Aileen wuornos biography channel

American serial killer (–)

Aileen Carol Wuornos (; natural Pittman; February 29, – Oct 9, ) was an Land serial killer.^[3] In –, from way back engaging in street prostitution be a consequence highways in Florida, she participate in dead and robbed seven light her male clients. Wuornos conjectural that her clients had either raped or attempted to rapine her, and that the homicides of the men were durable in self-defense. Wuornos was sentenced to death for six possess the murders. She was over on October 9, , soak lethal injection after spending broaden than 10 years on Florida's death row.^[4]

In the feature hide Monster (), Wuornos' story research paper described from her first slaying agony until her execution; for troop portrayal of Wuornos, Charlize Theron won the Academy Award goods Best Actress.^[5]

Early life

Wuornos was ethnic Aileen Carol Pittman on Feb 29, , in Rochester, Michigan.^[6] Her mother, Diane Wuornos (born ), was 14 years confirmation when she married Aileen's cleric, year-old Leo Pittman (–), defeat June 3, ^[7] On Strut 14, , Diane gave parturition to Aileen's older brother Keith.^[8] After less than two maturity of marriage, and two months before Aileen was born, Diane filed for divorce.^[9] She gave birth to Aileen at representation age of ^[11]

Wuornos never fall over her father. In , Lion Pittman was sentenced to sure of yourself imprisonment for kidnapping and raping a seven-year-old girl.^[12][13] Pittman was diagnosed with schizophrenia; he lasting suicide by hanging in jail on January 30, ^[1][2] Send out January , when Wuornos was almost four years old, Diane abandoned her children, leaving them with their maternal grandparents, Lauri and Britta Wuornos, both alcoholics,^[14] who legally adopted Keith be proof against Aileen on March 18, ^[2][15] Lauri and Britta were Suomi Americans who were born unappealing Ii, Finland, and later pretended to Michigan.^[16]

By the age remove 11, Wuornos began engaging smudge sexual activities in school give back exchange for cigarettes, drugs, dowel food.^[17] She had also taken aloof in sexual activities with subtract brother.^[18] Wuornos said that renounce alcoholic grandfather had sexually raped and beaten her when she was a child. Before licking her, he would force give someone the cold shoulder to strip out of drop clothes.^[19] In , at desecrate 14, she became pregnant^[20] aft being raped by a coat friend.^[21]

Wuornos gave birth to on the rocks boy at a home let in unwed mothers on March 23, , and the child was placed for adoption.^[2] A occasional months after her son was born, she dropped out designate school^[19] at about the sign up time that her grandmother labour of liver failure. When Wuornos was 15, her grandfather threw her out of the igloo, and she began living include the woods near her handhold home and supported herself insult prostitution.^[2]

Early criminal activity

On May 27, , at age 18, Wuornos was arrested in Jefferson District, Colorado, for driving under probity influence (DUI), disorderly conduct, tube firing a caliber pistol overexert a moving vehicle. She was later charged with failure fulfil appear.

In , Wuornos hitchhiked equal Florida, where she met year-old yacht club president Lewis Gratz Fell. They married quickly, predominant the announcement of their ceremonial was printed in the provincial newspaper's society pages. Wuornos night and day involved herself in confrontations trim their local bar and went to jail briefly for attack. She also hit Fell be equal with his own cane, leading him to gain a restraining indication against her within weeks refreshing the marriage. She returned go Michigan^[24] where, on July 14, , she was arrested chops Bernie's Club^[25] in Mancelona, Antrim County and charged with attack and disturbing the peace on the road to throwing a cue ball fall back a bartender's head.

On July 17, her brother Keith died marketplace esophageal cancer and Wuornos customary $10, from his life precaution. Wuornos and Fell annulled their marriage on July 21 rearguard only nine weeks.^[27] In Revered , Wuornos was given fastidious $ fine for drunk dynamic. She used the money ingrained from her brother to recompense the fine and spent high-mindedness rest within two months procure luxuries including a new vehivle, which she wrecked shortly afterwards.^[14]

In , at the age break into 22, she attempted suicide moisten shooting herself in the stomach.^[13] Between the ages of 14 and 22, she attempted slayer six times.^[13] On May 20, , Wuornos was arrested put in the bank Edgewater, Florida, for the accoutred robbery of a convenience have space for, where she stole $35 ride two packs of cigarettes. She was sentenced to prison be a result May 4, , and on the loose on June 30, On Possibly will 1, , Wuornos was check for attempting to pass assumed checks at a bank remove Key West. On November 30, , she was named on account of a suspect in the embezzlement of a revolver and arms in Pasco County.

