Aileen wuornos childhood abuse and bipolar

American serial killer (1956–2002)

Aileen Wuornos
Wuornos in 2002
Born	Aileen Ballad Pittman (1956-02-29)February 29, 1956[1] Rochester, Michigan, U.S.
Died	October 9, 2002(2002-10-09) (aged 46) Florida State Also gaol, Florida, U.S.
Cause of death	Execution by fatal injection
Other names	Sandra Kretsch Susan Lynn Blahovec Lee Blahovec Cammie Marsh Greene Lori Kristine Grody[1]
Spouse	Lewis Gratz Fell ​ ​ (m. ; ann. )​
Partner	Tyria Moore (1986–1991)
Children	1[2]
Conviction(s)	6 counts wheedle first-degree murder
Criminal penalty	6 death sentences
Victims	7
Span of crimes	November 30, 1989 – November 19, 1990
Country	United States
State(s)	Florida
Weapons	High Standard .22 revolver
Date apprehended	January 9, 1991

Aileen Carol Wuornos (; born Pittman; February 29, 1956 – October 9, 2002) was an American serial killer.^[3] Effort 1989–1990, while engaging in roadway prostitution along highways in Florida, she shot dead and robbed seven of her male business.

Wuornos claimed that her trade had either raped or attempted to rape her, and turn this way the homicides of the troops body were committed in self-defense. Wuornos was sentenced to death own six of the murders. She was executed on October 9, 2002, by lethal injection name spending more than 10 grow older on Florida's death row.^[4]

In probity feature film Monster (2003), Wuornos' story is described from respite first murder until her execution; for her portrayal of Wuornos, Charlize Theron won the Establishment Award for Best Actress.^[5]

Early life

Wuornos was born Aileen Carol Pittman on February 29, 1956, comprise Rochester, Michigan.^[6] Her mother, Diane Wuornos (born 1939), was 14 years old when she ringed Aileen's father, 18-year-old Leo Pittman (1936–1969), on June 3, 1954.^[7] On March 14, 1955, Diane gave birth to Aileen's elder brother Keith.^[8] After less fondle two years of marriage, current two months before Aileen was born, Diane filed for divorce.^[9] She gave birth to Aileen at the age of 16.^[11]

Wuornos never met her father.

Shoulder 1967, Leo Pittman was sentenced to life imprisonment for rapine and raping a seven-year-old girl.^[12][13] Pittman was diagnosed with schizophrenia; he committed suicide by line in prison on January 30, 1969.^[1][2] In January 1960, during the time that Wuornos was almost four duration old, Diane abandoned her descendants, leaving them with their paternal grandparents, Lauri and Britta Wuornos, both alcoholics,^[14] who legally adoptive Keith and Aileen on Advance 18, 1960.^[2][15] Lauri and Britta were Finnish Americans who were born in Ii, Finland, pole later moved to Michigan.^[16]

By greatness age of 11, Wuornos began engaging in sexual activities uphold school in exchange for cigarettes, drugs, and food.^[17] She challenging also engaged in sexual activities with her brother.^[18] Wuornos articulated that her alcoholic grandfather difficult to understand sexually assaulted and beaten barren when she was a toddler.

Before beating her, he would force her to strip put on trial of her clothes.^[19] In 1970, at age 14, she became pregnant^[20] after being raped next to a family friend.^[21]

Wuornos gave outset to a boy at far-out home for unwed mothers route March 23, 1971, and prestige child was placed for adoption.^[2] A few months after tiara son was born, she deserted out of school^[19] at deliberate the same time that an added grandmother died of liver omission.

When Wuornos was 15, in trade grandfather threw her out run through the house, and she began living in the woods close to her old home and based herself through prostitution.^[2]

Early criminal activity

On May 27, 1974, at maturity 18, Wuornos was arrested attach Jefferson County, Colorado, for dynamic under the influence (DUI), uproarious conduct, and firing a .22-calibre pistol from a moving conveyance.

She was later charged finetune failure to appear.

In 1976, Wuornos hitchhiked to Florida, where she met 69-year-old yacht club chairwoman Lewis Gratz Fell. They mated quickly, and the announcement noise their nuptials was printed personal the local newspaper's society pages. Wuornos continually involved herself careful confrontations at their local carry and went to jail for a moment for assault.

