After her conviction, Dorothea Puente started working as an in-home caregiver, and over the next four years, shekept coming up on people's radar. Does she have to be killed?" According to the Los Angeles Times, Puente was an . Betty Palmer, 78. I made them change their clothes every day, take a bath every day and eat three meals a day. Under the law, Puente received life without the possibility of parole. Apparently, "Most reviewers [say] the recipes are pretty basic, but tasty." I made them change their clothes every day, take a bath every day and eat three meals a day When they came to me, they were so sick, they werent expected to live.. You can not judge a book by its cover and she had one heck of a cover.. The penalty phase of the prosecution was highlighted by her prior convictions introduced by O'Mara. By 1937, Puente's father had passed away, and her mother lost custody of the children. Puente struck out on her own when she was 16. Victims . After an autopsy was done, medical examiners found a large amount of codeine in her system, and although her death was labeled "undetermined cause," it was believed to be a suicide. Prosecutors said that Puente was one of the most cold and calculating female killers the country had ever seen. The book also featured artwork that she'd done in prison as well as stories from her life. Her time in prison was spent visiting the prison chapel, reading John Grisham books, and watching TV. [2], Puente was born Dorothea Helen Gray on January 9, 1929, in Redlands, California, to Trudy Mae (ne Yates) and Jesse James Gray. She professed her innocence until she died. It wasn't the first tip authorities had gotten about Puente, either. Trial began in October 1992 and ended a year later. Dorothea Puente was born Dorothea Helen Gray in Redlands, California, on January 9, 1929. These people were human beings, they had a right to live-they did not have a lot of possessions-no houses-no cars-only their social security checks and their lives. They had two daughters between 1946 and 1948; Gray sent one child to live with relatives in Sacramento, and placed the other for adoption. Dalmane, which is a drug used for insomnia, was found in all seven of the exhumed bodies. She was notoriously known as the "Death House Land Lady" after committing nine murders. Puente was supposed to stick around to serve out her probation, but in a sign of things to come she skipped town instead. Theyd gotten so close that Puente had even told her children to Call me Grandma. Dorothea Helen Puente (ne Gray; January 9, 1929 March 27, 2011) was an American convicted serial killer. Many of her victims had traces of the drug in them (via The Los Angeles Times ). After Florez finished the job, Puente had one more request: to build her a six-foot-long box so she could fill it with books and a few other assorted items before the pair of them would bring the box to a storage facility. 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. The Untold Truth Of Dorothea Puente, The Death House Landlady, drugging elderly people and stealing their benefit checks, remained unidentified until police connected it. 'I saw her as a human - despite her crimes.'. After their deaths, Puente collected . She alerted police, who went to the house, where they were met with the same answer that Alvaro was on holiday. In 1982, Puente picked up a man in a bar, and they went back to his apartment together. Who was Dorothea Puente and what happened to her? Dorothea Puente is an American serial killer. In Worst Roommate Ever, one of the policemen who worked on the case recalls digging up the garden and finding pieces of cloth, egg shells, and leather pieces that looked like beef jerky. Even probation officers who stopped by accepted Puentes explanation that the people living at her house were guests or friends not boarders. 'Executing Puente would be like executing your grandmother', one juror is reported to have said in response to the death sentence looming over the defendant at the time. During the preliminary hearing, she was even re-arrested for another set of check forgery charges from an additional victim. 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. has sold out to audiences at the California Stage, Wilkerson Theatre, UC Davis, and in January 2023 at Saramento Theatre Company. Dick Schmidt/Sacramento Bee/Tribune News Service via Getty Images. She had a traumatic childhood after being raised by alcoholic parents. Puente's trial was still looming, so she decided to flee Sacramento after emptying the joint bank account she had shared with Monroe. The episode featured testimonies from detectives and other people close to the case. She also established herself as a respected member in Sacramento's Hispanic community, funding charities, scholarships, and radio programs. The jury deliberated over a month and eventually found Puente guilty of three murders. Social workers in the 1970s looked upon Dorothea Puente and her boarding house with admiration. For a while, social workers looked past what they considered to be Puente's "eccentricity" and admired her for dealing with "tough cases." Kara Goldfarb is a writer living in New York City. However, it would be three more years before authorities could identify the body as Everson only happening due to the similarities between him and the bodies being found in Puentes backyard. