206 Cases Solved. Advancing justice for missing persons, unsolved homicides, unidentified and unclaimed remains.
Dorothea Helen Puente
Serial Killer
View Videos (5)
Dorothea Puente: Killer Landlord | Killer Psyche | Full Episode
...View 4 additional videosDescription
See any errors? Let us know!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. ...Read MoreVictims
See any mistakes? Let us know!
Confirmed Victims: (9)
Ruth Munroe Age: (61), Date of Death: 1982-04-14 ...View 8 additional victims
Links to Additional Sources (15)
See any mistakes? Let us know!Killer's Details
Dorothea Helen
Puente
January 9, 1929 Redlands, California, United States
March 27, 2011 (aged 82) Chowchilla, California, United States
Natural causes
Teya Singoalla Neyaarda, Sharon Johansson, Dorothea Montalvo Puente
Female
White
Life imprisonment without parole
9-15
1982 - 1988
California
November 11, 1988
Central California Womens Facility — Chowchilla, California
07/03/2025
