Judy Buenoano
Female Serial Killer Case
CLASSIFICATION: Serial Homicide
LOCATION
Florida, United States
TIME PERIOD
1971-1985
VICTIMS
3 confirmed
Judy Buenoano, an American serial killer, was convicted for the murders of her first husband, James Goodyear, in 1971, and her son, Michael Buenoano, in 1980, alongside an attempted murder of her boyfriend, John Gentry, in 1983. The incidents occurred primarily in Florida, with additional ties to Colorado and Alabama. Buenoano was apprehended on January 11, 1984, and subsequently sentenced to death, becoming the first woman executed in Florida since 1848, executed by electrocution on November 26, 1985. Significant evidence included life insurance policies taken out on her victims, and investigations revealed arsenic poisoning in the exhumed body of another boyfriend, Gerald Dossett, although no charges were filed in that case.
Judy Buenoano is believed to have committed multiple murders for financial gain, specifically targeting individuals with life insurance policies. Some speculate that her criminal activities may extend beyond the confirmed cases, including a 1974 murder in Alabama and the 1980 death of Gerald Dossett, with theories suggesting she may have used arsenic as a method of poisoning. Investigators and the public have debated the extent of her crimes, considering her manipulative nature and history of targeting partners for monetary benefits.
The Sinister Saga of Judy Buenoano
A Life Marked by Tragedy and Deception
Born on April 4, 1943, in the small town of Quanah, Texas, Judias Anna Lou Welty seemed destined for a life of hardship. By the age of four, she had already faced significant loss with the death of her mother. Alongside her younger brother, Robert, she was sent to live with her grandparents. Her father remarried a woman with two sons, and the Welty children joined this new family in Roswell, New Mexico. It was here that Judy's life took a dark turn, marked by the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of her father and stepmother. They reportedly starved her and forced her into servitude. The tension at home reached a boiling point when, at fourteen, Judy attacked her father, stepmother, and stepbrothers with hot grease, an act that landed her in prison for two months. Upon her release, she opted for reform school, where she graduated in 1960.
By 1961, Judy had become a nursing assistant and gave birth to her son, Michael. However, the challenges of her early life seemed to set the stage for a series of heinous crimes that would later earn her the moniker "The Black Widow."
The Web of Crime
Judy's first known victim was her husband, James Goodyear, a sergeant in the United States Air Force, whom she married in 1963. Tragically, he died on September 16, 1971, in Orlando, Florida. Initially, his death was attributed to natural causes, but this was merely the beginning of Judy's lethal pattern.
Two years after James's death, Judy moved in with Bobby Joe Morris in Trinidad, Colorado. By January 1978, Morris had also fallen victim to poisoning. It was around this time that Judy adopted the surname "Buenoano," a corrupted Spanish phrase meaning "good year." But for those around her, the years were anything but good.
In 1980, Judy's son Michael, whom she resented for being born out of wedlock, became severely ill with paraplegia symptoms. On May 13 of that year, Judy took Michael canoeing in Milton, Florida. The canoe capsized, and Michael, burdened by his arm and leg braces and without a life jacket, drowned. Judy profited from his death by opening a beauty salon with the proceeds from his life insurance.
The following years saw Judy embroiled in yet another suspicious relationship with John Gentry, a wallpaper businessman. In 1983, Gentry's car exploded in Pensacola, Florida, leaving him severely injured. As he recuperated, inconsistencies in Judy's past began to surface. Investigators discovered that she had been telling friends Gentry was terminally ill and that the "vitamin pills" she gave him contained arsenic and paraformaldehyde.
The exhumations of Michael Goodyear, James Goodyear, and Bobby Joe Morris revealed arsenic poisoning as the cause of death in both men, with substantial life insurance payouts going to Judy following each demise. These revelations led to her arrest in 1983.
Conviction and Execution
In 1984, Judy Buenoano was convicted for the murder of her son Michael and the attempted murder of John Gentry. She received a 12-year sentence for the attempt on Gentry's life and a life sentence for Michael's murder. The following year, she was convicted of murdering her first husband, James Goodyear, and subsequently sentenced to death. Her crimes extended to multiple counts of grand theft through insurance fraud, and she was suspected of committing arson for similar fraudulent purposes.
Judy spent her final years on death row at the Broward Correctional Institution, part of the Florida Department of Corrections. On March 30, 1998, she was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison. Her last meal consisted of steamed broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, and tomato wedges, accompanied by hot tea and lemon. When asked for final words, she simply replied, "No, sir." Her body was cremated following her execution.
Judy Buenoano's case was historically significant, as she became the first woman executed in Florida since 1848 and the first woman electrocuted in the United States since 1976.
Sources
For more detailed information, please visit the original Wikipedia article on Judy Buenoano.
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James Goodyear Dies
Judy Buenoano's first husband, James Goodyear, dies under suspicious circumstances.
Bobby Joe Morris Dies
Judy's boyfriend, Bobby Joe Morris, dies from poisoning, later linked to her.
Michael Drowns
Judy's son, Michael, drowns in a canoe accident, leading to life insurance claims.
Judy Arrested
Judy Buenoano is arrested on multiple counts, including murder and attempted murder.
Convicted for Murder
Judy is convicted of the murder of her son Michael and attempted murder of John Gentry.
Death Sentence
Judy is sentenced to death for the murder of her first husband, James Goodyear.
Execution
Judy Buenoano is executed by electrocution, becoming the first woman executed in Florida since 1848.
