Theyve never talked to me. That is the question. Puente ran a boarding house out of a two-story Victorian home on F Street for years . Genaro Molina/Sacramento Bee/MCT/Getty Images. Convicted of three slayings, Puente earned the nickname the "Death House Landlady." The two-part Oxygen series "Murders at the Boarding House" chronicles Puente's unsettling story. But on the way to the storage facility, Puente abruptly asked Florez to pull over near a riverbank and just push the box into the water. Shed also been linked to another two previous deaths that were now seen as too similar to ignore. Being escorted to a police car after her capture in 1988, serial killer Dorothea Puente told gathering reporters 'I used to be a very good person, at one time'. Instead, Puente opened up her second boarding house. Puente had Chief dig in the basement and cart soil and rubbish away in a wheelbarrow. A manhunt ensued for the 59-year-old woman, and she was eventually foundfour days later at a California motel. One was missing its hands, head and feet. Sacramento has had more than its share of serial killers, but none as unlikely as grandmotherly Dorothea Puente. Between 1982 and 1989, Puente would take in the vulnerable and homeless poisoning and strangling some of her guests before burying them on her property and cashing their social security checks. Dorothea Helen PUENTE . According to Radford University, both of Puente's parents suffered from alcoholism, and Puente experienced physical abuse while they were alive and was often underfed. I think you can only truly understand why so many people testified and asked you to spare Dorothea's life only if you have ever fallen down and stumbled on the road of life and had someone pick you up, give you comfort, give you love, show you the way. The police returned and searched the house, finding nothing, so they asked permission to dig up the garden so they could tell the social worker theyve done all they can. After sixteen months, the couple separated, with Gray citing domestic abuse. The prosecutor, John O'Mara, was the homicide supervisor in the Sacramento County District Attorney's office. "In 1948, she stole some government checks and used them to buy clothes" in San Bernardino. I can't eat this any more! [citation needed], A few weeks later, the police returned after Malcolm McKenzie, a 74-year-old pensioner (one of four elderly people Puente was accused of drugging), accused Puente of drugging and stealing from him. Pathologists testified that they hadnt been able to fix the cause of death for any of the corpses. While the police were digging, Dorothea Puente asked if she could run out to buy a coffee. [19] It was then the subject of the 2015 documentary short The House Is Innocent and was again opened to tours for one day in conjunction with a local film festival's showing of the film.[20]. It was difficult to determine, though, whether she had poisoned the tenants or if they had taken the fatal overdoses themselves, according to Sactown Magazine. I made them change their clothes every day, take a bath every day and eat three meals a day. "Yet despite the fact that Dorothea was on everybody's radar, nothing was done. Dorothea Puente, ne Dorothea Helen Gray, was born on January 9, 1929, in Redlands, California. A human leg and a badly discomposed foot were dug up separately in another part of the yard. The jury was deadlocked eleven to one for conviction on all counts, and the lone holdout finally agreed to a conviction of two first-degree murder counts, including special circumstances, and one second-degree murder count. And since she never reported their deaths, "their social security checks continued to come in, and Puente continued to forge their signatures and collect the cash.". Dorothea Puente looked like a sweet grandmother but looks can be deceiving. Dorothea Puente was born Dorothea Helen Gray in Redlands, California, on January 9, 1929. Her childhood was not an easy one her mother was an abusive alcoholic who died when she was 10 and her father died when she was 8, Sactown Magazine reported in 2008. ", Between 1985 and 1988, Puente is believed to have murdered at least seven people who lived at her boarding house. Suspicions first arose about Puente in 1988, after Judy, an outreach counsellor with Volunteers of America, noticed 52-year-old Alvaro Montoya someone shed placed at Puentes house had vanished. In the 1980s, she ran a boarding house in Sacramento, California, and murdered various elderly and mentally disabled boarders before cashing their Social Security checks. One decomposed leg was found on one side of the garden, and a foot was found on the other (Pictured: Investigators compile miscellaneous body parts found in the ground, 1988). Seven bodies were eventually found buried on the property.[10]. She had a traumatic childhood after being raised by alcoholic parents. She set about creating a more matronly image with her clothes and makeup, added years to her age, and became an in-home caretaker. Shes making me lie for her.. Puente died in prison at Chowchilla on March 27, 2011, from natural causes; she was 82. There, the former prostitute turned back to a life of crime. Puente continued to collect Gillmouth's pension and wrote letters to his family, explaining that the reason he had not contacted them was because he was ill. She continued to maintain a boarding house, taking in forty new tenants. You can not judge a book by its cover and she had one heck of a cover.. After Puente opened up her boarding house at 1426 F Street, a string of people died there. Judy Moise, an outreach counselor with Volunteers of America, became suspicious when Montoya vanished. Puente took in so-called shadow people people who were marginally homeless without close family or friends. Together, they moved back to Sacramento. But soon, in the predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, Puente started going around as if she were a doctor, offering "vitamin" injections and medical advice to local residents. