Dark Deeds

S03E18: A Bed, a Meal, and a Shallow Grave: The Landlady of Death

From the outside, 1426 F Street in Sacramento, California, looked like a respectable Victorian boarding house run by a kind, grandmotherly woman with a reputation for helping the community's most vulnerable. But beneath Dorothea Puente's sweet facade lay a cold, calculating killer with a lifetime of deceit and fraud.This episode delves into the chilling story of the "Death House Landlady." Tracing Dorothea's decades-long criminal history—from check forgery and running a brothel to eventually targeting her own tenants: the elderly, the disabled, and those with no one to look after them.The motive was not pleasure, but profit. She would drug her boarders, steal their government benefit and Social Security checks, and when they disappeared, she would simply tell concerned parties that they had moved on. Her deadly operation only came to light when an investigation into a missing tenant led police to an unthinkable discovery: seven bodies buried in shallow graves right in the backyard. Sources Worst Roomate Ever Season 1: Call Me Grandma ID Crimefeed  [https://www.investigationdiscovery.com/crimefeed/crime-history/death-house-landlady--a-look-back-at-unexpected-serial-killer-do] Sactown Magazine (2009) [https://www.sactownmag.com/the-life-and-deaths-of-dorothea-puente/] OAC (1982-1992) [https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8b85fn5/] All that's Interesting (2024) [https://allthatsinteresting.com/dorothea-puente] Los Angeles Times (2011) [https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-0328-dorothea-puente-20110328-story.html] Audio Mass Murderabilia YouTube- Police interview with Dorothea Puente (Part 01) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHguL1-WV2c] Mass Murderabilia YouTube- Police Interview with Dorothea Puente (Part 02) [https://youtu.be/OnVfG1FpOvI?si=3Oa-decdfZfTtyyY] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dark-deeds--6216218/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dark-deeds--6216218/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

S03E17: Recent Evils: The Murder of Rebecca Park and Crimes of Oninda Romelus

Rebecca Park On the night of November 3, 2025, 22-year-old Rebecca Park's biological mother, Cortney Bartholomew, and her step-father, Bradley Bartholomew lured her to their home. Since Rebecca was due to give birth soon, it was assumed they lured her there on the premise of having a baby shower for her, but they threw her in a car where they took her to the Manistee National Forest in Michigan. It is here that they brutally tortured and stabbed Rebecca, even cutting her baby from her womb. Rebecca was considered a missing person until November 25, when her body was found. Her baby has still yet to be found, and this case is still ongoing.  Oninda Romelus Oninda Romelus, a 31-year-old mother of 4 living in the Porter area of Texas put her 4 children into her vehicle on the early morning hours of October 4, 2025 and took them to a location near a gas station in Angleton, Brazoria County where she then pulled a weapon and shot all of them. She then drove to the gas station and called 911, stating that her children were going to kill her so she had to "do it to them" first. She told police at the scene that her children were "dead to her" and "with the devil." Two of her children passed away and two of them were flown by helicopter and are still recovering. This case is currently still ongoing.            O'Karreo Covington: A 13-year-old boy who died from a gunshot wound to the head.            Amourra Chapell: A 3-year-old girl who died in the backseat of the car.            Kylee Romelus: A 9-year-old girl who was shot in the side and arm and survived.            Traviel Downer: An 8-year-old boy who was shot in the arm and survived Sources People (2025) [https://people.com/paternity-court-contestant-accused-shooting-4-kids-killing-2-11825582] Fox 26 Houston (2025) [https://www.fox26houston.com/news/who-is-oninda-romelus-mother-accused-shooting-4-kids-angleton-georgia-arrest] ABC 13 (2025) [https://abc13.com/post/search-warrant-details-fraud-investigation-montgomery-county-mother-accused-shooting-children/17966786/] Click2Houston (2025) [https://www.click2houston.com/news/local/2025/10/06/kill-them-all-court-docs-reveal-disturbing-statements-by-mother-accused-of-shooting-her-4-children/] Michigan Department of Attorney General (2025) [https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2025/12/02/two-charged-with-murder-of-rebecca-park] 9 & 10 News (2025) [https://www.9and10news.com/2025/11/12/no-new-evidence-in-22-year-old-pregnant-missing-woman-case-in-wexford-county/] News Nation (2025) [https://www.newsnationnow.com/banfield/rebecca-park-sister-fiance-dead-released-from-jail/] Audio UpNorthLive YouTube: Court hears details in murder and torture of pregnant Rebecca Park in Wexford County (2025) [https://youtu.be/x1tuf1vK5DM?si=hgBy52XUOxsF_a-Q] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dark-deeds--6216218/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dark-deeds--6216218/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

