Vanessa Richardson

The fewer people who knew what she was up to, the more in control she felt.

But what she didn't realize was that there were people out there who were more determined than she was to protect the city's at-risk populations.

And soon, they'd beat Dorothea at her own game.

By 1987, 58-year-old Dorothea Puente had killed about seven people, maybe even more.

She'd buried most of her victims in the backyard garden of her boarding house, where she still cared for elderly and disabled tenants.

Then in 1988, Dorothea met the tenant who would change her life forever.

That year, a social worker named Judy Moise was looking for a new home for her client, 52-year-old Alvaro Montoya, who went by the nickname Bert.

Bert suffered from schizophrenia.

He sometimes heard voices, and on top of that, he mostly spoke Spanish, which made it harder for him to find stable, long-term care.

Until Judy found Dorothea.

Judy felt extremely protective of Bert, and Dorothea was one of the only people she trusted to care for him.

When they met, Dorothea instantly agreed to take Bert in.

She told Judy that he reminded her of herself when she was young, struggling to learn English and integrate.

This, of course, was a complete fabrication.

But like everyone else in Sacramento at the time, Judy was familiar with Dorothea's story and believed it.

Dorothea took Bert to get a haircut, bought him new clothes, and cooked up warm, nutritious meals for him.

She also helped him develop a sense of routine by giving him some simple household chores.

He even dug a hole in the backyard for a peach tree Dorothea was going to plant there.

Slowly, Bert started speaking to other people more, both in Spanish and English.

When Judy came to check on him and saw the progress he was making, she was overjoyed.