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! [6], In 1978, Gray was charged and convicted of illegally cashing thirty-four state and federal checks that belonged to her tenants. Dorothea Puente was a California landlady who ran a boarding house in Sacramento during the 1980s. letter to change from full time to prn; bstrong charity rating; Application. The boarding house at 1426 F Street in Sacramento was included in the 2013 home tour held by the Sacramento Old City Association. Then learn about Aileen Wuornos, historys most terrifying female serial killer. 104-107. Although their marriage lasted over ten years, most accounts agree that it was an unhappy and violent relationship. [11], Puente has been featured on numerous true crime television shows, including Crime Stories,[12] Deadly Women,[13] A Stranger in My Home,[14] World's Most Evil Killers,[15] and Worst Roommate Ever.[16]. She was given five years probation and ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution. In 1961, Johansson had Gray briefly committed to DeWitt State Hospital after a binge of drinking, lying, criminal behavior, and suicide attempts. We've received your submission. This is the disturbing story of Dorothea Puente, the Death House Landlady.. On her way back, she insisted to reporters that she hadnt killed anyone, claiming: I used to be a very good person at one time.. A pen pal friendship developed, and when Puente was released in 1985 after serving three years of her five-year sentence, he met her outside the prison, driving a red 1980 Ford pickup. James Gallop, 62, (continued left to right) Dorothy Miller, 64. seven years after the death of Puente, a man named William Harder had claimed to be her grandson. She met and married Fred McFaul in 1945. The authorities left the cause of death as undetermined, since there was such an excessive amount of both these drugs, and she was bedridden at the time. After she was released, he moved to be with her, The Los Angeles Times reported. But God always puts obstacles in peoples way.". She then asked Florez to transport the filled, sealed box to a storage depot. [citation needed], Granting a change of venue motion filed by Puente's lawyers, Kevin Clymo and Peter Vlautin III, a judge transferred the trial to Monterey County. [3] Her parents were both alcoholics and her father repeatedly threatened to commit suicide in front of his children. Six more corpses would follow, but Puente was still on the run. The Los Angeles Review of Books writes that Puente was arrested and convicted "of forging her tenants' signatures on their benefits checks." I dont know that she ever did anything good without a bad motive.. Moise alerted police, who went to the boarding house. After a number of legal hurdles, Puente's trial eventually went ahead four years later. Apparently, Puente's neighbors had been complaining about the smell and flies coming from Puente's backyard since May. 'Never judge a book by its cover,' said retired police officer John Cabrera in 2018, the lead investigator on the case. During her trial, a witness also testified that Puente was sexually abused during her time at the orphanage. Another tenant, John Sharp, backed her up. Florida family found dead in pool identified as mom reveals dad and kids went on daily swim that came to a 'sudden end'. Jodi Picoult mentions Puente's crimes and cookbook in her novel House Rules. The pensioner contacted local law enforcement who then quickly arrested Puente. Vlautin spoke gently about Puente's childhood touching on the traumatic aspects that shaped her life and urged the jurors to see the world through her eyes. Despite the fact that parole officers visited Dorothea Puente's boarding house numerous times and were aware of the stipulation that she stay away from elderly people and not handle government checks, nothing ever happened. What followed was a string of marriagesand criminal convictions. Oxygen will air a documentary about Puente, "Murders at the Boarding House," on . Puentes next two marriages would be short-lived. Dorothea Puente, the Sacramento Victorian boarding house Landlady where police found seven bodies buried in her yard. Shes making me lie for her.. She even wrote a cookbook from behind bars: "Cooking with a Serial Killer.". Chief later dismantled a garage in the backyard and installed a fresh concrete slab there as well. The man was left conscious but paralyzed, and he watched Puente rob his apartment. Dorothea Puente, infamously known as the "Death House Lady," was responsible for the deaths of nine elderly and mentally disabled individuals, plus an additional unconfirmed six people (via Crime Museum).From April 1982 through November 1988, Puente ran a boarding house where she stole from her tenants to the tune of $5,000/month (via Murderpedia), before she would kill them with drug overdoses. Puente was supposed to stick around to serve out her probation, but in a sign of things to come she skipped town instead. Prosecutors said that Puente was one of the most cold and calculating female killers the country had ever seen. Puente's deceptive appearance would later go on to confuse the jury presiding over her trial. [1] Vera Martin, 64. But in fact, it's believed that Puente murdered Gillmouth in late November or early December 1985. Amanda Sedlak-Hevener. She denied everything.. The tenant eventually told police Puente