While men typically dominate the world of serial killers, history records a terrifying case of a female serial killer in Florida. Judy Buenoano, also known as the Black Widow Killer, was a notorious female killer who had a significant impact on society. Her track record of cheating, deceiving, and killing positioned her as one of the most prominent female serial killers in American history.
Uncover the terrifying story of Judy Buenoano, the infamous Black Widow Killer who poisoned herย loved ones for money and became one of Florida’s most notorious female serial killers.
Table of Contents
Early Life of Judy Buenoano
Judias Buenoano was born in Texas on April 4, 1943, and had a difficult upbringing. After her mother died, her father remarried, and Judi was unhappy there, alleging that both her father and stepmother beat her. She was allegedly abused, starved, and forced to work long hours as a virtual slave, making for an undesirable upbringing for a teenage girl. Her family eventually pushed her too far, and at the age of 14, she was sentenced to two months in prison for attacking them and her two stepbrothers.
After her release, she chose to attend a reform school rather than return to her violent home, and she graduated from Foothills High School in Albuquerque in 1959 at the age of sixteen.
She had, unsurprisingly, a negative opinion of her family and is reported to have stated of her brother Robert, “I wouldn’t spit down his throat if his guts were on fire”.
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The First Murder: Husband James Goodyear
In 1962, Judy married James Goodyear, a respected Air Force sergeant. Judi gave birth to their first child, James Jr., on January 16, 1966. James Goodyear adopted Michael. They had a daughter, Kimberley, in 1967 and live in Orlando, Florida. Judi opened her first business in 1968, the Conway Acres Child Care Center in Orlando, with the financial support of her husband.
James Goodyear was sent to Vietnam for duty, and three months after his return, he was admitted to the US Naval Hospital in Orlando, suffering from mysterious symptoms.
In September 1971, James Goodyear tragically died in a Florida hospital. At the time, doctors attributed his death to natural causes. Doctors at the time said he died of natural causes. They were unaware that Judy had poisoned her husband with arsenic, a crucial discovery in this case that would ultimately lead to her being identified as the Black Widow Killer.
After Jamesโ death, Judy collected life insurance policies, profiting greatly from his demise. This set the stage for her future murders.
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The Murder of Boyfriend Bobby Joe Morris
By 1972, Judy Buenoano had a new boyfriend, Bobby Joe Morris. She and Morris relocated to Colorado, where Morris passed away in 1978 after displaying the same mysterious symptoms that Goodyear exhibited before his death.
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The Death of Judy Buenoano’s Son
Judy’s 19-year-old son, Michael Goodyear, was paralyzed from an unknown cause and drowned in a canoe with his mother in 1980. The circumstances were suspicious, but Judy collected insurance money when Michael died. Authorities eventually discovered that she had been slowly poisoning him, leading to his paralysis.
This horrible crime solidified Judy’s reputation as a Florida female serial killer. Killing her child for financial gain sent shockwaves across the country when the full depth of her crimes became known.
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John Gentry: The Survivor
Judy Buenoano didn’t stop here. After Michael died in 1983, Buenoano opened a beauty salon in Gulf Breeze and began dating John Gentry. She got romantically involved with him.
Soon after they began dating, Gentry began to experience odd symptoms similar to those experienced by her previous victims.
Judi announced her pregnancy on June 25, 1983, and John went out to buy some champagne to celebrate. When he started his car, a bomb burst, injuring him seriously. Four days later, he was well enough to answer the police’s questions, leading them to investigate Judi’s past further. Many inconsistencies surfaced between John’s perception of the situation and what the police discovered to be true.
Judi had no medical training, was not pregnant, and had planned a cruise for herself and her children. She had also just informed her friends that John was terminally ill. Several of the alleged vitamin capsules were recovered and found to contain the arsenic.
At this point, there was insufficient evidence to charge Judi with attempted murder. A later investigation of Judi’s home revealed wire and tape in her bedroom, which matched the remains of the bomb in John’s car. Later, the authorities discovered the source of the dynamite and linked Judi to telephone records.
It was this failed murder attempt that led police to investigate Judyโs dark history. By this point, she was already known as the Black Widow Killer in Florida media outlets.