Judy Buenoano, an American serial killer, was convicted for the murders of her first husband, James Goodyear, in 1971, and her son, Michael Buenoano, in 1980, alongside an attempted murder of her boyfriend, John Gentry, in 1983. The incidents occurred primarily in Florida, with additional ties to Colorado and Alabama. Buenoano was apprehended on January 11, 1984, and subsequently sentenced to death, becoming the first woman executed in Florida since 1848, executed by electrocution on November 26, 1985. Significant evidence included life insurance policies taken out on her victims, and investigations revealed arsenic poisoning in the exhumed body of another boyfriend, Gerald Dossett, although no charges were filed in that case.
Judy Buenoano is believed to have committed multiple murders for financial gain, specifically targeting individuals with life insurance policies. Some speculate that her criminal activities may extend beyond the confirmed cases, including a 1974 murder in Alabama and the 1980 death of Gerald Dossett, with theories suggesting she may have used arsenic as a method of poisoning. Investigators and the public have debated the extent of her crimes, considering her manipulative nature and history of targeting partners for monetary benefits.
The Sinister Saga of Judy Buenoano
A Life Marked by Tragedy and Deception
Born on April 4, 1943, in the small town of Quanah, Texas, Judias Anna Lou Welty seemed destined for a life of hardship. By the age of four, she had already faced significant loss with the death of her mother. Alongside her younger brother, Robert, she was sent to live with her grandparents. Her father remarried a woman with two sons, and the Welty children joined this new family in Roswell, New Mexico. It was here that Judy's life took a dark turn, marked by the alleged abuse she suffered at the hands of her father and stepmother. They reportedly starved her and forced her into servitude. The tension at home reached a boiling point when, at fourteen, Judy attacked her father, stepmother, and stepbrothers with hot grease, an act that landed her in prison for two months. Upon her release, she opted for reform school, where she graduated in 1960.
By 1961, Judy had become a nursing assistant and gave birth to her son, Michael. However, the challenges of her early life seemed to set the stage for a series of heinous crimes that would later earn her the moniker "The Black Widow."
The Web of Crime
Judy's first known victim was her husband, James Goodyear, a sergeant in the United States Air Force, whom she married in 1963. Tragically, he died on September 16, 1971, in Orlando, Florida. Initially, his death was attributed to natural causes, but this was merely the beginning of Judy's lethal pattern.
Two years after James's death, Judy moved in with Bobby Joe Morris in Trinidad, Colorado. By January 1978, Morris had also fallen victim to poisoning. It was around this time that Judy adopted the surname "Buenoano," a corrupted Spanish phrase meaning "good year." But for those around her, the years were anything but good.
In 1980, Judy's son Michael, whom she resented for being born out of wedlock, became severely ill with paraplegia symptoms. On May 13 of that year, Judy took Michael canoeing in Milton, Florida. The canoe capsized, and Michael, burdened by his arm and leg braces and without a life jacket, drowned. Judy profited from his death by opening a beauty salon with the proceeds from his life insurance.
The following years saw Judy embroiled in yet another suspicious relationship with John Gentry, a wallpaper businessman. In 1983, Gentry's car exploded in Pensacola, Florida, leaving him severely injured. As he recuperated, inconsistencies in Judy's past began to surface. Investigators discovered that she had been telling friends Gentry was terminally ill and that the "vitamin pills" she gave him contained arsenic and paraformaldehyde.
The exhumations of Michael Goodyear, James Goodyear, and Bobby Joe Morris revealed arsenic poisoning as the cause of death in both men, with substantial life insurance payouts going to Judy following each demise. These revelations led to her arrest in 1983.
Conviction and Execution
In 1984, Judy Buenoano was convicted for the murder of her son Michael and the attempted murder of John Gentry. She received a 12-year sentence for the attempt on Gentry's life and a life sentence for Michael's murder. The following year, she was convicted of murdering her first husband, James Goodyear, and subsequently sentenced to death. Her crimes extended to multiple counts of grand theft through insurance fraud, and she was suspected of committing arson for similar fraudulent purposes.
Judy spent her final years on death row at the Broward Correctional Institution, part of the Florida Department of Corrections. On March 30, 1998, she was executed in the electric chair at Florida State Prison. Her last meal consisted of steamed broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, and tomato wedges, accompanied by hot tea and lemon. When asked for final words, she simply replied, "No, sir." Her body was cremated following her execution.
Judy Buenoano's case was historically significant, as she became the first woman executed in Florida since 1848 and the first woman electrocuted in the United States since 1976.
Sources
For more detailed information, please visit the original Wikipedia article on Judy Buenoano.
No Recent News
No recent news articles found for this case. Check back later for updates.
No Evidence Submitted
No evidence found for this case. Be the first to submit evidence in the comments below.
Join the discussion
Loading comments...
James Goodyear Dies
Judy Buenoano's first husband, James Goodyear, dies under suspicious circumstances.
Bobby Joe Morris Dies
Judy's boyfriend, Bobby Joe Morris, dies from poisoning, later linked to her.
Michael Drowns
Judy's son, Michael, drowns in a canoe accident, leading to life insurance claims.
Judy Arrested
Judy Buenoano is arrested on multiple counts, including murder and attempted murder.
Convicted for Murder
Judy is convicted of the murder of her son Michael and attempted murder of John Gentry.
Death Sentence
Judy is sentenced to death for the murder of her first husband, James Goodyear.
Execution
Judy Buenoano is executed by electrocution, becoming the first woman executed in Florida since 1848.