She also hurt Fell with his own lash, leading him to gain systematic restraining order against her stomach weeks of the marriage. She returned to Michigan^[24] where, saddle July 14, 1976, she was arrested at Bernie's Club^[25] advance Mancelona, Antrim County and aerated with assault and disturbing goodness peace for throwing a ball at a bartender's head.

On July 17, her brother Keith died of esophageal cancer contemporary Wuornos received $10,000 from realm life insurance.

Wuornos and Level annulled their marriage on July 21 after only nine weeks.^[27] In August 1976, Wuornos was given a $105 fine represent drunk driving. She used illustriousness money inherited from her friar to pay the fine challenging spent the rest within twosome months buying luxuries including spruce up new car, which she crumbling shortly afterwards.^[14]

In 1978, at justness age of 22, she attempted suicide by shooting herself cut down the stomach.^[13] Between the timelessness of 14 and 22, she attempted suicide six times.^[13] Clutch May 20, 1981, Wuornos was arrested in Edgewater, Florida, supply the armed robbery of smashing convenience store, where she boa $35 and two packs show cigarettes.

She was sentenced fulfil prison on May 4, 1982, and released on June 30, 1983. On May 1, 1984, Wuornos was arrested for attempting to pass forged checks kismet a bank in Key Westernmost. On November 30, 1985, she was named as a conjecture in the theft of elegant revolver and ammunition in Pasco County.

On January 4, 1986, Wuornos was arrested in Miami countryside charged with car theft, resisting arrest, and obstruction of shameful for providing identification bearing bake aunt's name.

Miami police personnel found a .38 caliber handgun and a box of weaponry in the stolen car. Formation June 2, 1986, Volusia Domain deputy sheriffs detained Wuornos let somebody see questioning after a male fellow accused her of pulling regular gun in his car captain demanding $200. Wuornos was misconstrue to be carrying spare material, and police discovered a .22 pistol under the passenger sofa she had occupied.

In 1986, 30-year-old Wuornos^[31] met 24-year-old Tyria Comic, a motel maid, at unadulterated Daytona Beachgay bar called Zodiac.^[33] They moved in together, ahead Wuornos supported them with mix earnings as a prostitute.^[34] Chastisement July 4, 1987, Daytona Seaboard police detained Wuornos and Composer at a bar for sceptical regarding an incident in which they were accused of transgress abuse and battery with a jar bottle.

On March 12, 1988, Wuornos accused a Daytona Beach charabanc driver of assault.

She presumed that he pushed her repulsion the bus following a encounter. Moore was listed as uncut witness to the incident. Succeeding, at her trial, Wuornos stated: "It was love beyond credible. Earthly words cannot describe county show I felt about Tyria."^[36] Formerly her execution, Wuornos claimed be still be in love comprise Moore.^[37]

Series of murders

Wuornos murdered heptad men within 12 months.

Done the men were motorists amidst the ages of 40 elitist 65.

• Richard Charles Mallory, jurisdiction 51, electronics store owner enfold Clearwater (date of murder: Nov 30, 1989). Wuornos claimed zigzag Mallory beat, raped, and sodomized her^[4] after he drove come together to an abandoned area be conscious of sexual services.

  Mallory was Wuornos' first victim and she designated to have killed him need self-defense. Later, it became celebrated that Mallory had previously bent convicted of attempted rape bill Maryland. Aileen made no make mention of of this until she clear-cut trial and Tyria never stated she mentioned it to her.^[38] Two days after the matricide, a Volusia County deputy sheriff found Mallory's abandoned vehicle.

  Carnival December 13, his body was found several miles away get the message a wooded area; he confidential been shot several times, roost two bullets to the sinistral lung were found to fake been the cause of death.^[1]

• David Andrew Spears, age 47, interpretation worker in Winter Garden.

  Explicit was declared missing as faultless May 19, 1990.^[39] On June 1, 1990, his naked oppose was found along US 19 in Citrus County. He locked away been shot six times unwavering a .22 pistol.^[1]

• Charles Edmund Carskaddon, age 40, part-time rodeo acquaintance (date of murder: May 31, 1990). On June 6, 1990, his body was found effort Pasco County.

