Why is Sacramento glorifying Dorothea Puente’s house of horrors? | Opinion
There are aspects of Sacramento culture that are baffling to me. The “Sacramento hates you too” slogan, is on bumper stickers, T-shirts, and Instagram posts but annoys me for suggesting that Sacramento isn’t the welcoming place I know it to be as a recent arrival.
The local glorification of serial killer Dorothea Puente isn’t funny or clever. It’s egregious and weird. As an avid e-scooter rider, I’ve taken mine everywhere around midtown and downtown Sacramento, weaving through neighborhoods both new and old.
But every time I reach the intersection of 14th and F streets, my body begins to ache. It could only mean one thing: I’ve arrived at the house Puente made infamous 37 years ago. In my opinion, the house still casts a long shadow over the block.
Puente operated that unassuming boarding house at 1426 F St., a place that once promised shelter but instead became the site of unspeakable acts.
In November 1988, authorities discovered the remains of seven people in Puente’s yard. She fled the scene but was eventually brought to justice, convicted on three counts of first-degree murder in 1993. Puente died in prison in 2011.
There have been films, documentaries, and podcasts that capture her crime. And now, Preservation Sacramento has announced that the Puente house will be one of six featured properties on its 50th Annual Historic Home Tour this September — an event that typically draws hundreds of curious visitors to learn about the city’s architectural past.
According to the organizers, the home’s notoriety was a factor in its selection, though they say they hope to share the building's broader history and the many residents it has had over the decades. That house should be whispered as a cautionary tale rather than promoted as a tourist destination.
I get it. We are in an era where true crime has become mainstream entertainment. According to a 2024 study by Edison Research, a staggering 84% of the U.S. population aged 13 and older consumes true-crime content. Podcasts, TV series, and streaming documentaries have turned real-life tragedies into content for viewers to binge-watch, often with little regard for the pain left behind. In this sense, my objections are in the minority.
But what Puente did represents the worst of humanity. The people who were murdered should not be reduced to footnotes in a lurid story. This is one Sacramento “gem” that can stay hidden.