Female Serial Killers by Peter Vronsky

Author:Peter Vronsky
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2007-08-26T04:00:00+00:00

Dorothea Commits Her First Murder

It was at this moment, as she was in the middle of dealing with all her legal problems and a prospect of prison time—according to William P. Wood, the district attorney assigned to her case at the time—that Dorothea committed her first planned murder.180 That April, Dorothea entered into a business partnership with Ruth Munroe, a retiree whose recent marriage was falling apart as her husband was suddenly diagnosed with a terminal illness. Entirely unaware of Dorothea’s legal problems, Munroe agreed to go into the catering business with her. Ruth transferred several thousand dollars of her savings into a joint business account. Dorothea’s cooking skills were well known, she appeared as an efficient administrator, and besides, the two women had quickly developed a friendship. Not only that, to further save on expenses Dorothea invited Ruth to come live with her at the house on F Street. On April 11, Ruth’s sons helped her move into 1426 F Street. Seventeen days later, Ruth was dead.

Soon after moving in with Dorothea, Ruth had a “nervous episode” over her marriage and needed to be sedated by doctors, according to Dorothea. On April 27, Ruth’s son visited 1426 F and was told by Dorothea that the doctor had just left, having given his mother another shot for her nerves. Despite being urged by Dorothea not to disturb Ruth, the son went up to see his mother. He later testified that he found her on her side facing the wall with her eyes open but entirely immobile, as if paralyzed. She appeared not to be aware of his presence. Assuming that was the effect of the drug, he recalled his last words to his mother were, “Don’t worry, Mom, everything’s going to be all right. Dorothea will take care of you.”

He recalled that a tear trickled down from his mother’s eye, but otherwise she remained immobile. She was trying to scream for help, but couldn’t, paralyzed by a drug administered by Puente.

The next morning, on April 28, Ruth Munroe was dead, dying in her sleep according to Dorothea. Police and paramedics arrived at the scene, as did Ruth’s family. As there was no physician present at the scene, an autopsy was conducted and high doses of codeine were found in her system. When the circumstances of Ruth’s collapsing marriage were revealed, her death was ruled by “undetermined cause,” but believed to have been a suicide. Nobody suspected the visibly upset and fragile, elderly Dorothea.

The district attorney’s office in the meantime, while pursuing the conviction of Dorothea on the other charges, was entirely unaware of Ruth Munroe’s death and her connection with Dorothea. Nobody in the family realized that Ruth had made a large withdrawal from her bank account or that she had a joint account with Dorothea that had been recently emptied.

At the same time, while awaiting her trial, Dorothea decided to flee Sacramento. On May 16, she phoned a former patient she was friendly with and invited herself over for a drink.

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