What Happened To Dorothea Puente’s Victim Ruth Monroe?

Before her arrest, Oxygen writes that her friend, Ruth Monroe (above), had died at Puente’s home under mysterious circumstances. However, the death was ruled a suicide and police moved on (per All That’s Interesting). Puente spent three years in prison for the thefts. By 1985, she was free and on her way to opening her second boarding house (via Bustle). Located at 1426 F Street in Sacramento, California, Puente’s modus operandi for her new boarding home was the same as the first. Just as before, she housed people who were not in the best physical or mental condition.

In addition, most of her tenants had no friends and family. When they began to disappear, no one batted an eye. Puente was an expert atin coming up with excuses, and anyone who questioned her bought them. Per The Cinemaholic, eventually, Dorothy Miller, Benjamin Fink, Leona Carpenter, and Bert Montoya all went missing while living in Puente’s home. However, it would be Bert Montoya’s disappearance that would lead to the end of Puente’s house of horrors. Unlike the other boarders, Montoya had someone who was looking out for him: Judy Moise (per the New York Post).