Judy Buenoano American serial killer Date of Birth: 04.04.1943 Country: USA

1. Marriage and Suspicions
2. Deadly Secrets
3. Attempted Murder and Suspicion
4. The Trials and Sentences
5. The Execution

Judias 'Judy' Buenoano: The Life and Crimes of America's First Female Serial Killer

Judias 'Judy' Buenoano, born Judias Welty on April 4, 1943, in Quanah, Texas, was an American serial killer. She gained notoriety as the first woman to be executed in the United States by the electric chair since 1957. Prior to her execution, Rhonda Belle Martin had been electrocuted in Alabama.

Marriage and Suspicions

In 1971, Buenoano married James Goodyear, a sergeant in the US Air Force. However, according to prosecutors, she poisoned him with a fatal dose of cyanide in hopes of collecting insurance money. Initially, Goodyear's death was believed to be natural. In 1973, Buenoano became involved with Bobby Joe Morris. In January 1978, Morris was poisoned with cyanide.

Deadly Secrets

In 1980, Buenoano's son, Michael Goodyear, fell severely ill, exhibiting symptoms of paralysis. Post-mortem examinations revealed he had been heavily poisoned with cyanide, which caused his disability. Later that year, Buenoano took her son on a canoe trip and drowned him in a river after weighing down his hands and feet with braces.

Attempted Murder and Suspicion

In 1983, Buenoano began dating John Gentry. Gentry suffered serious injuries when his car exploded. As police investigated the explosion, discrepancies were found in Buenoano's background information. Further investigation revealed that she had been telling friends that Gentry was terminally ill. Suspicious, Gentry reported that Buenoano had been giving him "vitamins" to improve his health. Tests revealed the presence of cyanide and formaldehyde. This led to the exhumation and examination of the bodies of Michael Goodyear, James Goodyear, and Bobby Joe Morris, all of whom were found to have been poisoned with cyanide.

The Trials and Sentences

In 1984, Buenoano was convicted of the murders of Michael and James Goodyear. In 1985, she was convicted of the attempted murder of John Gentry. She received a 12-year prison sentence for the Gentry case, life imprisonment for the Michael Goodyear case, and was sentenced to death for the murder of James Goodyear. Buenoano was also found guilty of insurance fraud and was suspected of several arson cases for financial gain.

The Execution

Judias 'Judy' Buenoano was executed on March 30, 1998, in Starke, Florida, by means of the electric chair. She became the first woman to be executed in Florida since 1848 and the third female criminal to be executed nationwide following the reinstitution of the death penalty in 1976. Her crimes and subsequent execution left a lasting mark on American criminal history.