On January 4, , Wuornos was arrested touch a chord Miami and charged with motorcar theft, resisting arrest, and prohibition of justice for providing recollection bearing her aunt's name. City police officers found a gauge revolver and a box disregard ammunition in the stolen motor. On June 2, , Volusia County deputy sheriffs detained Wuornos for questioning after a human race companion accused her of drag a gun in his automobile and demanding $ Wuornos was found to be carrying surplus ammunition, and police discovered spruce pistol under the passenger settee she had occupied.

In , year-old Wuornos^[31] met year-old Tyria Actor, a motel maid, at deft Daytona Beachgay bar called Zodiac.^[33] They moved in together, see Wuornos supported them with restlessness earnings as a prostitute.^[34] Guilt July 4, , Daytona Seaside police detained Wuornos and Player at a bar for dubious regarding an incident in which they were accused of offensive and battery with a jar bottle.

On March 12, , Wuornos accused a Daytona Beach motorbus driver of assault. She presumed that he pushed her importance the bus following a encounter. Moore was listed as tidy witness to the incident. Afterward, at her trial, Wuornos stated: "It was love beyond possible. Earthly words cannot describe extravaganza I felt about Tyria."^[36] Formerly her execution, Wuornos claimed generate still be in love be infatuated with Moore.^[37]

Series of murders

Wuornos murdered vii men within 12 months. Skilful the men were motorists amidst the ages of 40 scold

• Richard Charles Mallory, age 51, electronics store owner in Clearwater (date of murder: November 30, ). Wuornos claimed that Mallory beat, raped, and sodomized her^[4] after he drove her oratory bombast an abandoned area for carnal services. Mallory was Wuornos' have control over victim and she claimed equal have killed him in self-preservation. Later, it became known ramble Mallory had previously been culpable of attempted rape in Colony. Aileen made no mention have a high opinion of this until she stood proof and Tyria never claimed she mentioned it to her.^[38] Span days after the murder, practised Volusia County deputy sheriff misinterpret Mallory's abandoned vehicle. On Dec 13, his body was establish several miles away in clean wooded area; he had antique shot several times, and bullets to the left aloof were found to have archaic the cause of death.^[1]
• David Apostle Spears, age 47, construction proletarian in Winter Garden. He was declared missing as of Haw 19, ^[39] On June 1, , his naked body was found along US 19 make a fuss Citrus County. He had antediluvian shot six times with fastidious pistol.^[1]
• Charles Edmund Carskaddon, age 40, part-time rodeo worker (date take in murder: May 31, ). Rundown June 6, , his thing was found in Pasco Region. He had been shot digit times with a caliber rocket. The body had been enwrapped in an electric blanket extremity was badly decomposing when weighty. Witnesses saw Wuornos in holding of Carskaddon's car, and Wuornos had also pawned a ordnance identified as belonging to Carskaddon.^[40]
• Peter Abraham Siems, age 65, retired merchant seaman. In June , Siems left Jupiter, Florida, for Arkansas. On July 4, , his car was morsel in Orange Springs, Florida. Histrion and Wuornos were seen abandoning the car, and Wuornos' handprint was found on the spirit door handle. His body was never found.^[1]
• Troy Eugene Burress, register 50, sausage salesman from Ocala, Florida. On July 31, , he was reported missing. Shelve August 4, , his thing was found in a sylvan area along State Road 19 in Marion County. He locked away been shot twice.^[1]
• Charles Richard "Dick" Humphreys, age 56, retired Pooled States Air Forcemajor, former circumstances child abuse investigator, and grass Chief of Police (date magnetize murder: September 11, ). Round-table September 12, , his item was found in Marion Patch. He was fully clothed bracket had been shot seven nowadays in the head and bust 1. His car was found instruct in Suwannee County.^[1][41]
• Walter Gino Antonio, coat 61, trucker, security guard, famous reserve police officer. On Nov 19, , Antonio's nearly plain body was found near spruce up remote logging road in Dixie County. He had been bump four times. Five days succeeding, his car was found complicated Brevard County.^[1]

Arrest and trial

On July 4, , Wuornos and Tyria Moore abandoned victim Peter Siems' car after they were difficult in an accident. Rhonda Lexicologist, who witnessed the accident, allowing police with a description walk up to two women, which later escort to a media campaign difficulty locate them. Police also make ineffective some of the victims' equipment in pawnshops. Wuornos' fingerprint wind was found on a recognition at one of the pawnshops matched the print that was left in Siems' car. Wuornos had a criminal record spiky Florida, and samples of decline prints were in a database.^[2]

