1Serial Killer Research Assignment: Dorothea Puente
. Where was your subject born and raised? Did he/she move around the country?
Dorothea Puente was born in Redlands, California (Gibson, 2006). After her parents died, she was sent to an orphanage, then some relatives brought her home, and raised her up in Fresno, California (Gibson). During her life, she moved to, lived, and moved back different places, including California, Los Angeles, and Washington (Malocco, 2014).
2. Were there any issues in the subject’s childhood that might have had an impact on the subject becoming a serial killer? Is there any evidence of the “terrible triad”?
As Gibson (2006) states, she grew up in a very poor family. Even worse, according to Connell (2011), …show more content…
Was there a family history of criminality? Was their criminality related to Nature or Nurture? Provide detailed reasoning to support your assertion.
No evidence was found about a family history of criminality in Puente’s case.
4. Was there a psychological component to their crimes?
According to Malocco (2014), Puente suffered from schizophrenia, and was described as a very disturbed woman.
5. What was the subject’s Modus Operandi?
Puente preferred choosing tenants who sharing similarities such as: old, alcoholic, mentally ill, or lack of social relationships. In her boarding house, Puente let the tenants live only on the first floor, and left the second for herself. She usually encouraged the tenants to take medicines, which were actually sleeping pills. Having used sleeping spills, and other various poison medicines, Puente drugged the tenants to death. After killing them, she buried the bodies in the backyard. Whenever someone questioned her about the absence of the victims, she would make excuses such as he, or she was ill, was moved to upstairs to feel better, had left, or had come to live with some relatives (Malocco, 2014).
6. How many people were confirmed to have been killed by the subject? How many people were suspected to have been killed by the …show more content…
Kelleher and C. Kelleher (1998) explained how she was captured. In 1988, social workers reported to the police about several cases of sudden disappearances of Puente’s boarders. At the same time, the police received complaints from neighbors about odor and flies from Puente’s backyard. On November 11, 1988, the police came to her home, and began digging up the backyard. During this investigation, Puente fled to Los Angeles. After a few days, seven bodies were found, and the police set out to capture her. On November 17, 1988, she was recognized by a man whom she was trying to deceive to get his social security information. The man called the police, and Puente was arrested
. Where was your subject born and raised? Did he/she move around the country?
Dorothea Puente was born in Redlands, California (Gibson, 2006). After her parents died, she was sent to an orphanage, then some relatives brought her home, and raised her up in Fresno, California (Gibson). During her life, she moved to, lived, and moved back different places, including California, Los Angeles, and Washington (Malocco, 2014).
2. Were there any issues in the subject’s childhood that might have had an impact on the subject becoming a serial killer? Is there any evidence of the “terrible triad”?
As Gibson (2006) states, she grew up in a very poor family. Even worse, according to Connell (2011), …show more content…
Was there a family history of criminality? Was their criminality related to Nature or Nurture? Provide detailed reasoning to support your assertion.
No evidence was found about a family history of criminality in Puente’s case.
4. Was there a psychological component to their crimes?
According to Malocco (2014), Puente suffered from schizophrenia, and was described as a very disturbed woman.
5. What was the subject’s Modus Operandi?
Puente preferred choosing tenants who sharing similarities such as: old, alcoholic, mentally ill, or lack of social relationships. In her boarding house, Puente let the tenants live only on the first floor, and left the second for herself. She usually encouraged the tenants to take medicines, which were actually sleeping pills. Having used sleeping spills, and other various poison medicines, Puente drugged the tenants to death. After killing them, she buried the bodies in the backyard. Whenever someone questioned her about the absence of the victims, she would make excuses such as he, or she was ill, was moved to upstairs to feel better, had left, or had come to live with some relatives (Malocco, 2014).
6. How many people were confirmed to have been killed by the subject? How many people were suspected to have been killed by the …show more content…
Kelleher and C. Kelleher (1998) explained how she was captured. In 1988, social workers reported to the police about several cases of sudden disappearances of Puente’s boarders. At the same time, the police received complaints from neighbors about odor and flies from Puente’s backyard. On November 11, 1988, the police came to her home, and began digging up the backyard. During this investigation, Puente fled to Los Angeles. After a few days, seven bodies were found, and the police set out to capture her. On November 17, 1988, she was recognized by a man whom she was trying to deceive to get his social security information. The man called the police, and Puente was arrested