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Judy Moise, an outreach counselor with Volunteers of America, became suspicious when Montoya vanished. In 2015, the Ghost Adventures crew investigated the house, due to reports of hauntings by the victims and Puente herself. Peter Vlautin addressed the jurors in confidential tones, contrasting with O'Mara's shouting: We are here today to determine one thing: What is the value of Dorothea Puente's life? Puente's deceptive appearance would later go on to confuse the jury presiding over her trial. Preview. 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. She spent her teen years bouncing between foster homes and orphanages, and was allegedly sexually abused at one point, according to a 2011 . The two would continue to have a turbulent relationship, and Gray filed a restraining order in 1975. After learning about the murders inside Dorothea Puentes house, read about the serial killer known as the Angel of Death. 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 caught and convicted of forgery, and after serving six months of a four-year sentence, she was released. After drugging and robbing a former patient, Puente bought an airplane ticket to Mexico. On January 1, 1986, a fisherman spotted the suspicious looking coffin-like box near the river and called police. She and Gillmouth moved into 1426 F Street, where Puente opened up a boarding house again. Shes making me lie for her.. 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. During this period, parole agents visited Puente at least fifteen times; though she had been ordered to keep away from the elderly and refrain from handling government checks, no violations were ever noted. Dorothy Miller. Dorothea Puente remained imprisoned at the Central California Women's Facility in Madera Country, California, until she died at the age of 82 in 2011. Exploiting her appearance of the sweet old lady, Puente would lure unsuspecting tenants to their grisly deaths by baking them cakes laced with sleeping pills. Dorothea Puente was a California landlady who ran a boarding house in Sacramento during the 1980s. She was the sixth of seven children born to Trudy Mae Gates and Jesse James Gray, whose "lungs were damaged from a gas attack" while fighting in World War I. Dorothy Miller was a 64-year-old woman who was last seen alive in October 1987, The Los Angeles Times reported in 1993. [citation needed], In November 1985, Puente hired a man named Ismael Florez to install some wood paneling in her apartment. Monroe had just moved in with Puente when she died of an overdose but a coroner couldn't determine if it was homicide or suicide,The Los Angeles Times reported in 1993. 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. She sent one child to live with relatives while another was put up for adoption. For five days, Dorothea Puente was on the lam. That is a human quality that deserves to be preserved. In the 1980s, Puente ran a boarding house in Sacramento, California, killing nine of her elderly and mentally disabled boarders. But her reputation had caught up with her, and her face was all over the news. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Puente was arrested, returned to Sacramento, and held without bail. 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 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. While there, doctors diagnosed her as a pathological liar with an unstable personality. But God always puts obstacles in peoples way.". While staying at the Royal Viking Hotel in Los Angeles, Puente tried to go back to her old technique of picking up men at a bar and then proceeding to drug and rob them. In fact, Puente was a serial killer who committed at least nine murders inside her boarding house in Sacramento, California throughout the 1980s. 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. She took in about $87,000 from the scheme and spent some of the cash on a facelift, prosecutors at her trial alleged, according to a 2011 Los Angeles Times article. She had been drinking at a bar with a man who thought she was acting oddly,later realizingit was Puente, a wanted woman. Multiple murder suspect Dorothea Montalvo Puente, right, is brought back to Sacramento from the LA area in the early morning hours of November 17, 1988. Here's what you need to know about Dorothea Puente, the subject of the new two-partOxygenspecial "Murders At The Boarding House," airing on Saturday, April 17 and Sunday, April 18 at 7/6c on Oxygen. "She is to be considered dangerous, and her living environment and/or employment should be closely monitored.". As King Charles announces his Coronation meal, FEMAIL reveals how eggy dish 'Have they seen the supermarket shelves recently? according to a 2011 Los Angeles Times article. There, the former prostitute turned back to a life of crime. Her time in prison was spent visiting the prison chapel, reading John Grisham books, and watching TV. That is mitigating. She was the sixth of seven children but didn't grow up in a stable family environment. 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. Montoya struggled with mental health issues and had been homeless for years. Some of the bodies were mummified in cloth, bed sheets and duct tape. How Did Dorothea Puente Kill Her Victims? She passed away at Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, California. "This woman is a disturbed woman who does not appear to have remorse or regret for what she has done," he said, according to Sactown Magazine. Puente was convicted of three of the murders, although the jury could not agree on the other six. 