SAN QUENTIN —Condemned inmate Fernando Eros Caro, 67, who was on California’s death row from Fresno County, was pronounced dead at around 11:45 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at San Quentin State Prison. The cause of death is unknown pending the results of an autopsy. Caro had been on death row since Jan. 5, 1982.
Caro was sentenced to death by a Santa Clara County jury for the Aug. 20, 1980, first-degree murders of Jack Lucchesi, Mark Hatcher and Mary Helen Booher, and the attempted murder of Rick Donner. Caro encountered Hatcher and Booher, who were bicycling in a tangerine orchard, in Fowler. He shot and killed Hatcher, drove Booher a short distance and shot and killed her in a nearby orange orchard. Caro subsequently collided with Donner’s car, shot Lucchesi and Donner and dumped the first two victims and their bicycles in an irrigation canal.
Since 1978, when California reinstated capital punishment, 71 condemned inmates have died from natural causes, 25 have committed suicide, 13 have been executed in California, one was executed in Missouri, one was executed in Virginia, eight have died from other causes, and three (including Caro) have their cause of death pending. There are currently 750 offenders on California’s death row.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, January 30, 2017
CONTACT: Lt. Sam Robinson, (415) 455-5008
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