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Unraveling the Web of Black Widowโs Crimes
The failed attempt on Gentry’s life triggered a deeper investigation into Judy Buenoanoโs life. Investigators discovered the bodies of her previous victims, including her son and husband, and toxicology testing found arsenic in their systems. Judy’s pattern of killing for financial gain became apparent, and authorities were finally able to connect her to multiple murders, all for life insurance payouts.
Judy’s crimes were not limited to poisoning. She was manipulative, cunning, and willing to go to extreme lengths to eliminate anyone in her way. This deadly combination of charm and deception earned her the title of Black Widow serial killer.
The Arrest and Trial of the Black Widow
Authorities discovered that the “vitamin pills” Buenoano had given Gentry contained arsenic and paraformaldehyde. Exhumations of Michael Goodyear, James Goodyear, and Bobby Joe Morris revealed that they had all been given arsenic. James Goodyear and Bobby Joe Morris were both discovered to have died from arsenic poisoning. Buenoano got substantial life insurance payouts following each death.
In 1984, Judy Buenoano was taken into custody and accused of killing multiple individuals, including her husband James Goodyear, and son Michael. She was also accused of attempting to kill John Gentry. The details of her crimes gripped the country, and the jury was stunned by her heartless and unrepentant behavior in court.
The trial was highly publicized, with many referring to Judy as the Florida serial killer who had escaped prosecution for years. Prosecutors described her as a cunning predator who killed out of greed.
In the Gentry case, she received a 12-year jail sentence; in the Michael Buenoano case, she received a life sentence; in 1985, she was found guilty and given the death sentence for the first-degree killing of her first husband, James Goodyear.
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Judy Buenoanoโs Daughter Begs for Lethal Injection
Her daughter Kimberly Hawkins begs to approve lethal injection rather than electrocution.
“I’m fixing to watch my mom die in the electric chair,” 30-year-old Kimberly Hawkins said Tuesday before a House committee. “People have burned alive in it. I don’t want to see her burned alive in it. I accept the penalty that she has to die. But we can choose a better way for her to die.”
Execution of Judy Buenoano
On March 30, 1998, Judy Buenoano became the first woman executed in Florida since 1848. In the electric chair, she was put to death. Her head was shaved before execution to ensure adequate electrical conductivity and prevent her hair from catching fire during the electrocution. When the Buenoano was executed in an electric chair, her reign of terror as the Black Widow Killer came to an end.
In addition to providing closure to her victims’ families, her execution brought to light the terrifying fact that female serial murderers are equally as vicious and dangerous as male perpetrators.
Last Meal and Final words
For her last meal, she had hot tea, lemon, tomato wedges, strawberries, asparagus, and steamed broccoli. When asked whether she had any final remarks, Buenoano responded, “No, sir.” The remains of Buenoano were cremated.
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Legacy of the Black Widow Killer
True crime fans and criminologists are still enthralled with Judy Buenoano’s story. Her strategies and intentions were both out of the ordinary and horrifying. She was one of the most horrifying murderers of her era due to her use of poison, deceit, and financial greed.
Her case serves as a warning that even the most common people can have deadly secrets and that serial killers can come from any background.
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Conclusion
Evil knows no gender, as seen in Judy Buenoano’s life and deeds. As the Black Widow Killer, she left a legacy of destroyed lives and broken families by manipulating, poisoning, and killing for financial gain. She was able to evade punishment for years by using her charm and cunning to trick everyone around her, but eventually, her evil actions were exposed, and she was held accountable for her crimes.
The legacy of Florida woman serial killer Judy Buenoano endures, serving as a reminder that danger can occasionally lurk in plain sight.
FAQs
How much money did Judy Buenoano make?
For a total of $335,000, Judy Buenoano received about $95,000 from her husband’s life insurance and $240,000 from her son’s. After a failed car bombing attempt, she also attempted to make additional claims on her boyfriend’s insurance.
Why was Judy Buenoano called the “Black Widow”?
Judy Buenoano was known as the “Black Widow” because she tended to murder those close to her, especially her male companions, for her benefit.
What happened to Judy Buenoanoโs daughter, Kimberly Hawkins?
Since her mother’s crimes were discovered, Kimberly Hawkins has led a rather discreet existence. She removed herself from the press and rarely ever talked about her mother’s infamous criminal past.
Was Kimberly Hawkins involved in Judy Buenoanoโs crimes?
No, Judy Buenoano’s offenses did not involve Kimberly Hawkins. Since the incidents, she has kept a low profile and was one of the few family members who Judy did not hurt.
