VI Randall, counsel for Mendez and
Miller X. Kinds, acting in the same
capacity for Cazarcs, fought hard
TO establish the innocence Oe
their clients but it was hard job
at best.
Positive Identification of the men
by Mrs. Fornasero and her son
Joe, nine year old boy, as two
who participated in the murder, was
strong enough to convince the jury
that the right men had been found.
Efforts 20 minimize the accuracy
OF Joe $ testimony proved unavail-
ing and his evidence was undoubt.
eddy the determining factor in fast.
ching the crime on the men.
The prosecution, conducted by
District Attorney Utley and Deputy
D. f. simpson, produced plenty of
! evidence in addition to the tcsti-
~ m0ny Of the Fornaseros to fasten
the crime on the two men.
Vicious Crime
The murder of Mike Fornasero
and the subsequent assault on his
wife and three children was one of
the most atrocious crimes committed
in Southern California ~ years.
Early in the morning of January
4, u. G. Church, q rancher living
near the FOrnascro home in the
Meloland district, found Joe, Paul
and Jacinto Fornasero, the small
children of Mike Fornasero, lying
beside an irrigation ditch in front
'.of their home, their faces and
bodies covered with blood from ug-
~ wounds on their heads and with
the jaws of both boys fractured as
the result of blows from some blunt
.einstrument. Two of the children
" were unconscious when found, Paul
the youngest boy, alone being able
to talk and then only in low
whisper. Asked where his father
was, he pointed to the west and
there, but Il few feet away from
the children, lay the dead body of
their father whose skull had been
crushed by - terrific blow. Further
investigation by Mr.. Church result
ed in finding Mrs. FornaserO near
ly dead in small room in the
house, she also having been beaten
and abused and reduced TO such II
pitiable condition that it seemed
doubtful she would survive even for
"a few hours. IN. ~
Mr.. Church notified the sheriff 8
office and officers were rushed TO
the scene. First aid had been Civ
en- the FOrnasero family at Mr.
Church : home aud they We're later
taken to the FL Centric hospital
is where they remained for several
Vweeks. Mrs.. Fornasero was uncon.
seious and delirious for over Il
month. Even vet she is not fully
recovered and with both boys is
still under the care of doctor.
Children Tell Story
When the children could talk,
K they told story of three men who
had come to their house two nights
before Mr.. Church found them, a, d
after killing their father, attacked
their mother and later hit them in
the head with blunt instrument,
and rendered them unconscious.
For two nights and a day no one
came near the ranch and it has
4 never been known how the children
managed to survive the cold nights
in their weakened condition, nor
just when or how they managed to
drag themselves from the house 10
z the spot at which they were found
q by Mr.. Church.
Owing to the condition of the
children and Mrs. Fornasero, and
the length of time elapsing between
the commission of the crime and its
discovery, the sheriff and district
attorney were greatly. Handicapped
in their efforts to locate the muir.
dcrers. However, q general round
up of Mexicans in the Immediate
vicinity Of the crime was started
Il and through questioning, leads were
l. A.. i