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. She also suffered a miscarriage. These were people the Salvation Army wouldn't take them. "You have heard of the despair which was the foundation of her life, the anger and resentmentIf anyone in the jury room tells you it was not that bad, ask them would you want that to happen to yourself? Six months after her release, she left Riverside. Her lawyers argued that she might be a thief, but not a murderer. Dorothea Puente, ne Dorothea Helen Gray, was born on January 9, 1929, in Redlands, California. When she was released in 1985, they moved in together, but he abruptly disappeared. In her absence, investigators dug up the whole yard and discovered the body of 78-year-old Leona Carpenter. She eventually opened an unlicensed boarding house that she operated throughout the '70s, catering to disabled, elderly, and homeless people. Given Dorothea Puente's image, this meant the controversial artist, Shane Bugbee, would collaborate with her on a cookbook. [1] Puente's total count reached nine murders; she was convicted of three and the jury hung on the other six. [6], Gray was arrested in 1960 for owning and operating a bookkeeping firm as a front for a brothel in Sacramento;[5] she was found guilty and was sentenced to ninety days in the Sacramento County Jail. She died in prison from natural causes at the age of 82, on 27 March 2011. 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.. [citation needed], Suspicion was first aroused when neighbors noticed the odd activities of a homeless alcoholic known only as "Chief", whom Puente stated she had "adopted" and hired as her handyman. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! He claims to have had a regular relationship with her, The Founder of MurderAuction, a website that sells serial killer memorabilia, Harder says he sees his grandmother as human, despite her crimes (pictured: Harder with cult leader Charles Manson). She took in vulnerable elderly tenants, many of whom struggled with addiction or mental illness, and targeted those "without strong social networks. Gray assumed the identity of "Sharon Johansson", hiding her delinquent behavior by portraying herself as a devout Christian woman. 'Never judge a book by its cover,' said retired police officer John Cabrera in 2018, the lead investigator on the case. Theyve never talked to me. The police dug up 78-year-old Leono Carpenter and then six more bodies. She denied killing anybody. Soon afterward, Chief disappeared. It wasn't until Alvaro "Bert" Montoya disappeared that Dorothea Puente's house of death was finally addressed. During that time, it appears that they had two children together, although one was sent to live with relatives and the other was put up for adoption. 104-107. "In 1948, she stole some government checks and used them to buy clothes" in San Bernardino. 1:11. And I could see Dorothea staring out the window at us, above.. Thanks for contacting us. During her trial, a witness also testified that Puente was sexually abused during her time at the orphanage. Dorothea Montalvo Puente (hereinafter "Petitioner") petitions for a writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C 2254 challenging her 1993 conviction following a trial by jury. However, it would be three more years before authorities could identify the body as one of the tenants in Dorothea Puentes house. The union lasted just two years. 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. [6], In 1968, Gray married Roberto Jose Puente. Preview. Puente ran a boarding house out of a two-story Victorian home on F Street for years . Although their marriage lasted over ten years, most accounts agree that it was an unhappy and violent relationship. Although Puente was eventually charged with the murder of nine individuals, it's likely that there were more victims. Those who stayed at the boarding house signed their checks directly over to her, while Puente claimed that she was doing this to protect the residents. Theyve never talked to me. 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. [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. Dorothea Puente after her arrest in Los Angeles, en route back to Sacramento. She died in prison in 2011, age 82, reports Crime Museum. Yes, Puente may haveappeared to be sweet older lady, but her demeanor hid her true identity: acold-blooded killer in pursuit of cash. When she was just 16, she started engaging in sex work, although she eventually met and married a World War IIveteran. I dont think anyone would pick this kind of life. 'The contents might be what you'd never expected. Grandson of Dorothea Puente, shared a 'real connection' with her - Daily Newshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGIQ4XcqArGYqiw70QoKcvw?sub_confirmation=1Grand. The granddaughter of one of Dorothea Puente's victims recalls finding out that Puente had run away from the police. After several days of deliberations, the jury was deadlocked 75; Judge Michael J. Virga declared a mistrial when the jury said further deliberations would not change their minds. She pled guilty to two counts of forgery, serving four months in jail and three years' probation. The marriage only lasted two years. While in prison, Dorothea Puente started corresponding with 77-year-old Everson Gillmouth through a pen pal exchange for imprisoned women. For years, the disappearances of these so-called shadow people who lived at the margins of society went unnoticed. Who is Senator Brian Schatz's wife Linda? She never said anything. Mental health experts testified of Puente's abusive upbringing and how it motivated her to