Judy Buenoano - The Black Widow
On May 13, 1980, Judy Buenoano decided to take her three children (Michael – age 19, James – age 14 and Kimberly – age 13) on a fishing trip. They drove to the East River, about a half-hour from their home in Gulf Breeze, Florida . Kimberly was left on shore while the other three boarded a two-person canoe. James was in the front, Judy was in the back, and Michael was seated between them in a folding lawn chair because he had just been fitted with braces on both his legs and his right arm. About two hours into the trip the canoe capsized throwing all three into the water. Judy and James stayed afloat and were rescued by a passing boater. Michael, having no function in his arms or legs and weighed down by his heavy metallic braces sank to the bottom of the river and died. This is the story of Judy Buenoano, dubbed “the Black Widow” by prosecutors and the press, who on March 30, 1998 became the first woman to die in Florida ’s electric chair. Judias (Ju...