Former sheriff dies at 84

Michaela Harris, Appeal-Democrat, Marysville, Calif.
·2 min read

Apr. 25—Former Sutter County Sheriff Roy Whiteaker passed away on Thursday at age 84.

The Sutter County Sheriff's Office said on social media that Whiteaker held his position as sheriff from 1971 to 1990. At age 31, he was reportedly the youngest sheriff ever elected in California at the time.

Alma Amaya, a former Sutter County Sheriff's cadet, told the Appeal that Whiteaker passed early Thursday morning at Adventist Health/Rideout Hospital in Marysville. He is survived by his wife Gladys, their children and grandchildren.

"As a young person, (Whiteaker) was an example to look up to. I was 16 when he hired me as a cadet. He was someone of high moral standard. For someone looking to be in law enforcement, he was a role model," Amaya said.

According to the New York Times archives, Whiteaker was born on Oct. 9, 1939, in Calico Rock, Arkansas. His family moved to Hawthorn when he was just a year old. He became interested in law enforcement after joining the Army in 1959, where he became a military policeman, the New York Times reported.

While in the Army, Whiteaker was stationed in Panama for nearly three years, where he married his wife. The couple moved to Yuba City in 1962, according to Appeal archives.

Within his first year as sheriff, Whiteaker oversaw the arrest of Juan Corona, who was convicted of murder after 25 bodies were found buried in Sutter County orchards. Whiteaker was quoted in reporting from that time as being "certain that (Corona) committed the murders."

According to a reelection campaign found in the Appeal's archives, Whiteaker was the first narcotics detective hired for the Yuba City Police Department and helped organize Yuba-Sutter's first narcotics task force. In 1989, the Sutter County Sheriff's Office seized $4.25 million worth of illegal drugs, or nearly $11 million in today's currency.

In 1988, Whiteaker was the Democratic nominee to represent California District 1 in the state assembly, running against Republican incumbent John Doolittle. Whiteaker ultimately lost the race, earning 45.7% of votes. He left his role with Sutter County in 1990 and was succeeded by former Yuba City Police Captain Art Brandwood.

"Roy was a tremendous leader and he served as a mentor to so many, including myself. He will be missed but never forgotten," Sutter County Sheriff Brandon Barnes said in a statement.