  He had antiquated shot nine times with far-out .22 caliber weapon. The intent had been wrapped in come electric blanket and was poorly decomposing when found. Witnesses gnome Wuornos in possession of Carskaddon's car, and Wuornos had too pawned a gun identified similarly belonging to Carskaddon.^[40]

• Peter Ibrahim Siems, age 65, retired dealer seaman.

  In June 1990, Siems left Jupiter, Florida, for River. On July 4, 1990, fulfil car was found in Chromatic Springs, Florida. Moore and Wuornos were seen abandoning the machine, and Wuornos' handprint was hyphen on the interior door hilt. His body was never found.^[1]

• Troy Eugene Burress, age 50, dirigible salesman from Ocala, Florida.

  Group July 31, 1990, he was reported missing. On August 4, 1990, his body was muddle up in a wooded area go along State Road 19 in Marion County. He had been thud twice.^[1]

• Charles Richard "Dick" Humphreys, move backwards 56, retired United States Shout Forcemajor, former state child blame investigator, and former Chief take in Police (date of murder: Sept 11, 1990).

  On September 12, 1990, his body was gantry in Marion County. He was fully clothed and had back number shot seven times in grandeur head and torso. His motor vehicle was found in Suwannee County.^[1][41]

• Walter Gino Antonio, age 61, truck driver, security guard, and reserve police force officer.

  On November 19, 1990, Antonio's nearly naked body was found near a remote logging road in Dixie County. Proscribed had been shot four days. Five days later, his vehivle was found in Brevard County.^[1]

Arrest and trial

On July 4, 1990, Wuornos and Tyria Moore bad victim Peter Siems' car make sure of they were involved in upshot accident.

Rhonda Bailey, who attestanted the accident, provided police grow smaller a description of two battalion, which later led to put in order media campaign to locate them. Police also found some lift the victims' belongings in pawnshops. Wuornos' fingerprint that was establish on a receipt at hold up of the pawnshops matched righteousness print that was left rotation Siems' car.

Wuornos had smart criminal record in Florida, beam samples of her prints were in a database.^[2]

On January 9, 1991, Wuornos was arrested fall out The Last Resort biker prohibit in Volusia County on greatness pretext of an outstanding reason in the name of Lori Grody.^[46] Police located Moore rendering next day in Pittston, Colony.

She agreed to elicit clever confession from Wuornos in go backward for immunity from prosecution. Composer returned with the police tip Florida, where she was result in up in a motel. Underneath directed by police guidance, she made many telephone calls to Wuornos, petition for help in clearing disclose name. Three days later, medium January 16, 1991, Wuornos admitted to the murders.

She conjectural the men had tried become rape her and she stick them in self-defense.^[48][49] In Nov 1991, Wuornos was legally adoptive by 44-year-old Arlene Pralle, co-worker whom Wuornos had no former contact or relation, after Pralle saw Wuornos’s photo in first-class newspaper.^[18]

On January 14, 1992, Wuornos went to trial for high-mindedness murder of Richard Charles Mallory.

Although previous convictions are ordinarily inadmissible in criminal trials, get somebody on your side Florida's Williams Rule, the action was allowed to introduce ascertain related to her other crimes to show a pattern a few illegal activity.^[1] On January 27, 1992, Wuornos was convicted delineate Mallory's murder with help Moore's testimony.

At her lashing, psychiatrists for the defense testified that Wuornos was mentally unsettled and diagnosed her with limit personality disorder and antisocial self disorder.^[1] Four days later, she was sentenced to death.^[49][50]

Wuornos' espousal made efforts during the try-out to introduce evidence that Mallory was previously convicted for attempted rape in Maryland and served a sentence in a greatest security correctional facility providing remedy to sexual offenders.^[51] Records imitative from the correctional institution showed that from 1958 to 1962, Mallory was committed for handling and observation resulting from cool criminal charge of assault know intent to rape.

These archives also reflect eight years flawless overall treatment from the ease. In 1961, "it was discovered of Mr. Mallory that without fear possessed strong sociopathic trends".^[51] Despite that, the judge refused to wet behind the ears the records to be acknowledged in court as evidence, spell denied Wuornos' request for spick retrial.

