Lewisville woman found decapitated; husband sought

12:00 AM CDT on Wednesday, April 28, 2010
By WENDY HUNDLEY / The Dallas Morning News

A chainsaw was still running when police arrived on the scene of a grisly slaying on Monday in Lewisville.

The decapitated body of Maria Corona, a 44-year-old mother of six, was found in the street near her home in the 1000 block of Shadow Wood Lane. A trail of blood led from the body to her home, where a white pickup truck was parked in the driveway.

"On the tailgate were two chainsaws, both of which had blood and tissue matter on them," according to a police search warrant affidavit released Tuesday. "One of the chainsaws was still running upon patrol officer arrival."

Lewisville police have asked for assistance from state and federal authorities in locating Jose Fernando Corona, the 49-year old husband of the victim. Police have issued an arrest warrant for Corona, charging him with murder.

Police are waiting for the autopsy results from the Tarrant County medical examiner to determine the cause of death.

While officers were still at the scene on Monday, the couple's oldest daughter, Carla Corona, arrived home to discover the gruesome crime and identified the victim as her mother.

Carla Corona's husband, Freddie Arellano, told authorities that Jose Corona had called a few minutes earlier to say that he "had done it, he had killed her and was going to drag her body next door," according to the affidavit.

Jose Corona has no prior criminal history, but the couple had been having marital problems, Lewisville police Capt. Kevin Deaver said

Investigators originally thought that Corona might have fled in his 2005 Toyota Sequoia. But they later learned that he had stopped at a Dallas car dealership Monday afternoon and took a gold pickup truck for a test drive. He never returned.

Lewisville police are now looking for a two-door 1991 Ford Ranger with Texas license plate AA24004.

Police believe Maria Corona was killed between 11 and 11:10 a.m. Monday. They were called to the scene about 11:15 a.m. after the body was discovered by a postal carrier.

Officers noticed that a security camera is mounted on the corner of the couple's home and thought it might have captured the crime. But Deaver said Tuesday that the device was not working.

The violence of the crime shocked the police veteran.

"Over 20 years in law enforcement and I've never seen anything like this," he said.

From: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/crime/stories/DN-lewbody_28met.ART.State.Edition1.4c5f3bd.html