Mira Loma's Dirty Little Secret

SAN RAMON, CA – September 2, 2013 - Southern California 1928. The movie industry was going strong in Los Angeles, Palm Springs was a booming resort attracting movie stars and wealthy clients – and in between, agriculture was thriving.

Just south of Ontario, Mira Linda, CA – then known as Wineville – was a small, non-descript agricultural town – one of many between LA and Palm Springs. Many young boys began disappearing from Southern California, and police were stymied.

Gordon Northcott, and his mother, Sarah Louise Northcott, operated a chicken ranch in Wineville. Northcott, just 19 years old, had immigrated from Canada and persuaded his 13 year old nephew to move with him to help out on the ranch.

Sanford, with his parent permission, eagerly agreed. But once at the ranch, his uncle and grandmother had other things in mind.

Gordon Northcott repeatedly beat and sexually abused Sanford, and eventually forced him to help kidnap, beat, abuse, and then murder several other young boys.

Sanford’s mother (and Gordon’s sister) had a bad gut feeling about her son, and made the trip from Canada to Wineville to visit him at the ranch of her brother and mother. One hot August night, as the rest of her family slept, Sanford confessed the horrors that were going on at the ranch. He told his mother about the brutal beatings, rape, and eventual murder of three young boys.

Sanford’s mother returned home and notified authorities in Los Angeles through the American Consul in Canada. Since there was a question of Gordon’s immigration status, the US Immigration Service was the law enforcement that moved in and took 15 year old Sanford into custody. Gordon and his mother fled back to Canada.

The two were eventually arrested – Sarah Louise was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Gordon Northcott was hanged.

Why retell this story? because the home and the farm still exists. It is located at 6330 Wineville Rd, Mira Loma, CA. The original home still stands. The chicken coops are gone, but it’s fairly easy to identify their location on the property from crime scene photos.

If you decide to visit the property, please be respectful of tenants who live at the home. Few folks are still alive that remember the murders, but some can be found.

Wineville, embarrassed by it’s first and only (known) serial killer, changed it’s name to Mira Loma in 1930 shortly after the trial.

More information can be found by GOOGLING Gordon Northcott or Wineville Chicken Coop Murders.

If you have a stigmatized home that you need to sell (murder, suicide, haunting, etc.) The Hagley Group will represent you anywhere in California. We also consult free of charge across the United States. Cindi Hagley can be reached at 925-824-4877.