Judy Buenoano was one of the most cunning serial killers in the US during the 1970s and 1980s. While not the most prolific, she gained notoriety for targeting those closest to her: husbands, boyfriends, and even her own son, all for insurance money.

After each crime, Buenoano quietly pocketed tens of thousands of USD, using the funds to open a beauty salon, buy expensive jewelry, and new cars. She lived lavishly in Florida, raising no suspicions.

It wasn't until her final fiance's car mysteriously exploded in 1983 that police became suspicious. Further investigation revealed even more shocking crimes.

Judy Buenoano in court in 1984. Photo: U.S District Court/The Middle District of Florida

Judy Buenoano in court in 1984. Photo: U.S District Court/The Middle District of Florida

Born in 1943 in Quanah, Texas, Buenoano lost her mother at the age of 4 and was shuffled between relatives and foster homes. She claimed to have suffered sexual and physical abuse in these homes. Even after moving in with her father and stepmother at age 10, she alleged frequent beatings. She graduated from a reform school in New Mexico in 1959 but became pregnant at 17.

In 1961, Buenoano gave birth to her son, Michael. Soon after, she began a relationship with a young airman, Sergeant James Goodyear. They married in 1962 and had two more children, James and Kimberly. In the late 1960s, the family relocated to Orlando, Florida, due to Goodyear's assignment at McCoy Air Force Base.

Strange symptoms in three deaths

Upon returning home from deployment in May 1971, strange things began to happen to Goodyear. Within months, the once-healthy airman deteriorated due to mysterious symptoms. By September, he was dead.

Following her husband's death, Buenoano received 28,000 USD in life insurance and approximately 64,000 USD in military benefits.

Relocating to Pensacola, Florida, Buenoano began a new relationship with Bobby Morris in 1972. When Morris moved to Colorado, she and her children followed. A few years later, Morris began exhibiting eerily similar symptoms to Goodyear. In 1978, he died.

Doctors examining both Goodyear and Morris attributed their deaths to heart attacks.

Considered Morris's common-law wife despite not having officially married, Buenoano collected on three separate life insurance policies. She then returned to Pensacola.

In 1979, Buenoano's eldest son, Michael, joined the military. He soon developed strange symptoms, becoming weak and experiencing pain. He was diagnosed with arsenic poisoning, which affected his hands and feet. After leaving the military, he required metal leg braces.

In 1980, Buenoano took her son on a boating trip on Florida's East River. The canoe capsized. Buenoano swam safely to shore, but Michael drowned, weighed down by his braces.

Michael's death was ruled an accidental drowning. Again, Buenoano quietly collected on his life insurance policy.

Fiance escapes death twice

Buenoano then began dating John Gentry. He recalled a sense of foreboding upon first seeing her: "She was standing at the bar, dressed all in black. She wore black quite a bit. In fact, psychologically, I think that says a great deal about her," Gentry said.

Buenoano convinced Gentry they should take out life insurance policies on each other. In the event of Gentry's death, she stood to receive 500,000 USD.

Shortly after, Gentry became seriously ill after taking "vitamin C" capsules Buenoano gave him to boost his immunity. Fortunately, he received timely hospital treatment. Then, in 1983, Gentry's car exploded, as if bombed. He miraculously survived.

The police immediately suspected Buenoano. "She had gone too far. Had she left that last boyfriend alone, she probably could have gotten away with the previous murders," Pensacola detective Ted Chamberlin said.

According to police, Buenoano had previously operated covertly, slowly poisoning her husbands and harming her son in secluded locations. This time, however, she used a far more noticeable method, bringing her under scrutiny.

The investigation led to Buenoano's arrest. The bodies of Goodyear, Morris, and Michael were exhumed, revealing traces of arsenic in all three.

In 1984, Buenoano was convicted of attempting to murder Gentry. Investigators soon found evidence linking her to the deaths of Goodyear and Michael. While believing she was also responsible for Morris's death, Colorado prosecutors opted not to formally file murder charges, as Buenoano had already received a death sentence in Florida in 1985.

Judy Buenoano earned the nickname "Black Widow" for her ruthless crimes and courtroom indifference. Photo: U.S District Court/The Middle District of Florida

Judy Buenoano earned the nickname "Black Widow" for her ruthless crimes and courtroom indifference. Photo: U.S District Court/The Middle District of Florida

Buenoano's 12-year crime spree netted her a total of 240,000 USD in life insurance payouts. However, she never admitted to any of the crimes, even though the "vitamin C" she gave Gentry was found to contain paraformaldehyde.

Her chilling indifference in court earned her the nickname "Black Widow," after the spider that devours its mate after copulation.

Buenoano filed numerous appeals, all of which were denied. At 55, she ate her last meal of steamed vegetables, fresh strawberries, and hot tea on 30/3/1998, becoming the first woman executed in Florida in 150 years and the first in the state to die in the electric chair.

To the very end, Buenoano refused to confess. When a prison official asked if she had any last words, she whispered, "No, sir."

Tue Anh (According to ATI)