40 years ago, Dorothea Puente had everyone fooled into thinking she was a kindly grandmother. Friends, tenants at her boarding house, social workers and the police all bought her act. In reality, she was much younger than she appeared, and far from kind. Preying upon the elderly, unhoused people and alcoholics, Dorothea assumed no one would search very hard for her victims. For a while she seemed to be getting away with murder as well as fraud. Thanks to one passionate social worker Puente was eventually exposed, and the friends and families of her 9 victims were able to get some closure.
Writing and research by Aurora Cady.
Original music and audio production by Louis Levesque.
For inquiries: louis14levesque@gmail.com
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LINKS + SOURCES:
Deadly Women:
https://www.discoveryplus.com/video/deadly-women/predator
Worlds Most Evil Killers:
https://www.discoveryplus.com/video/worlds-most-evil-killers-us/dorothea-puente
Worst Roommate Ever:
https://www.netflix.com/watch/81149403?trackId=155573560
Ghost Adventures:
https://www.discoveryplus.com/video/ghost-adventures/dorothea-puente-murder-house
Historical Houses Sacramento: https://www.cityofsacramento.org/~/media/Corporate/Files/CDD/Planning/Historic%20Register/Complete_Register.pdf
https://www.sactownmag.com/the-life-and-deaths-of-dorothea-puente/
https://www.casemine.com/judgement/us/5914721eadd7b04934379149/amp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDcwo5GFgxM
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1988-11-17-mn-464-story.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorothea_Puente
https://murderpedia.org/female.P/p/puente-dorothea.htm
Headlines:
https://murdermurder.news/news/4-year-old-dies-after-being-forced-to-drink-whiskey
https://lawandcrime.com/crime/grandmother-allegedly-forced-4-year-old-girl-to-drink-bottle-of-whiskey-while-the-mother-did-nothing-to-stop-it/
https://people.com/crime/missing-girl-10-found-dead-in-the-woods-now-the-hunt-is-on-to-find-her-killer/