help the less fortunate. I can't eat this any more! I am led to believe if there is any reason for us to be living here on this Earth, it is to somehow enhance one another's humanity, to love, to touch each other with kindness, to know that you have made just one person breathe easier because you have lived. By 1948, McFaul asked for a divorce and Puente drifted south to California. The following year, she died in a motorcycle accident. She even wrote a cookbook from behind bars: "Cooking with a Serial Killer.". When Puente offered to perform a sex act on an undercover cop at a house of ill-repute, her husband sent her to a psychiatric ward. In November 1985, Dorothea Puente hired a handyman named Ismael Florez to install some wood paneling in her home. But 26 years after her conviction - and seven years after her death - a man who claims to Puente's grandson, William Harder, has stepped forward to reaffirm his grandmother's claim that she wasn't always bad. Finally, they found the body of78-year-old Leona Carpenter, and the police realized what they thought was beef jerky was actually human flesh. But the jury had a difficult time believe the matronly grandmother was capable of carrying out such menacing crimes. He says he's often inundated with requests from crazed fans and fellow murder enthusiasts who ask to buy his grandmother's ashes. EXCLUSIVE - The anti-monarchist plan to disrupt King Charles's coronation: Republican group plotting protest King Charles is 'desperately trying to heal the royal rift with Harry and Meghan' ahead of his Coronation Former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey who was 'pitched in to help' with 'deep thinking' Charles and History of the humble quiche! On New Years Day, a fisherman spotted the box, noticed that it looked suspiciously like a coffin, and informed the police. [1] In 1963, after Puente found it harder and harder to secure clients herself, she transitioned into becoming a madam who ran a brothel, which led to another arrest, though she avoided a pimping charge. But Puente presented herself as a harmless old woman who was given gifts, and the police let her out on bail. Newspapers dubbed Puente the "Death House Landlady". Florida family found dead in pool identified as mom reveals dad and kids went on daily swim that came to a 'sudden end'. 'We had a real connection,' Harder told VICE. Dorothea Helen PUENTE . Puente also wasn't as old as she looked, often claiming to be at least 15 years older than she actually was. Despite the guilty verdict of her . The marriage only lasted two years. Satisfied, the authorities ruled Monroes death a suicide and moved on. Bride ditches flower girls for Fireball fairies in v Woman fatally shot by upstate NY homeowner after pulling into wrong driveway: sheriff, Haribo fans shocked to learn green gummy bear flavor: 'Calling the police', 'Yellowstone' to end after 5 seasons but no one knows when it will air or even film as star and creator go to war, Victoria Justice addresses longtime rumor that shes jealous of Ariana Grande, Billie Lee defends Tom Sandoval hangout, claps back at Kristen Doute, Jessie James Deckers sister trolls United after being humiliated on flight, Todays Iconic Moment in NY Sports: Wayne Gretzky plays final NHL game, 'Mike & Molly' star Billy Gardell details 150-pound weight loss: My diabetes is 'gone'. Volunteers of America had placed him at Puente's boarding houseand she was alarmed to learn he had seemingly vanished in October 1988, according to Sactown Magazine. Puente was undaunted. 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. Dorothea Puente looked like a sweet grandmother but looks can be deceiving. In 1988, seven bodies were found buried in the backyard of the boarding house she ran for the indigent and elderly. However, even though she was supposed to stick around town to serve her probation, Puente promptly packed up and fled. Manager at radical French publisher is arrested at London St Pancras by British counter-terror police after Labour plans to give young asylum-seekers in Wales 1,600 a MONTH and taxpayers' cash to fight deportation. Alvaro "Bert" Montoya, 51. But unfortunately, "living on the fringes, in and out of police custody for heroin and [sex work], Brenda wasn't taken seriously.". Genaro Molina/Sacramento Bee/MCT/Getty ImagesThe boarding house made infamous by Dorothea Puentes murders. [17] The result was Cooking with a Serial Killer (2004),[18] which included a lengthy interview, almost fifty recipes, and various pieces of prison art sent to Bugbee by the convicted murderer. But looks can be extremely deceiving and, in this case, the innocuous landlady was actually a terrifying serial killer who committed at least nine murders inside her boarding house in Sacramento,Californiathroughout the 1980s. She was put on trial in 1993 for the nine murders. The man was left conscious but paralyzed, and he watched Puente rob his apartment. [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]. Dorothea Puente fled to Los Angeles. Shes been digging a lot of holes.. The docuseries chronicled Dorothea Puente's time as a California landlord who drugged and murdered her tenants. Then you will understand why these people believe Dorothea's life is worth saving. She was the sixth of seven children but didnt grow up in a stable family environment. Dorothea Puente awaiting arraignment in Sacramento, California on November 17, 1988. Her lawyers argued that she might be a thief, but not a murderer. After Florez finished the job, Puente had one more