Aileen Wuornos

Wuornos

Aileen Wuornos (February 29, 1956 – October 9, 2002) was an American serial killer who murdered seven men in Florida between 1989 and 1990 by shooting them at point-blank range. Wuornos claimed that her victims had either raped or attempted to rape her while she was working as a prostitute, and that all of the homicides were committed in self-defense. She was convicted and sentenced to death for six of the murders and was executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002.

Early Life

Aileen Carol Wuornos was born in Rochester, Michigan, to Diane Wuornos and Leo Dale Pittman. Her father was a convicted child molester who died in prison, and her mother abandoned her and her older brother Keith at a young age. Wuornos was adopted by her maternal grandparents, but her childhood was marred by abuse and alcoholism. She began engaging in sex work to support herself from an early age, and she was expelled from school and left home at the age of 15.

Criminal Activities

Wuornos' criminal activities began in the early 1970s, with arrests for offenses including DUI, assault, and armed robbery. In 1989, she began a series of killings that would end with her arrest in 1991. Her method involved posing as a prostitute along Florida highways, soliciting middle-aged men who were then led to secluded areas where they were killed.

Trial and Execution

Wuornos was arrested on January 9, 1991, after being identified through fingerprints found on the belongings of one of the victims. Her trial attracted significant media attention, and she was ultimately convicted of six counts of first-degree murder. Wuornos was sentenced to death and spent ten years on death row before being executed at the Florida State Prison.

Legacy

Aileen Wuornos' life and crimes have been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and films, most notably the 2003 film Monster, for which Charlize Theron won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Wuornos. Wuornos' case has sparked discussions on issues such as the treatment of women in the criminal justice system, the death penalty, and the intersection of mental health and criminal behavior.

See Also

• Serial killer
• Capital punishment in the United States
• Prostitution in the United States