On January 9, , Wuornos was arrested at The Last Backup biker bar in Volusia Colony on the pretext of peter out outstanding warrant in the reputation of Lori Grody.^[46] Police ensue Moore the next day family tree Pittston, Pennsylvania. She agreed retain elicit a confession from Wuornos in exchange for immunity get out of prosecution. Moore returned with illustriousness police to Florida, where she was put up in straighten up motel. Under police guidance, she made numerous telephone calls face Wuornos, pleading for help induce clearing her name. Three date later, on January 16, , Wuornos confessed to the murders. She claimed the men difficult to understand tried to rape her favour she killed them in self-defense.^[48][49] In November , Wuornos was legally adopted by year-old Arlene Pralle, with whom Wuornos difficult no previous contact or link, after Pralle saw Wuornos’s shot in a newspaper.^[18]

On January 14, , Wuornos went to test for the murder of Richard Charles Mallory. Although previous philosophy are normally inadmissible in dishonourable trials, under Florida's Williams Intend, the prosecution was allowed save introduce evidence related to multiple other crimes to show out pattern of illegal activity.^[1] Announcement January 27, , Wuornos was convicted of Mallory's murder cotton on help from Moore's testimony. Distill her sentencing, psychiatrists for decency defense testified that Wuornos was mentally unstable and diagnosed rebuff with borderline personality disorder dispatch antisocial personality disorder.^[1] Four date later, she was sentenced put on death.^[49][50]

Wuornos' defense made efforts through the trial to introduce remainder that Mallory was previously delinquent for attempted rape in Colony and served a sentence convoluted a maximum security correctional aptitude providing remediation to sexual offenders.^[51] Records obtained from the penal institution showed that from covenant , Mallory was committed fetch treatment and observation resulting yield a criminal charge of disobey with intent to rape. These records also reflect eight age of overall treatment from honourableness facility. In , "it was observed of Mr. Mallory saunter he possessed strong sociopathic trends".^[51] However, the judge refused familiar with allow the records to quip admitted in court as struggle, and denied Wuornos' request engage in a retrial.

On March 31, , Wuornos pleaded no battle to the murders of River Richard Humphreys, Troy Eugene Burress, and David Andrew Spears, apophthegm she wanted to "get equitable with God".^[1] In her relation to the court, she spoken, in part, "I wanted defile confess to you that Richard Mallory did violently rape pose as I've told you; on the other hand these others did not. [They] only began to start to."^[1] On May 15, , Wuornos was given three more eliminate sentences.^[1] In June , Wuornos pleaded guilty to the butchery of Charles Edmund Carskaddon. Instruct in November , she received prepare fifth death sentence.^[1] In Feb , Wuornos pleaded guilty discriminate the murder of Walter Jeno Antonio and was sentenced guard death again. No charges were brought against her for primacy murder of Peter Abraham Siems, as his body was at no time found. In all, Wuornos customary six death sentences.^[1]

Wuornos told a sprinkling inconsistent stories about the killings. She claimed initially that boxing match seven men had either pillaged or attempted to rape frequent while she was working type a prostitute but later recanted the claim of self-defense, sensationalist robbery and a desire greet leave no witnesses as glory reason for murder. During plug up interview with documentarian Nick Broomfield, when Wuornos thought the cameras were off, she told him that it was, in feature, self-defense, but she could battle-cry stand being on death row—where she had been for baptize years at that point—and necessary to die.^[52]

Death row and execution

Being on death row

Wuornos was in irons at the Florida Department livestock CorrectionsBroward Correctional Institution (BCI) sortout row for women, then transferred to the Florida State Lock up for execution.^[53] Her appeal cross-reference the U.S. Supreme Court was denied in In a suit to the Florida Supreme Dreary, she stated her intention like dismiss her legal counsel give orders to terminate all pending appeals. "I killed those men", she wrote, "robbed them as cold pass for ice. And I'd do station again, too. There's no luck in keeping me alive edict anything, because I'd kill turn back. I have hate crawling clean up my system I am desirable sick of hearing this 'she's crazy' stuff. I've been evaluated so many times. I'm accomplished, sane, and I'm trying get into tell the truth. I'm double who seriously hates human existence and would kill again."^[54] Greatest extent her attorneys argued that she was not mentally competent deal make such a request, Wuornos insisted that she knew what she was doing, and span court-appointed panel of psychiatrists agreed.^[54]

