DOROTHEA PUENTE

Presented by Susan Huynh and Kimberly Yew, Period 5

WHAT WAS HER CHILDHOOD LIKE?

Dorothea was born as Dorothea Helen Gray on January 9, 1929 in Redlands, California. Parents:
Her father was a cotton picker. Both parents physically and psychologically abused Dorothea, often times leaving her to scavenge for food. Dorotheas father died from tuberculosis when she was four, and her mother died in a motorcycle accident when Dorothea was six.

Dorothea was sent to an orphanage.

She would lie to people about her upbringing to create the illusion of a normal childhood.
She was bullied in school by her classmates.

WERE THERE ANY PRECURSORS? DID CHILDHOOD BEHAVIOR REFLECT PROBLEMS?

There were no precursors; however, Dorotheas decisions to be a teenage prostitute and to steal checks showed that she wanted an easy way to earn money.

WHAT WAS HER ADULT LIFE LIKE? DID THEY FINISH HIGH SCHOOL/COLLEGE? DID SHE MARRY? HAVE CHILDREN? WAS SHE A LONER?
Dorothea loved wearing expensive clothes and constantly lied about her background to make herself more interesting. She lived with a friend when she was 16, living as a prostitute. She had a total of four marriages. In her first marriage, she had two daughters; one was raised by her husbands mother and the other was put up for adoption While she was married, she would sleep with other men for money, which would later be spent on clothing and shoes. Arrests: 1948, for stealing checks 1960, for living in and managing a brothel 1978, for 34 counts of forgery Dorothea didnt finish high school and never went to college.

WAS SHE EVER DIAGNOSED WITH A MENTAL DISORDER? DID SHE EVER RECEIVE TREATMENT?
Yes, a psychiatrist diagnosed Dorothea as a schizophrenic and claimed that she was a very disturbed woman. She never received treatment.

WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF HER CRIMES?

Dorotheas murders were carried out in an upstairs apartment that she rented in downtown Sacramento. It would pose as a care home. She would collect her tenants personal information, forge their signatures, and cash their social security checks. She would also take the majority of the money that was sent to her tenants before giving the rest to them. Those who complained about the small amount of money they received were killed and buried in her yard. She killed her victims by overdosing them with codeine, Tylenol, and Dalmane. After the tenants were dead, Dorothea continued to cash their checks. The money was spent on clothing, champagne, perfume, and a face lift.

WHAT WAS THE TIME SPAN FOR HER CRIMES?

6 years

HOW MANY VICTIMS?

3-9+

WHAT WAS HER BEHAVIOR LIKE WHEN SHE WAS CAUGHT?

Dorothea denied all of the accusations, maintaining her innocence.

WAS SHE CAPABLE OF WITHSTANDING TRIAL?

Yes, she was. She was pronounced not guilty in her first three trials.

DID SHE ADMIT TO THE KILLINGS? IF SO, WHEN?

Dorothea never admitted to the killings.

WHAT WAS SHE CHARGED WITH AND SENTENCED TO?

Dorothea was charged with nine counts of murder and prison for life without the possibility of parole.

IS SHE STILL ALIVE? OR DID SHE DIE DIFFERENTLY THAN HER SENTENCE?
No, Dorothea is not alive. She died while she was serving her life sentence in prison at the age of 82 from colon and liver cancer.

EXTRA INFORMATION

BIBLIOGRAPHY
www.trutv.com www.murderpedia.org www.prezi.com

www.maamodt.asp.Radford.edu
www.wikipedia.com