Dorothea Puente's Crimes
How did Puente hide her evilness behind kind smiles?
4.8 (23)
37 mins
Explore the dark side of trust and deception in a Sacramento boarding house. Discover how a seemingly kind Dorothea Puente preyed on vulnerable tenants for money and murder. Learn about the chilling ways she hid her crimes behind a grandmotherly facade.
Ep 1:
The Shovel and the Shallow Grave
A quiet Sacramento home hides a horrifying secret as police uncover buried bodies behind a grandmotherly landlady's rose garden—and trace her cruelty back to a traumatic childhood.
Ep 2:
Building a Predator's Perfect Disguise
Dorothea Puente spent decades crafting a caring public image while committing fraud and theft against the vulnerable, culminating in a fatal 1982 scheme that foreshadowed murder.
Ep 3:
The Box on the Riverbank
Fresh from prison, Puente violates her parole immediately, luring a trusting retiree into a deadly scheme and launching a new wave of exploitation at her boarding house.
Ep 4:
Unmasking the Death House Landlady
A social worker's suspicions finally expose Puente's horrific crimes, leading to a dramatic manhunt, a grueling trial, and a controversial verdict that spared her from execution.
Discussions (12)
Donald
Level 3 · 9 mo agoHanding the detective a shovel was stone cold.
Casey
Level 4 · 8 mo agoImagine letting a suspect walk away to run an errand while you are digging up a corpse in her yard. That police work is absolutely embarrassing.
Darius
Level 4 · 8 mo agoShe played the system perfectly. People trust sweet old ladies so they ignored all the warning signs.
