the killer granny NO ONE suspected | Mystery makeup
In this stirring episode of "Murder, Mystery & Makeup," Bailey Sarian delves into the dark world of Dorothea Puente, whose outward image as a caring boarding house operator in Sacramento belied her true nature as a cold-blooded serial killer. Puente's twisted operations throughout the 1980s involved evil acts that went undetected for years, as she exploited and murdered several of her unsuspecting tenants, all under the pretense of providing them care and shelter.
The narrative uncovers how, amid her outward show of benevolence, Puente's activities ranged from identity theft and financial fraud to the eventual drugging and poisoning of those she was purportedly there to support. Listeners will find themselves in the midst of a real-life horror story as Sarian pieces together the chilling details of the investigation, the arrest, and the trials that revealed the heinous extent of Puente's crimes, offering a sobering look at how the 'killer granny' managed to deceive and destroy lives with impunity before finally facing justice.
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Dorothea Puente was a serial killer who ran a boarding house in Sacramento in the 1980s
Dorothea Puente, an American serial killer, owned and operated a boarding house in Sacramento, California. Throughout the 1980s, she maintained the guise of a caring caregiver while engaging in a series of heinous crimes against her tenants. Puente’s criminal endeavors included taking over her tenants' identities, forging checks, and fraudulently cashing their benefit checks posthumously.
Puente would intercept her tenants' mail to control their finances. Her arrest was precipitated by an attempt to cash a stolen check from Malcolm, one of her tenants who had managed to escape her control. A Sacramento home owned by Puente became a gruesome crime scene when authorities unearthed the remains of multiple individuals she had poisoned, drugged, and subsequently buried beneath her house and under concrete. Evidence revealed the presence of flurazepam, a potent drug, used to sedate her victims, and numerous prescriptions for this medication were found in her possession.
Seven bodies were eventually exhumed from her property, the remains of unsuspecting tenants that included elderly and disabled individuals who had been under her care. Puente’s murder trial resulted in her being found guilty of three murders – those of Dorothy Miller, Benjamin Fink, and Leona Carpenter – while the jury could not reach a verdict on six additional murder charges. Dorothea Puente was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, never admitting to the murders but only to the theft of her tenants' benefit checks.
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- Dorothea Puente's crimes included drugging and poisoning her tenants, then burying their bodies on her property. She also stole their identities, forged checks, and cashed their benefit checks after their deaths. Puente used flurazepam to sedate her victims, and evidence of this drug was found in her possession. Ultimately, she was convicted of three murders but faced additional charges that the jury could not reach a verdict on.
- Puente took over her tenants' identities by intercepting their mail, which contained personal information and documents. By controlling their mail, she gained access to their financial details and official communications. This allowed her to forge checks and manipulate their benefits for her own gain. Puente's actions were aimed at exploiting her tenants' identities for fraudulent activities.
- Puente's arrest was triggered by an attempt to cash a stolen check from one of her tenants who had escaped her control. This tenant, Malcolm, played a crucial role in exposing Puente's criminal activities. The discovery of the stolen check led to the investigation of Puente's boarding house and the subsequent uncovering of the gruesome crimes she had committed. Puente's arrest marked the beginning of the unraveling of her dark and deadly secrets.
- During the investigation, authorities excavated the property where Dorothea Puente lived and operated her boarding house in Sacramento. They carefully dug up the soil around the house, looking for any signs of disturbed earth or hidden graves. Using specialized tools and forensic techniques, they located and unearthed the remains of the victims buried on the property. The process involved meticulous documentation of each discovery, including the collection of evidence such as bones, clothing, and personal effects. The exhumed bodies were then carefully removed from the site for further examination and forensic analysis.
- Flurazepam is a benzodiazepine medication commonly used to treat insomnia and anxiety disorders. In this case, Dorothea Puente used flurazepam to sedate her victims before murdering them. The presence of flurazepam in the victims' bodies was a crucial piece of evidence linking Puente to the murders. Flurazepam's sedative properties made it easier for Puente to control and harm her victims.
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Dorothea Puente was a serial killer who ran a boarding house in Sacramento in the 1980s
Bailey and Everson explore the chilling story of Dorothea Puente, an American serial killer who masked her sinister acts behind the facade of a caregiver and boarding house operator in Sacramento, California, during the 1980s.
She stole identities, forged checks, and cashed benefit checks after tenants died or disappeared
Puente’s criminal activities involved identity theft, forging checks, and fraudulently cashing the benefit checks of her tenants after they were no longer around. She would control all the mail, opening it before the tenants had a chance, essentially taking over their finances. She was caught attempting to cash a check stolen from one of her victims, Malcolm, after he regained control following a period of being drugged.
She poisoned and drugged many victims and buried bodies in her yard and under concrete
Puente ran a Victorian boarding house at 2100 F Street in Sacramento, where she managed to evade suspicion while poisoning and drugging her victims. She had a carpenter build a box, presumably for storage, which was later determined to have been used to dispose of a body across town. Post-mortem examinations of unearthed bodies from her property revealed large concentrations of the drug flurazepam, and dozens of prescriptions for this drug were found amongst Dorothea's personal papers. Witnesses attested that she frequently administered medication to them, sometimes forcibly. Toxicology tests found high doses of prescription strength sleeping pills present in one of the victim's systems.
Seven bodies were unearthed from her home after search warrants were obtained
Investigators initially found bodies under the concrete patio of the boarding house and later continued to discover the remains of her tenants, leading to the exhumation of seven bodies in total. These included 51-year-old Bert Montoya, 64-year-old Dorothy ...
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Dorothea Puente was a serial killer who ran a boarding house in Sacramento in the 1980s
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- Dorothea Puente, a notorious serial killer, operated a boarding house in Sacramento, California, during the 1980s. She engaged in identity theft, check forgery, and cashed benefit checks of her deceased or missing tenants. Puente poisoned and drugged her victims, burying their bodies in various locations, including her yard and under concrete at her boarding house. Investigators unearthed seven bodies from her property, leading to her conviction for three murders and a life sentence in prison.
- A mistrial occurs when a trial is terminated without a verdict due to a significant legal error or a hung jury. A hung jury is when the jury cannot reach a unanimous decision on the defendant's guilt or innocence. In such cases, the judge may declare a mistrial, leading to the possibility of a new trial with a different jury.
- Flurazepam is a benzodiazepine m ...
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