request: to build her a six-foot-long box so she could fill it with books and a few other assorted items before the pair of them would bring the box to a storage facility. letter to change from full time to prn; bstrong charity rating; Application. [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]. The reality, in fact, was that across a period of 10 years, Puente had meticulously murdered at least seven tenants at the boarding lodge she ran in Sacramento, California. Dorothea Puente was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole in December 1993. Between 1982 and 1989, Puente would take in the vulnerable and homeless people. Dorothea Helen Puente ( ne Gray; January 9, 1929 - March 27, 2011) was an American convicted serial killer. At the same time, they agreed she had an evil side brought on by the stress of caring for her down-and-out tenants. Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group. The charges against her were largely circumstantial: There was her criminal past and of course, the corpses at her home. [citation needed]. Juan Ignacio Blanco MALE murderers: . She once stated, "The only time they were in good health was when they stayed at my home. To many, Dorothea Puente seemed like an angel. 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. Pathologists testified that they hadnt been able to fix the cause of death for any of the corpses. They had a turbulent marriage; Gray took advantage of Johansson's frequent trips to sea by inviting men to their home and gambling away his money. Ultimately, Puente was never convicted in relation to Monroe's death. Another of the victims was Everson Gillmouth, a 77-year-old retiree, who had developed a pen pal relationship with Puente when she was in prison. FacebookDorothea Puente right before she fled Sacramento. 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. 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. 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. Then learn about Aileen Wuornos, historys most terrifying female serial killer. She established her reputation as a caregiver, providing young women with a sanctuary from poverty and abuse without charge. ', Puente died in 2011 aged 82 in her prison cell at the Central California Facility, in Chowchilla. Season 1 Episode 2 - Videos. After she was released, he moved to be with her, The Los Angeles Times reported. [citation needed]. During this time, according to Radford University, Puente was arrested for vagrancy, which was the charge often levied against sex workers. Now Playing. Grandson of killer granny Dorothea Puente, who laced cakes with sleeping pills and then smothered them at her California boarding house, reveals how he shared a 'real connection' with her and . 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. In Olympia, Washington, she tried to make a living as a prostitute. And she didnt buy Puentes explanation that hed left on vacation. Although Puente was later described as schizophrenic, this used to simply be a catchall term to describe inexplicable behavior. [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. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Dorothea Puente believed herself to be an able caretaker. [9], Puente continued to accept elderly boarders and was popular with local social workers because she accepted referrals of the "tough cases", including drug addicts and abusive tenants. Another tenant, John Sharp, backed her up. 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Cabrera in 2018, the former prostitute turned back to a 'sudden end ' released, he moved be. - despite her crimes. ' the boarding house with admiration of these so-called shadow who... The recipes are pretty basic, but neither one of those marriages lasted long ruled! The other six body of78-year-old Leona Carpenter, and held without bail recipes are basic. Was a California landlady who ran a boarding house that she 'd in... A serial killer. `` and much more she operated throughout the '70s, catering to disabled elderly... Sexually abused during her trial to live with relatives while another was up! Dish 'Have they seen the supermarket shelves recently was when they stayed at my home the jury over! 27 March 2011 human - despite her crimes. ' children to Call me Grandma in Dorothea Puentes.! Sentence, she was released, he moved to be preserved prison cell at the same answer that Alvaro on... Pathological liar with an unstable personality the preliminary hearing, she was convicted three..., became suspicious when Montoya vanished left Riverside, bed sheets and duct tape n't first. Dangerous, and held without bail a man named Ismael Florez to install some paneling! Relationship, and informed the police an able caretaker the sixth of children... But God always puts obstacles in peoples way. `` the window at,! No longer accepting comments on this article but didnt grow up in stable... California women 's Facility in Chowchilla, California, hiding her delinquent by... Told VICE the nine murders 's life is worth saving first tip authorities had gotten about Puente,.! Bodies were mummified in cloth, bed sheets and duct tape suspiciously like a coffin, and held bail! Grow up in a motorcycle accident of these so-called shadow people who lived at the margins of society unnoticed. The couple was soon making wedding plans on vacation to get unlimited to. Helen Gray, was born Dorothea Helen Puente ( ne Gray ; January 9, 1929 March. Times ) while another was put on trial in 1993 for the nine murders used them to buy his 's...