Dorothea Puente ran a Sacramento boarding house where, between 1982 and 1988, she killed several elderly and vulnerable tenants, largely by drugging and overdose, buried their remains on the property, and continued cashing their Social Security checks. She was convicted in 1993 of three of nine charged murders.
Dorothy Puente — Credit: Sacramento Police Department · Public domain
Dorothea Helen Puente (née Gray, January 9, 1929 – March 27, 2011) operated a boarding house near 15th and F Streets in Sacramento, California, where she took in elderly, homeless, and mentally disabled tenants. According to the Wikipedia account of her case, beginning in 1982 she killed a number of these tenants, typically through drug overdoses, buried their bodies on the property, and continued to fraudulently cash their Social Security benefit checks after their deaths.
Before the killings came to light, Puente already had a criminal record involving fraud: in 1978 she was convicted of illegally cashing 34 state and federal checks belonging to tenants, and in 1982 she was convicted of grand theft against a tenant, Dorothy Osborne, resulting in a prison sentence. During her incarceration she corresponded with Everson Theodore Gillmouth, whose body was later found in a box along the Sacramento River in January 1986 but not identified until December 1988. Investigators documented a pattern in which tenants — including Ruth Munroe, Betty Mae Palmer, Leona Carpenter, James Gallop, Vera Faye Martin, Dorothy Miller, Alvaro "Bert" Gonzales Montoya, and Benjamin Fink — died or disappeared while in Puente's care, with toxicology on recovered remains showing various sedatives and antidepressants. Puente forged signatures and continued collecting victims' government benefit payments after their deaths.
The case became public in November 1988 after a former resident, John Sharp, indicated to police he had been told to lie about the disappearance of Montoya. A detective digging in Puente's yard with her permission found the first human remains on November 11, 1988. Puente fled but was located and arrested at a Los Angeles motel on November 16, 1988, after a former acquaintance recognized her from television coverage and alerted authorities.
Puente was charged with nine counts of first-degree murder with special circumstances, making the case eligible for the death penalty. Her trial, which began February 9, 1993, in Monterey County, involved 156 witnesses and more than 3,100 exhibits. After extended deliberations, the jury convicted her on August 26, 1993, of three counts of murder — those of Benjamin Fink, Leona Carpenter, and Dorothy Miller — while remaining deadlocked on the other six counts. During the penalty phase, jurors again deadlocked, and Puente was spared a death sentence. On December 10, 1993, she was sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
Puente's convictions were affirmed on appeal in 1997, and allegations of juror misconduct were rejected following a hearing in 1998. She died in prison at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla, California, on March 27, 2011, at age 82, from natural causes.
Vera Faye Martin, Benjamin Fink, Everson Theodore Gillmouth, Dorothy Miller, Betty Mae Palmer, James Gallop, Ruth Munroe, Alvaro Gonzales Montoya, Leona Carpenter
Date
1988
Location
1426 F Street, Sacramento, California
Case status
solved
Case timeline
1929-01-09
Dorothea Helen Gray is born in Redlands, California.
1978-12-21
Puente is convicted of illegally cashing 34 state and federal checks belonging to tenants; given probation and ordered to pay restitution.
1982-01-16
Puente meets Malcolm McKenzie and allegedly drugs and robs him.
1982-04-28
Ruth Munroe is found dead of a codeine overdose after staying with Puente.
1982-05-16
Dorothy Osborne reports missing checks and items after a visit from Puente, leading to grand theft convictions.
1985-09-09
Puente is released from prison after serving half her sentence for the Osborne theft.
1986-01-01
A fisherman discovers a box containing a decomposed body (later identified as Everson Theodore Gillmouth) along the Sacramento River.
1987-02
Leona Carpenter disappears after living with Puente.
1987-11
James Gallop's contact with his doctor ceases after Puente reports he went to Los Angeles.
1987-11-20
Puente hires a carpet cleaner to remove a substance from Dorothy Miller's room after Miller disappears.
1988-02
Alvaro 'Bert' Gonzales Montoya arrives at Puente's boarding house.
1988-03-09
Benjamin Fink moves into Puente's boarding house.
1988-08-24
Montoya is last seen before his disappearance.
1988-11-11
A detective digging in Puente's yard discovers the first human remains.
1988-11-16
Puente is arrested at a Los Angeles motel after being recognized from television coverage.
1988-11-17
Puente is flown to Sacramento and formally charged with the murder of Montoya.
1989-03-31
An amended complaint charges Puente with nine counts of murder with special circumstances.
1990-06-19
A judge rules there is sufficient circumstantial evidence to send Puente to trial.
1993-02-09
Puente's trial begins in Monterey County.
1993-08-26
Puente is convicted of three counts of murder (Fink, Carpenter, Miller); jury deadlocked on six other counts.
1993-10-13
Jury deadlocks in the penalty phase, sparing Puente the death penalty.
1993-12-10
Puente is sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.
1997-08-28
An appellate court affirms Puente's murder convictions but orders examination of juror misconduct allegations.
1998-09-25
Judge William D. Curtis rejects all allegations of juror misconduct.
2011-03-27
Puente dies in prison at Chowchilla, California, from natural causes.
Best coverage
Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
VIDEO
Dr. Todd Grande / 12 min
Boarding House Serial Killer | Dorothea Puente Case Analysis
People
Vera Faye Martin
VICTIM
Body found buried under a metal shed in Puente's yard in November 1988; Puente was charged but the jury deadlocked on this count.
Benjamin Fink
VICTIM
Body discovered in Puente's yard in November 1988, wrapped in a plastic bedspread; Puente was convicted of his murder.
Everson Theodore Gillmouth
VICTIM
Body found in a box along the Sacramento River in January 1986; identified in December 1988. Puente was charged but the jury deadlocked on this count.
Dorothea Puente
CONVICTED
Convicted on August 26, 1993, of three counts of first-degree murder (Benjamin Fink, Leona Carpenter, Dorothy Miller); sentenced to life without parole.
Dorothy Miller
VICTIM
Remains discovered buried near rose bushes in Puente's yard; Puente was convicted of her murder.
Betty Mae Palmer
VICTIM
Partial remains found in Puente's yard in November 1988; Puente was charged but the jury deadlocked on this count.
James Gallop
VICTIM
Body discovered buried under a gazebo in Puente's yard in November 1988; Puente was charged but the jury deadlocked on this count.
Ruth Munroe
VICTIM
Died April 28, 1982, of a codeine overdose; death later classified as homicide, though not among the counts Puente was convicted of.
Alvaro Gonzales Montoya
VICTIM
Body found buried adjacent to Carpenter's remains in November 1988; Puente was charged but the jury deadlocked on this count.
Leona Carpenter
VICTIM
Body found in Puente's yard in November 1988; Puente was convicted of her murder.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Archival records
mugshot
Dorothy Puente
Credit: Sacramento Police Department · Public domain · Source
Dorothea Puente ran a Sacramento boarding house where, between 1982 and 1988, she killed several elderly and vulnerable tenants, largely by drugging and overdose, buried their remains on the property, and continued cashing their Social Security checks. She was convicted in 1993 of three of nine charged murders.
Where did the murders happen?
1426 F Street, Sacramento, California.
Who was convicted?
Dorothea Puente (Convicted on August 26, 1993, of three counts of first-degree murder (Benjamin Fink, Leona Carpenter, Dorothy Miller); sentenced to life without parole.).
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