The story of California’s Killer Landlady is making way to screens soon. HBO is developing Dorothea, a true crime drama series based on the story of 1980s serial killer Dorothea Puente.
Details about the project are starting to come into focus, so here’s what we know so far about Dorothea.
Who will star in Dorothea?
Geena Davis will take on the titular role in the series, as detailed by Variety. So far, she is the only casting announcement that has been made for the series.
Davis will also executive produce the show. Joshua Michael Stern serves as showrunner, while additional executive producers include Michael Rosenbaum and Jeff Frost. Jane Whitney is coexecutive producer.
What is Dorothea about?
The official description tells us it’s about “a Sacramento woman who ran a boarding house for the less fortunate in the 1980s, but her seemingly benevolent actions belied her sinister motives.” It is based on the true story of convicted serial murderer Dorothea Puente.
What did Dorothea Puente do?
In 1993, Puente was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder after she poisoned the tenants of her Sacramento properties, buried their bodies in her garden, and collected their government benefit checks, per the Los Angeles Times. She reportedly took in vulnerable tenants whose disappearances would go unnoticed. After a social worker became suspicious of Puente, and police discovered a body in her yard, Puente fled to Los Angeles, where she was later spotted and apprehended.
Ultimately, seven bodies were found on her property, and she was charged with nine murders after other cases were connected to her. She was sentenced to life in prison and once said in an interview, “I used to be a very good person.” She died in 2011 at the age of 82.
Are there other adaptations of this story?
Yes. A 2025 limited-release picture called Dorothea adapted the story as well. It starred Pat McNeely and Susan Priver as the elder and younger versions of the title character, respectively. The story was also featured in the first episode of Netflix’s Worst Roommate Ever docuseries, along with series like Crime Stories, Deadly Women, A Stranger in My House, and World’s Most Evil Killers. A series of correspondence with her also inspired the 2004 cookbook Cooking With a Serial Killer: Recipes From Dorothea Puente.