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May 2024
1h 1m

Episode 88 - Dorothea Puente Part 1 (Wor...

Well, Hello Mr Fancy Pants
About this episode

Summary


Dorothea Helen (Gray) Puente, born in 1929, had a difficult childhood with alcoholic parents and abuse. She created a new persona and story to escape her past. After leaving the foster system, she turned to sex work in Olympia, Washington. Business was good as soldiers returned from war. She eventually got engaged to a customer named Fred McFaul. Dorothea's marriage to Fred deteriorates as she becomes more focused on her own interests. She becomes pregnant twice but has no interest in her children and gives them up for adoption. Dorothea's lies and lack of housekeeping skills strain her relationship with Axel, leading to physical abuse. She opens a brothel in Sacramento but is arrested for solicitation. After her release, she is arrested again for vagrancy. Dorothea continued her criminal activities after her release from prison. She made a reputation as a healthcare expert in jail and got hired as a nurse's aide after her release. She cared for the elderly in their homes, but also stole from them. Dorothea retired from private nursing and opened a boarding house, where she continued to rob and kill her residents. She formed a business partnership with Ruth Monroe and opened a successful restaurant. However, Dorothea drained their shared account and planned to flee to Mexico. She was caught at the airport and sentenced to prison. Ruth died under suspicious circumstances, but her death was ruled a suicide. Dorothea was prohibited from running a boarding house or working with vulnerable people after her release.


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