Dorothea Helen Puente: The Notorious Landlady Killer
Introduction
Dorothea Helen Puente was an American serial killer who preyed on elderly and disabled tenants in her boarding house in Sacramento, California, during the 1980s. She posed as a kind-hearted caregiver while secretly murdering her victims to steal their Social Security benefits.
Early Life and Criminal Beginnings
Born on January 9, 1929, in Redlands, California, Puente had a troubled childhood and eventually turned to crime. Her early offenses included fraud and forgery, but she escalated to more heinous acts in the 1980s.
The Murders
Between 1982 and 1988, Puente killed at least nine people, burying most of them in the yard of her boarding house at 1426 F Street, Sacramento. She was finally arrested in 1988 after a missing person investigation led police to discover human remains on her property.
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