Another Death Penalty
Case by Luis V. Rodriguez
#C-33000 Ex-Death Row Prisoner
Then there's the strange case of Dorthea Montalvo Puente, a 63-year-old
Sacramento woman charged with nine counts of murder in the deaths of Dorothy
Miller, 65; Leona Carpenter, 80; Vera Faye Martin, 65; Betty Mae Palmer,
80; Ruth F. Munroe, 61; James A. Gallop, 64; Benjamin Fink, 55; Alvaro Montoya,
52; Everson T. Gillmouth, 77.
Several of the nine corpses were discovered buried at different locations
around Puente's home. Dorthea Puente provided room and board to the elderly
to supplement her income; she allegedly made nine of them permanent residents
by overdosing them with Dalmane. Dorthea continued to collect the deceaseds'
social security checks and of course to spend the money.
So here's the question: apparently there is quite a bit of evidence against
Dorthea M. Puente, and the Sacramento District Attorney's office is heatedly
pursuing the death penalty against her. But why? Puente is 63 years old.
Even if she is sentenced to death in the next few years, it is very doubtful
that she would live to see her execution date. Prison-especially existence
on Death Row-is very mentally and physically destructive, even more so for
the elderly. Even if she survives the years of appeals and is executed at
age 80 (which could very easily be possible) someone please explain to me
what exactly will be accomplished?
If Dorthea M. Puente is, in fact, found guilty, sentenced to death, and
executed, the tax-payers will have spent a few million dollars to do it
(to execute Robert Harris cost several million dollars). To pursue and impose
multiple life sentences would cost perhaps one-third of a death penalty
case. Obviously in Dorthea Puente's case, any life sentence would most likely
accomplish the same results in perhaps the same amount of time.
Yes, the alleged crimes are horrendous and reprehensible, but can't we agree
that this is obviously another political game being played by prosecutors
to pursue death penalty cases, especially multiple murder cases, as a career
stepping-stone (while costing millions of your tax dollars)? If you agree,
send letters of inquiry, disapproval, or outrage to Governor Pete Wilson
and the Sacramento District Attorney's office.
No wonder our criminal justice system in California is financially bankrupt.
Maybe they took the same creative financing/career advancement classes as
the Keating-5? After a change of venue, Dorthea Puente is being tried in
Monterey California, scheduled to begin on November 4, 1992.