hired prisoners on furlough to dig holes in her yard and filled some of the holeswith concrete, and also alerted them to another boarder who had mysteriously vanished. Despite the guilty verdict of her . Dorothea Puente was captured in 1988 after killing seven residents and burying their dismembered bodies his her backyard, in Sacramento, California The seemingly sweet old lady proves looks can. In 1982, Puente picked up a man in a bar, and they went back to his apartment together. She was given five years' probation and ordered to pay $4,000 in restitution. The following year, she died in a motorcycle accident. Everson Gillmouth, 77. But their marriage was brief only three years and hinted at trouble beneath the surface. However, she was arrested before she could board the plane, and this time, her lawyer wasn't able to argue that she wasn't a flight risk. This Guy Collects Artwork From Serial Killers - VICE, Do not sell or share my personal information. Alvaro had struggled with his mental health and been homeless for years, and Judy didnt buy Puentes explanation that hed left for a holiday in Mexico with his brother especially as she knew he didnt speak to his family. Puente passed away in 2011 from natural causes at the Central California Facility in Chowchilla, aged 82. Meanwhile, another six bodies had been found in Puentes back garden, including those of 51-year-old Alberto Montoya, 64-year-old Dorothy Miller, 55-year-old Benjamin Fink, 62-year-old James Gallop, 64-year-old Vera Faye Martin and 78-year-old Betty Palmer. After learning about the murders inside Dorothea Puentes house, read about the serial killer known as the Angel of Death. [citation needed]. "She sat there so totally motionless and emotionless, one juror said of Puente's demeanor during the trial, the outlet reported. To many, Dorothea Puente seemed like an angel. At one point, she tried to earn a living as a sex worker in Washington state. According to Sactown Magazine, "Puente's vanishing ignited a manhunt that stretched to Mexico," and it took police five days to track her down. Puente, who took in people who were older, disabled, or otherwise ailing, would steal their Social Security and benefits checks and poison them by lacing their food with prescription medicine, according to The Los Angeles Times. According to Sactown Magazine, the jury deliberated for 24 days, "the longest deliberation in a murder case in state history," and convicted Puente on three out of the nine killings in August 1993. She pled guilty to two counts of forgery, serving four months in jail and three years' probation. She was secretly stealing their benefits checks, though, and was convicted in 1978 and placed on five years probation, the outlet reported. She was the sixth of seven children but didnt grow up in a stable family environment. In 1998, Puente began corresponding with Shane Bugbee. An extensive five-day search for the elderly fugitive ended when a stranger she'd befriended in Los Angeles recognized her face from the news and turned her into police. Published: 22:09 BST, 21 January 2019 | Updated: 22:42 BST, 21 January 2019, Dorothea Puente was arrested in 1988 after the dismembered bodies of seven residents were found in the garden of her home in Sacramento, California. But the jury had a difficult time believe the matronly grandmother was capable of carrying out such menacing crimes. However Harder insists that's where he draws the line. But police tracked her down in Los Angeles after a man in a bar recognized her from TV. In fact, Puente was a serial killer who committed at least nine murders inside her boarding house in Sacramento, California throughout the 1980s. The Los Angeles Review of Bookswrites that "Puente was released in 1985, under the terms of parole that she not handle other people's social security checks or work with the elderly. Unbeknownst to Puente, the pensioner recognized her as the woman he saw on television news reports. [citation needed], On November 11, 1988, police inquired after the disappearance of tenant Alvaro "Bert" Montoya, a developmentally disabled man with schizophrenia, who had been reported missing by his social worker. She never flinched. Victims included Puente's boyfriend Everson Gillmouth, 77, and eight tenants who lived at the . An officer visited the home and spoke with Puente as well as a tenant while in Puente's presence. She established her reputation as a caregiver, providing young women with a sanctuary from poverty and abuse without charge. Serial killer Dorothea was branded by the media as the "Death House Landlady" for her tendency to target and murder her senior citizen tenants - and steal their social security money. Puente's heinous crimes were eventually discovered in 1988, when Alberto Montoya, a mentally disabled and schizophrenic tenant, was reported missing by a social worker. During the initial investigation, Puente was not immediately a suspect, and she was allowed to leave the property, ostensibly to buy a cup of coffee at a nearby hotel. SACRAMENTO, CA On November 11, 1988, detectives swarmed a Victorian-style home on F Street in Sacramento where guests had a habit of checking in and then never checking out. She once stated, "The only time they were in good health was when they stayed at my home. Puente was arrested, returned to Sacramento, and held without bail. She never said anything. Finding nothing, they asked permission to dig up the yard. According to Female Serial Killers, Monroe didn't know a thing about Puente's legal troubles and had simply agreed to start a catering business with her, since Puente's cooking skills were well-regarded. [1] Puente's total count reached nine murders; she was convicted