S03E16: Blonde Fury: The Tormented Life of Ruth Ellis

In the glamorous, smoky underworld of 1950s London, Ruth Ellis was a platinum-blonde trailblazer: a young, ambitious nightclub manager who quickly became the star of her own complicated life. But her world of glitz and aspiration was violently shattered by a toxic, abusive affair with wealthy racing driver David Blakely.       On Easter Sunday, 1955, Ruth stalked Blakely to a Hampstead pub and shot him. Her immediate, chilling confession—"It is obvious when I shot him I intended to kill him"—sealed her fate. Ruth was the last woman to be hanged in the UK, and it sparked much controversy as her severe abuse at the hands of David Blakley was not thoroughly taken into account. Now, 70 years later, her grandchildren have applied to have her posthumously conditionally pardoned for her crimes. While it will not completely quash her record as she had admitted to killing David, it will show that her being hanged was a gross miscarriage of justice.  Sources Mishcon De Reya (2025)  [https://www.mishcon.com/news/tv/justice-delayed-is-justice-denied-the-case-for-a-posthumous-conditional-pardon] Luxury London (2025) [https://luxurylondon.co.uk/culture/entertainment/ruth-ellis-true-story-a-cruel-love-itv/] The Guardian (2025) [https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/oct/21/grandchildren-of-ruth-ellis-last-woman-to-be-hanged-in-uk-ask-for-pardon] Wikapedia  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Ellis] Real Crime YouTube- The Last Woman to be Executed in Britain (2022) [https://youtu.be/eC0zHVO_V2I?si=pPfKJFSdgEXfW09S] BBC (2025) [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8x14d1l9l1o] Audio This Morning YouTube- "I'm Finally Proud to be Ruth Ellis' Grandaughter (2025) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLKMbSu73Bk] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dark-deeds--6216218/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dark-deeds--6216218/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