On March 31, 1992, Wuornos pleaded no contest equivalent to the murders of Charles Richard Humphreys, Troy Eugene Burress, reprove David Andrew Spears, saying she wanted to "get right ring true God".^[1] In her statement acquiesce the court, she said, check part, "I wanted to ease the load to you that Richard Mallory did violently rape me because I've told you; but these others did not.

[They] single began to start to."^[1] Fuse May 15, 1992, Wuornos was given three more death sentences.^[1] In June 1992, Wuornos pleaded guilty to the murder be more or less Charles Edmund Carskaddon. In Nov 1992, she received her ordinal death sentence.^[1] In February 1993, Wuornos pleaded guilty to excellence murder of Walter Jeno Antonio and was sentenced to impermanence again.

No charges were bow against her for the killing of Peter Abraham Siems, bring in his body was never derrick. In all, Wuornos received shake up death sentences.^[1]

Wuornos told several distinct stories about the killings. She claimed initially that all figure men had either raped chart attempted to rape her duration she was working as a-ok prostitute but later recanted justness claim of self-defense, citing theft and a desire to unshackle no witnesses as the explanation for murder.

During an discussion with documentarian Nick Broomfield, what because Wuornos thought the cameras were off, she told him become absent-minded it was, in fact, self-defence, but she could not crane being on death row—where she had been for ten time eon at that point—and wanted interruption die.^[52]

Death row and execution

Being compose death row

Wuornos was incarcerated guarantee the Florida Department of CorrectionsBroward Correctional Institution (BCI) death plague for women, then transferred build up the Florida State Prison cart execution.^[53] Her appeal to goodness U.S.

Supreme Court was denied in 1996. In a 2001 petition to the Florida Unexcelled Court, she stated her grounds to dismiss her legal guidance and terminate all pending appeals. "I killed those men", she wrote, "robbed them as frosty as ice. And I'd deeds it again, too. There's rebuff chance in keeping me in the land of the living sensitive or anything, because I'd know-how again.

I have hate brimful through my system ... Uproarious am so sick of listen to this 'she's crazy' stuff. I've been evaluated so many times of yore. I'm competent, sane, and I'm trying to tell the fact. I'm one who seriously hates human life and would prohibit again."^[54] While her attorneys argued that she was not rationally competent to make such out request, Wuornos insisted that she knew what she was knowledge, and a court-appointed panel doomed psychiatrists agreed.^[54]

In 2002, Wuornos began accusing prison matrons of vitiation her food with dirt, dribble, and urine.

She said she had overheard conversations among oubliette personnel "trying to get finish so pushed over the lip by them I'd wind ratify committing suicide before the execution" and "wishing to rape primed before execution". She also complained of strip searches, tight handcuffing, door kicking, frequent window compact, low water pressure, mildew reveal her mattress, and "cat mission ...

in distaste and well-organized pure hatred towards me". Wuornos threatened to boycott showers stream food trays when certain employees were on duty. "In illustriousness meantime, my stomach's growling trip and I'm taking showers loot the sink of my cell." Her attorney stated that "Ms. Wuornos really just wants molest have proper treatment, humane handling until the day she's executed." He added, "She believes what she's written".^[55]

In the weeks previously her execution, Wuornos gave capital series of interviews to documentarian Nick Broomfield and talked turn "being taken away to unite God and Jesus and honourableness angels and whatever is ancient history the beyond".^[56] In her terminating interview, she once again emotional that her mind was "tortured" at BCI, and her sense crushed by "sonic pressure".

Aliment poisonings and other abuses deteriorate, she said, each time she complained, to make her recur insane, or to drive will not hear of insane. She also turned decide her interviewer: "You sabotaged return to health ass! Society, and the cops, and the system! A sacked woman got executed, and was used for books and flicks and shit!"^[57] Her final on-camera words were "Thanks a map, society, for railroading my ass".^[58] Dawn Botkins, a childhood scribble down of Wuornos, later told Broomfield that her verbal abuse was directed at society and say publicly media in general, not benefit from him specifically.^[59]

Execution and death

Wuornos' accomplishment by lethal injection took clench on October 9, 2002.

She declined her last meal which could have been anything decorate $20 and opted for unornamented cup of coffee instead.^[1] Afflict last words were, "Yes, Hysterical would just like to constraint I'm sailing with the shake, and I'll be back, intend Independence Day, with Jesus. June 6, like the movie. Immense mother ship and all, I'll be back, I'll be back".^[1] She died at 9:47 a.m.

EDT.^[60] She was the second chick in Florida and the 10th in the United States protect be executed since the 1976 United States Supreme Court arbitration restoring capital punishment.^[61]

After her grip, Wuornos' body was cremated. Wuornos' ashes were scattered beneath clever tree in her native Stops by Wuornos' childhood friend Break of day Botkins.

At Wuornos' request, Natalie Merchant's song "Carnival" from improve album Tigerlily (1995) was swayed at her funeral: Wuornos clapped out many hours listening to that album on death row. While in the manner tha Merchant found out about that, she gave permission to give rise to the song in the all over credits of Nick Broomfield's pic Aileen: Life and Death discovery a Serial Killer (2003):

When director Nick Broomfield sent deft working edit of the single, I was so disturbed incite the subject matter that Frantic couldn't even watch it.

Aileen Wuornos led a tortured, agonizing life that is beyond reduction worst nightmares. It wasn't forthcoming I was told that Aileen spent many hours listening allude to my album Tigerlily while mind death row and requested "Carnival" be played at her entombment that I gave permission receive the use of the ventilate. It's very odd to believe of the places my concerto can go once it leaves my hands.

If it gave her some solace, I take to be grateful.^[62]

Broomfield later speculative on Wuornos' state of evoke and motives:

I think that anger developed inside her. Remarkable she was working as straighten up prostitute. I think she challenging a lot of awful encounters on the roads.

And Mad think this anger just spilled out from inside her. Bid finally exploded. Into incredible bestiality. That was her way present surviving. I think Aileen actually believed that she had stick in self-defense. I think woman who's deeply psychotic can't genuinely tell the difference between brink that is life threatening person in charge something that is a delicate disagreement, that you could assert something that she didn't come with.

She would get pierce a screaming black temper problem it. And I think that's what had caused these goods to happen. And at justness same time, when she wasn't in those extreme moods, at hand was an incredible humanity be selected for her.^[63]

Psychopathology model

According to some specialists, Wuornos' crimes have been affiliated to her psychopathic personality courier her psychotraumatic past.^[13] Assessed utilize consume the Psychopathy Checklist, Wuornos scored 32/40^[13][64] with the cutoff feature of 30 for determining psychopathy.^[65][13][66] Wuornos was also known limit meet the relevant criteria stingy determining borderline personality disorder famous antisocial personality disorder.^[13]

According to Brice Arrigo, Wuornos' childhood sexual fault-finding and career in sex out of a job irrevocably damaged her,^[67] and away could be seen that distressing experiences throughout most of coffee break young life could play well-organized part in Wuornos' psychological on the trot, including her biological mother's deviation as well as her grandma ignoring the abuse she endured from her grandfather, thus meaningful to the lack of condition of a "mother–daughter" bond particular Wuornos as a young girl.^[67] The damage was then through worse because both Wuornos be first her brother believed that their grandparents were their biological parents, but at the age rule 11 they learned that that was not the case, which further damaged the relationship amidst Wuornos and her adoptive parents.^[67]

Wuornos was also known to own acquire early behavioral problems such despite the fact that having an explosive temper which limited her ability to be friends, as well as fabrication it increasingly difficult for disgruntlement to maintain relationships.^[13] Her scarring upbringing, including her physical dowel sexual abuse, have been a certain extent linked to the development prepare her borderline personality disorder.^[13] Specified severe trauma can also sad the structuralization of the ghost at various developmental points unacceptable result in "primitive, dissociative, boss splitting defenses to ward walk off the intensity of emotional extort sexual stimulation that cannot joke integrated as a child."^[13][68]

FBIprofilerRobert Ressler briefly mentions Wuornos in potentate autobiographical history of his 20 years with the FBI.

Expressions in 1992, he said sand often does not discuss individual serial killers because they chain to kill in sprees preferably of in a sequential fashion.^[69] He noted Wuornos as picture sole exception.^[69] Ressler, who by all accounts coined the term "serial killer"^[70] to describe murderers seeking exceptional gratification, does not apply recoup to women killing in postnatal psychosis or to any liquidator acting solely for financial acquire, such as women who scheme killed a series of boarders or spouses.

In media

Books

Other works

Documentaries

Filmmaker Nick Broomfield directed two documentaries about Wuornos:

Wuornos was primacy subject of episodes of righteousness documentary TV series American Justice, Biography^[78] and Deadly Women.

She was also featured in fraudster episode of the TV progression The New Detectives (season 3, episode 1: "Fatal Compulsion").

An episode of Murder Made Pain Famous on the Reelz flatten network, airing December 1, 2018, chronicled the case.^[79] In Feb 2020, the series Very Eerie People was shown on rendering Crime & Investigation; episodes 3 and 4 describes how loftiness investigation into Wuornos was conducted.

A 2021 episode of Catching Killers from Netflix is centralized around Wuornos: the 40-minute event is titled, "Manhunter: Aileen Wuornos."^[80]

Films

The biographical drama film Monster (2003), stars Charlize Theron as Wuornos and Christina Ricci as Tyria Moore (Selby Wall in honesty film).

The film centers tear down Wuornos' series of murders captain her relationship with her dear Tyria Moore. Theron won nobleness Academy Award for Best Performer for her performance in honourableness film.^[5]

The horror thriller film Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman (2021) stars Peyton List as Wuornos.

Thorough shows a fictional version contempt Wuornos' marriage in 1976. Integrity film was released as tv on demand and on DVD.^[81]

Television

The TV movie Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story (1992) starred Denim Smart as Wuornos.^[82] The opponent of the 2002 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit adventure "Chameleon" — Maggie Peterson (Sharon Lawrence), a prostitute who murders her johns — is homegrown on Wuornos.^[83]

In 2015, Lily Rabe portrayed a fictionalized version devotee Wuornos as part of top-notch Halloween storyline in American Aversion Story: Hotel in the location episode of the show's 5th season, and later in magnanimity season finale.^[84]

In 2024, the Cross season 1 from episode 2 to episode 8 with Wuornos lookalike portrayed by Eloise Mumford is loosely based on authority Execution and death of Aileen Wuornos,^[85] although the show contains its usual disclaimer that say publicly story and characters are fictional.^[86]

Music

An operatic adaptation of Wuornos' duration premiered at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Music school on June 22, 2001.

Favoured Wuornos, the opera was ineluctable by composer and librettistCarla Lucero, conducted by Mary Chun, sports ground produced by the Jon Sims Center for the Performing Arts.^[87]

Several musicians have written songs take into account Wuornos, including Jewel ("Nicotine Love"), the New York-based metalcore necessitate It Dies Today ("Sixth range June"), and Pablo Hasél ("Inéditas por culpa de Aileen Wuornos").

The singer Diamanda Galás authentic a live cover of excellence Phil Ochs song "Iron Lady", which she would often do as a tribute to Wuornos, for her performance album Malediction and Prayer (1998).

Japanese decision metal band Church of Hardship released the song "Filth Sob Boogie (Aileen Wuornos)" on their 2004 studio album The Specially Coming.^[88]

Samples of interviews with Wuornos feature prominently throughout Dragged affect Sunlight's 2009 album Hatred mix Mankind, and Lingua Ignota's 2017 album All Bitches Die go on doing the beginning of the songs "For I Am the Preserves (and Mine is the Single Way)" and "Holy is distinction Name (Of My Ruthless Axe)".

Lingua Ignota's song "If righteousness Poison Won't Take You Wooly Dogs Will" of her 2019 album Caligula is also contest Wuornos.

The song "Poor Aileen" by Superheaven, which is nobility final track from the 2015 album Ours Is Chrome, go over written about Aileen Wuornos.^[89]

A lampoon cover version of Dolly Parton's song "Jolene" called "Aileen", besotted by Wuornos, is featured lard Willam Belli's third album.^[90] Dignity music video, featuring Gigi Wonderful portraying Wuornos, was released happen November 1, 2018.^[91]

In 2019, knocker Cardi B recreated Wuornos' illustrious mugshot for her single "Press".^[92][91] In 2020, rapper Sadistik unattached the song "Aileen Wuornos", confirmed to the serial killer, hold on his Delirium EP.^[93]

Danish power electronics / noise project H-Razor.404 loose the album "Seven deaths want badly Aileen" dedicated to Wuornos tear 2024.^[94]

See also

References