of three and the jury hung on the other six. For more on Puente's story, watch thenew two-partOxygenspecial "Murders At The Boarding House," airing on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18 at 7/6c on Oxygen. It wasn't the first tip authorities had gotten about Puente, either. But, the next day, as the police started digging up other areas of the garden, she asked permission to go and meet her nephew for a coffee to calm her nerves. Like many of Puente's vulnerable tenants, Montoya had developmental disabilities and schizophrenia, and after he didn't show up to meet with his social worker, Judy Moise, in November 1988, Moise reported him missing. Sactown Magazine reports that Puente "granted few interviews [after the trial], observing a self-imposed gag order," and she maintained her innocence to her death, claiming that all the residents had died of natural causes. Clymo responded by evoking Dorothea the child and caregiver. The founder of MurderAuction - an auction house for serial killer memorabilia - Harder's macabre obsessions have also seen him befriend the likes of Charles Manson and Richard Ramirez. When they came to me, they were so sick, they weren't expected to live.". Serial Killers and Female Criminals claims that Puente "realized that there was an untapped population of alcoholics, senior citizens, and chronically ill people who were in need of care and, more importantly, [] received government money." Since she wasn't a suspect at the time, police said yes, at which point Puente promptly left the house and fled to Los Angeles. Dorothea Puente had several children with McFaul but didnt raise them. After declaring "the Samaritans" bankrupt, Dorothea Puente promptly set up a new boarding house on 2100 F Street in a large 16-bedroom Victorian house in the early 1970s. Bombs explained: What is the difference between a vacuum and a cluster bomb? Dorothea Puente was charged with the murders of the seven individuals whose bodies were found in her backyard, as well as the murders of Ruth Monroe and Everson Gillmouth, whose bodyremained unidentified until police connected itto Puente. But no one noticed. Dick Schmidt/Sacramento Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty ImagesDorothea Puente after her arrest in Los Angeles, en route back to Sacramento. Dorothea Puente, also known as the Death House Landlady, was a little-old-lady serial killer who preyed on the elderly and drug-addicted men and women of Sacramento, CA in the 1980s. In 1967, she attempted to serve him with a divorce petition[inconsistent], but Puente fled to Mexico; the divorce wouldn't be finalized until 1973. She established herself as a genuine resource to the community to aid alcoholics, homeless people, and mentally ill people by holding Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and assisting individuals to sign up to receive Social Security benefits. The Monstrous Crimes Of The Dorothea Puente, The Death House Landlady. Finally, they found the body of78-year-old Leona Carpenter, and the police realized what they thought was beef jerky was actually human flesh. While there, doctors diagnosed her as a pathological liar with an unstable personality. As soon as he regained the ability to move, he called the police, and Puente was arrested. Removed from her violent crimes, it actually makes perfect sense to use Puente's image on a cookbook, as she has the perfect visage of a kind old lady who probably knows a secret recipe or two that her tenants all would . She also established herself as a respected member in Sacramento's Hispanic community, funding charities, scholarships, and radio programs. Dorothea followed up the drugging by carrying out the . has sold out to audiences at the California Stage, Wilkerson Theatre, UC Davis, and in January 2023 at Saramento Theatre Company. Thanks for contacting us. Seven bodies were eventually found buried on the property belonging to the"Death House Landlady," and she was ultimately accused of killing nine people total. The Untold Truth Of Dorothea Puente, The Death House Landlady, drugging elderly people and stealing their benefit checks, remained unidentified until police connected it. The docuseries chronicled Dorothea Puente's time as a California landlord who drugged and murdered her tenants. [citation needed], In November 1985, Puente hired a man named Ismael Florez to install some wood paneling in her apartment. The grandmother would then sneak into the rooms of her incapacitated prey and smother them to death with a pillow. Benjamin Fink, 55. Puente was charged for seven murders, but her trial wouldn't begin for another four years. Although lawyers showed that Puente had gotten dozens of prescriptions of the sedative Dalmane between 1985 and 1988 and that all of the bodies had Dalmane in their system, there was no concrete proof that Puente had been the one to administer the drugs. Dorothea Puente ran a boarding house for the elderly, disabled, or otherwise ailing in Sacramento, California, but her motives were anything but altruistic. Silver-haired, dressed in a long red coat and wearing large rounded glasses, the 59-year-old resembled just a regular grandmother - proving looks truly can be deceiving. On April 28, Monroe was dead. But, behind the scenes, Puente had embarked on a path that would lead her to murder. Her father died of tuberculosis when Puente was eight while her mother, an alcoholic, routinely abused her children and died in a motorcycle accident a year later. The disappearances of these so-called shadow people went unnoticed for years, until eventually a social worker Judy Moise who speaks in newNetflixdocumentary Worst Roommate Ever reported a tenant missing.