S03E15: The Parasocial Paradox: Sana Yousaf and Bianca Devins

For millions, the screen is a window into a world of connection, entertainment, and shared experiences. These people are the content creators; artists, comedians, gamers, storytellers. But in today’s hyperconnected world of modern media, the line between admiration and obsession is becoming dangerously thin. On this episode, I use two cases to pull back the curtain on the chilling reality of the parasocial paradox- where a one sided relationship blooms into toxic fixation that ultimately culminates into unimaginable violence.                Sana Yousaf, a Pakistani social media influencer with over a million combined followers on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, known for content promoting cultural pride and girls' education was fatally shot in her home after an obsessed follower, 22-year-old Umar Hayat who had been attempting to message her and meet up for months, broke into her home on June 2, 2025.This sparked an outcry in Pakistan to change the way women who are independent and have their voices heard are treated.               Bianca Michelle Devins, a 17-year-old girl who was active in online communities such as 4Chan met 21-year-old Brandon Clark online. The two began a friendship, and Bianca was clear to Brandon that she did not want a relationship with him, as she was about to start college. On the night of July 13, 2019, Brandon and Bianca attended a Nicole Dollanganger concert. A third person attended with them, a creator named Ouipo. Brandon left to get something, and when he returned, he allegedly spotted Bianca kissing Ouipo.        The next morning around 6:03 AM, an image was posted to Bianca's discord server. The image featured Bianca with blood on her face and her throat slashed as well as a chilling message. Brandon later called 9-1-1 discussing what he had done. He attempted to commit suicide and laid on a tarp that was covering Bianca's body. He ultimately survived and was charged with her murder.  Sources GirlsNotBrides (2025) [https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/articles/a-turning-point-in-pakistans-fight-to-end-child-marriage-the-child-marriage-restraint-act-2025-for-islamabad-capital-territory/] Dunya News (2025) [https://dunyanews.tv/en/Entertainment/908530-sana-yousafs-father-wants-speedy-trial-as-murder-suspect-appears-in] The Current (2025) [https://thecurrent.pk/he-should-be-punished-if-guilty-father-of-sana-yousafs-killer-breaks-silence] Aljazeera (2025) [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/9/20/pakistani-court-indicts-man-over-killing-of-teenage-tiktok-influencer] CNN (2025) [https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/09/asia/pakistan-teen-murder-gender-violence-hnk-intl] CBS News (2021) [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/bianca-devins-murder-violent-images-psychological-terrorism-48-hours/] BBC (2019) [https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-49001706] Rolling Stone (2019) [https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/bianca-devins-viral-death-murder-926823/] Law and Crime (2019) [https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/possible-motive-discovered-in-bianca-devins-murder-case/amp/] Huffington Post (2019) [https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/bianca-devins-mothers-nightmare-instagram_l_5df7b488e4b0ae01a1e47433] Dark Case Documentaries-YouTube- GRAPHIC:17yo Vlogger Finds Stalker in Her Bedroom-True Crime Documentary (2025)  [https://youtu.be/uPfZNrA2uIw?si=fogxwDmELKF57ca4] Audio Syracuse.com YouTube- Bianca Devins' mother remembers the night of her daughter's murder (2020) [https://youtu.be/j-1b5FIum0c?si=zV2diBQgLRHoW6jg] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dark-deeds--6216218/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dark-deeds--6216218/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].

S03E14: No Light on Light Street: The Jessica Rae Sacco Story

After returning to Urbana, Ohio, attempting to repair her relationship with her mother, and getting a small apartment on Light Street, 21-year-old Jessica Rae Sacco felt as though things may be looking up in her life, but she was missing one thing, companionship. She took to the internet to meet someone and it was here that she met 25-year-old fellow Juggalo, Matthew Puccio. In the Fall of 2011, Matthew came from Texas to Ohio to meet Jessica and ultimately moved into her small apartment with her against her mother's wishes. It didn't stop here, however, as Matt moved in two friends, Andrew and Candace Forney. Tensions rose in such a small toxic space with Jessica feeling as though she was a stranger in her own home having everyone against her. Two more people who the group met at the local library came to the apartment to stay, Chris Wright and Sharon Cook. This only worsened the tension, and the group decided they needed to get rid of Jessica, even though it was her home.        On the morning of March 30, 2012, Jessica's landlord made entry into the apartment to check on her, as her mom, Sue, had not been able to make contact with her for 8 days. Jessica's decomposing, partially dismembered body was located in the bathtub of the apartment. Her limbs had been scattered in various areas around Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky. Matthew and his four accomplices had fled to a city 85 miles away.  Sources Springfield News Sun (2013)  [https://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/crime--law/murderer-sentenced-sex-case/hsMpTa4eq7wdc3B0vXX0DM/] supremecourt.ohio.gov  [https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/rod/docs/pdf/2/2013/2013-Ohio-3034.pdf] ABC7 (2012) [https://abc7chicago.com/archive/8610900/] Fox8 (2012) [https://www.fox8live.com/story/17323973/landlord-found-dismembered-body-in-bathtub/] Oxygen (2017) [https://www.oxygen.com/blogs/21-year-old-dismembered-by-man-she-met-online-and-his-juggalo-friends] Documentaries Web of Lies S02E4: Crowded House (documentary) Misery Machine- Online Juggalo BF Brings All His Squatter Friends to Rip Her Limbs Off-YouTube (2025) [https://youtu.be/ZZw_T0TEkss?si=PwDpd-Rtllp0k0N3] Sword and Scale Episode 257 Audio #killerpost: Episode 9 Bonus Clip - Interview with Sue Taynor | Oxygen [https://youtu.be/yD9NaOUhAfI?si=bTnWo64jyPpRQyUd] Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dark-deeds--6216218/support [https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dark-deeds--6216218/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss].