Judy Buenoano was born as Judias Welty in Quanah, Texas, on April 4, 1943. She was the third child out of four siblings. When Judy was just four years old, her mother passed away. After her mother's death, Judy and her younger brother, Robert, went to live with their grandparents.

Later, her father remarried, and Judy moved to Roswell, New Mexico, to live with her father and stepmother. During this time, she reportedly suffered abuse from her father and stepmother. They often starved her and made her work like a servant.

At the age of fourteen, Judy was sent to prison for two months after attacking her father, stepmother, and two stepbrothers. After being released, she decided to go to reform school. She worked hard and graduated in 1960. After finishing school, Judy became a nursing assistant. The following year, she gave birth to her son, Michael.

Judy Buenoano was born on April 4, 1943, in Texas. She had a tough childhood, facing many challenges. Her father was not around much, and her mother passed away when she was young. After her mother’s death, she and her siblings were sent to live with different relatives.

As a teenager, Judy struggled with her schoolwork and was known to get into trouble often. She was not very close to her family and spent a lot of time by herself. Despite her difficult upbringing, she managed to finish high school.

In 1962, Judy met James Goodyear, a sergeant in the United States Air Force. They got married and had a son named Michael. The family moved around a lot due to James’s military career. They eventually settled in Orlando, Florida.

James Goodyear passed away in 1971, and his death was believed to be from natural causes at the time. Two years later, Judy moved to Trinidad, Colorado, with her new boyfriend, Bobby Joe Morris. In 1978, Morris died from poisoning, but it was not initially suspected as foul play.

After Morris's death, Judy changed her last name to "Buenoano," which she said was a Spanish version of "Goodyear." In 1979, her son Michael fell seriously ill and became paraplegic. On May 13, 1980, Judy took Michael canoeing, but the canoe overturned, and Michael drowned because he could not swim with his heavy braces.

Following Michael's death, Judy opened a beauty salon. She later began a relationship with John Gentry in 1983. However, Gentry was severely injured when his car exploded. While Gentry was recovering, police discovered discrepancies in Judy's background and found out she had been giving Gentry "vitamin pills" that contained arsenic.

Investigations revealed that Judy had poisoned her former partners and son with arsenic, leading to their deaths. She had received large life insurance payouts after each death. In 1984, Judy was convicted for Michael's murder and the attempted murder of Gentry. She received further convictions in 1985 for the murder of James Goodyear.

Judy was sentenced to death and was executed on March 30, 1998, at the Florida State Prison. Her final meal included broccoli, asparagus, strawberries, and hot tea. When asked for her last words, she simply said, "No, sir." Her body was cremated after her execution.