In the remote woodlands of Wimer, Oregon, a chilling tale of murder, deception, and grisly secrets unfolded on a 20-acre farm owned by Susan Monica. Born Steven Buchanan in 1948 in California, Monica had served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War before transitioning to living as a woman. As an engineer, she built a successful career and eventually purchased the undeveloped land in Oregon in 1991. Transforming the property into a farm, she raised pigs and chickens while operating a wrought-iron fence and gate-building business called White Queen Construction. What seemed like an idyllic life on the surface, however, would soon become a horrifying story of death, mutilation, and dark mysteries.
The Eerie Nature of Monica’s Property
The eerie nature of Monica’s property was apparent to others, with rumors circulating that she had once claimed 17 bodies were buried on the land. In 2013, Monica hired Robert Haney, a handyman she found through a Craigslist ad. Haney agreed to work for part cash and room on the property while he built a house for Monica. Though Haney appreciated the solitude of life in the woods, his family grew concerned when they hadn’t heard from him for two months in December 2013.
In early January 2014, Haney’s children drove to the farm to check on their father. Monica claimed he had quit working for her four months prior and left without explanation. However, Haney’s children knew something was wrong when they discovered his belongings, leather jacket, dog, and tools still on the property. They filed a missing person report with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, setting off an investigation that would reveal a gruesome reality.
The Gruesome Discovery
Detectives soon discovered that Monica had been using Haney’s Oregon Trail Electronics Benefit Transfer (EBT) card after she claimed he had disappeared. Security camera footage showed Monica using the card at a Walmart in Grants Pass, Oregon. Alarmed by this discovery and suspecting foul play, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Monica’s property.
The search revealed a squalid and chaotic scene, with piles of garbage, rotting food, and industrial waste scattered across the land. Amid the filth, investigators made a horrifying discovery: a human leg in a catchment pond. Confronting Monica with this evidence, she recounted a bizarre and disturbing story. She claimed to have found Haney in her pigpen, being eaten alive by her pigs. Unable to stop the animals, Monica said she shot Haney to put him out of his misery. She left his body for the pigs to consume and later placed the remains in garbage bags, one of which had been dragged to the pond by a wild animal.
Monica’s gruesome tale didn’t end there. When asked if more bodies could be found on her property, she broke down and confessed that there was worse to come. She drew a map, marking an “X” where the body of Stephen Delicino, another handyman, was buried. Delicino had worked on Monica’s property a year before Haney arrived. According to Monica, Delicino had been shot in the head during a confrontation over stolen guns. Rather than alerting the authorities, she fed his body to her pigs and buried the remaining fragments.
The Aftermath and Lingering Questions
Monica’s chilling admission hinted at the possibility of even more victims.
She claimed that if she were to reveal the truth about “the 17 others,” she would spend the rest of her life in jail. Arrested on January 14, 2014, Monica faced charges of murder, first-degree abuse of a corpse, and identity theft. Her pigs were euthanized, and crime scene investigators combed her property for weeks, digging over 100 holes in search of additional remains. While they found the remains of Haney and Delicino, along with numerous personal belongings such as a pile of shoes, no other bodies were discovered.
During Monica’s trial in April 2015, her former cellmate Jordan Farris testified that Monica had given her a birthday card signed, “The sweetest murderer in Jackson County.” Farris also shared a different account of Haney’s murder, claiming that Monica had shot him after an argument and then pushed him into the pigpen. After only an hour of deliberation, the jury found Susan Monica guilty on all counts. She was sentenced to a minimum of 50 years in prison.
Despite the gruesome discoveries and chilling confessions, law enforcement officials continue to wonder whether Monica had more victims throughout the years. The haunting statement about “the 17 others” remains a lingering question in the minds of investigators. Former Jackson County Sheriff’s Detective Eric Henderson firmly believes that there are more victims yet to be discovered on Monica’s property.
The Dark Reality of Monica’s Farm
The disturbing tale of Susan Monica’s farm serves as a stark reminder that appearances can be deceiving. The seemingly idyllic rural life hid a twisted and dark reality, shrouded in the eerie woods of Oregon. The gruesome events that unfolded on the farm have left an indelible mark on the community and continue to intrigue and horrify those who learn of the case.
As Monica serves her sentence behind bars, the full extent of her crimes may never be truly known. The unanswered questions and unsettling rumors continue to haunt the minds of investigators, family members, and the public alike. What other secrets lay buried on that isolated farm in the Oregon woods? Only Susan Monica knows the truth, and she may take it with her to the grave.
Deep Lore 