Prosecutors argued the physical evidence proved Monica’s guilt.

She claimed Delicino repeatedly shot himself and that Haney may have already been dead when she shot him. She signed a birthday card “the sweetest murderer in Jackson County.”

At trial, Monica acted as her own attorney at times and wore wigs.

The judge condemned her actions, saying she seemed to value her pigs more than human lives. Monica was found guilty of both murders and sentenced to life in prison, with no possibility of parole for at least 50 years. The dismemberment of their bodies and her constantly changing stories undermined her claims of mercy killings and self-defence. In the end, prosecutors argued that the physical evidence proved Susan Monica’s guilt in murdering Robert Haney and Stephen Delicino. She appeared wearing an array of wigs, personally cross-examined a detective, and loudly acted out shooting Delicino in front of the jury. Her behaviour in court was bizarre and erratic. Monica’s credibility unravelled further once she went to trial. She said if she told police about the other deaths, she would spend the rest of her life in jail. Most disturbingly, when asked if there were any other bodies on her land, Monica implied there could be up to 17 more victims. She went from saying she shot Delicino in self-defence to claiming he repeatedly shot himself in the head. Shocking Revelations and Changing Stories:Īs she spoke further with police, Susan Monica’s stories shifted and grew increasingly outlandish. Delicino had suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the head, and his body was dismembered like Haney’s. In the scuffle, Monica said she shot Delicino in self-defence.īut again, Monica’s version of events did not match the evidence. Monica claimed Delicino stole two of her guns, and they struggled over the weapons. She directed them to the location where the remains of Stephen Delicino were found.ĭelicino was a handyman who had worked for Monica back in 2012, a year before Robert Haney. When pressed by police about what else they might find on her land, Monica admitted there was a second body buried on the property. A Second Body Unearthed – Stephen Delicino Under questioning, Monica’s story took an even more chilling turn. They found a severed human leg, confirming their fears of foul play. Suspicious of Monica’s story, police searched the farm. She never reported Haney’s death because she feared her pigs would be euthanized. Believing he was suffering, she claimed to have shot him to “put him out of his misery” as she would do for injured livestock. When she looked closer, she realized in horror it was Haney’s body that the pigs were eating.Īccording to Monica, Haney was still alive but gravely wounded, with his guts exposed. She said that one day while outside, she came upon her pigs feeding on something. Monica told investigators an odd story to explain Robert Haney’s disappearance. They reported him missing, prompting police to question Monica about his disappearance. Haney’s belongings, including his dog, were still on the property. Right away, the Haneys doubted Monica’s story. Haney’s children visited the farm to look for their father, but Monica claimed he had quit and left months before. But in December 2013, his family grew concerned after not hearing from him for over two months. Haney worked on the farm for about six months. As payment, he would receive part cash and part room and board, living on Monica’s property in a trailer. Haney saw the job as a chance to enjoy a simple life in the countryside. In 2013, Monica hired a man named Robert Haney to help build a house on her farm. These work-for-hire arrangements would ultimately have deadly consequences. To aid in the construction projects, Monica often hired local handymen found through Craigslist ads and other sources. Over the years, Monica developed the farm, building a barn and making plans to construct a house.

Monica also ran a wrought iron fence and gate business called White Queen Construction. On the property, she raised livestock like pigs and chickens. In 1991, Monica purchased a 20-acre farm in the rural town of Wimer, Oregon. After leaving the military, Monica began living as a woman and working as a successful engineer. She served in the Navy during the Vietnam War before being honourably discharged. Susan Monica was born Steven Buchanan in 1948 in California.

“You valued pigs more than you value people,” the judge later told her at sentencing. As the macabre case unfolded, a disturbing tale emerged of murder, dismemberment, and lies from the farm’s owner, Susan Monica. When investigators searched her property, they found the partial remains of two missing men-Robert Haney and Stephen Delicino. In the quiet countryside of rural Oregon, a grim discovery was made on the farm of Susan Monica in 2014.

Susan monica pig farm