Cathy Lynn Sarinana lived with her husband Raul and their young children in Corona, CA. In August 2005, the couple took in Cathy’s nephews, 13-year-old Conrad and 11-year-old Ricky Morales, while the boys’ mother was incarcerated. The family then relocated from Washington State to Corona. Though outwardly maintaining a normal home life, court records later revealed Cathy was controlling and complicit in severe abuse, including deprivation of food, physical torment, and concealment of bodies. 

From the summer of 2005 to Christmas Day, Raul and Cathy Sarinana held their nephews in a harrowing cycle of violence and confinement.
Thirteen-year-old Conrad Morales moved from Washington to live with his aunt and uncle in Corona, California, during the summer of 2005. After Conrad was reported missing on 8 October 2005, investigators later pieced together a chilling timeline: his body had been hidden in a plastic trash barrel, encased in concrete, and placed in the carport of the Sarinanas' residence. Forensic estimates suggested he died months earlier, around August 2005, before the family relocated. 

Local law enforcement confirmed the grisly discovery on 11 January 2006, when Lewis County dental records matched the body. The barrel was removed from the concrete in the carport, exposing just how meticulously Raul and Cathy tried to conceal the crime. 

Eleven-year-old Ricky Morales joined his brother in Corona, but this turned into a nightmare. On 25 December 2005, neighbors didn’t hear Ricky at home—until Raul called 911 the next day, admitting he'd beaten his nephew. Police responded on 26 December to find Ricky’s battered body hidden inside a bedroom closet. 

A Riverside County coroner’s report and ABC7 pretrial documents revealed the horrific details: Ricky sustained severe blunt-force injuries, broken ribs, internal trauma to his abdomen and genitals, cigarette burns, and long-healed scars—demonstrating that he endured repeated abuse over time. Raul later confessed that Ricky was disciplined for skipping breakfast: he threw the boy into the closet, kicked him repeatedly, and later discovered him dead. 

Raul and Cathy were arrested on 26 December 2005, as authorities uncovered Ricky’s body and the concealed remains of Conrad in the carport. Investigators found blood spatters throughout the home, detailed records in Conrad’s diary illustrating life under their uncle’s roof, and evidence of deliberate concealment and torture. The diary, turned into courtroom evidence, described Conrad’s emotional turmoil, describing events like punishment for wetting the bed and fear of abuse from his uncle. 

The trial began in early 2009, separating Cathy and Raul into two jury panels. On 27 March 2009, both were found guilty of first-degree murder and torture, based on overwhelming physical evidence and testimony. Cathy received the death penalty by separate jury recommendation, which was officially issued on 26 June 2009.