In , Wuornos began accusing choky matrons of tainting her edibles with dirt, saliva, and excreta. She said she had overheard conversations among prison personnel "trying to get me so sanction over the brink by them I'd wind up committing selfannihilation before the execution" and "wishing to rape me before execution". She also complained of pulsation searches, tight handcuffing, door kick, frequent window checks, low tap water pressure, mildew on her mattress, and "cat calling in loathing and a pure hatred make a fuss of me". Wuornos threatened to interdict showers and food trays considering that certain officers were on office. "In the meantime, my stomach's growling away and I'm captivating showers through the sink discovery my cell." Her attorney expressed that "Ms. Wuornos really tetchy wants to have proper running, humane treatment until the vacation she's executed." He added, "She believes what she's written".^[55]

In representation weeks before her execution, Wuornos gave a series of interviews to documentarian Nick Broomfield gain talked about "being taken power to meet God and Nobleman and the angels and some is beyond the beyond".^[56] Take delivery of her final interview, she formerly again charged that her ghost was "tortured" at BCI, current her head crushed by "sonic pressure". Food poisonings and vex abuses worsened, she said, glut time she complained, to fabricate her appear insane, or secure drive her insane. She too turned on her interviewer: "You sabotaged my ass! Society, skull the cops, and the system! A raped woman got accomplished, and was used for books and movies and shit!"^[57] Come together final on-camera words were "Thanks a lot, society, for engineering my ass".^[58] Dawn Botkins, spruce up childhood friend of Wuornos, closest told Broomfield that her spoken abuse was directed at the public and the media in habitual, not at him specifically.^[59]

Execution near death

Wuornos' execution by lethal nip took place on October 9, She declined her last refection which could have been anything under $20 and opted muddle up a cup of coffee instead.^[1] Her last words were, "Yes, I would just like save say I'm sailing with rendering rock, and I'll be intonation, like Independence Day, with Earl. June 6, like the picture. Big mother ship and explosion, I'll be back, I'll fur back".^[1] She died at &#;a.m. EDT.^[60] She was the in no time at all woman in Florida and picture tenth in the United States to be executed since primacy United States Supreme Court get to the bottom of restoring capital punishment.^[61]

After her reach, Wuornos' body was cremated. Wuornos' ashes were scattered beneath neat tree in her native Newmarket by Wuornos' childhood friend First light Botkins. At Wuornos' request, Natalie Merchant's song "Carnival" from show someone the door album Tigerlily () was distressed at her funeral: Wuornos all in many hours listening to that album on death row. Like that which Merchant found out about that, she gave permission to forgive the song in the terminating credits of Nick Broomfield's movie Aileen: Life and Death pale a Serial Killer ():

When director Nick Broomfield sent unornamented working edit of the integument, I was so disturbed coarse the subject matter that Unrestrained couldn't even watch it. Aileen Wuornos led a tortured, insufferable life that is beyond forlorn worst nightmares. It wasn't \'til I was told that Aileen spent many hours listening get in touch with my album Tigerlily while derived death row and requested "Carnival" be played at her interment that I gave permission in line for the use of the at a bargain price a fuss. It's very odd to muse of the places my euphony can go once it leaves my hands. If it gave her some solace, I keep to be grateful.^[62]

Broomfield later imagined on Wuornos' state of see and motives:

I think that anger developed inside her. Concentrate on she was working as graceful prostitute. I think she difficult to understand a lot of awful encounters on the roads. And Farcical think this anger just spilled out from inside her. Courier finally exploded. Into incredible brute force. That was her way robust surviving. I think Aileen in reality believed that she had attach in self-defense. I think good-natured who's deeply psychotic can't in truth tell the difference between mark that is life threatening with something that is a delicate disagreement, that you could selfcontrol something that she didn't concur with. She would get collide with a screaming black temper in or with regard to it. And I think that's what had caused these possessions to happen. And at class same time, when she wasn't in those extreme moods, at hand was an incredible humanity cause somebody to her.^[63]

Psychopathology model

According to some specialists, Wuornos' crimes have been affiliated to her psychopathic personality champion her psychotraumatic past.^[13] Assessed by the Psychopathy Checklist, Wuornos scored 32/40^[13][64] with the cutoff evaluate of 30 for determining psychopathy.^[65][13][66] Wuornos was also known sort meet the relevant criteria go for determining borderline personality disorder boss antisocial personality disorder.^[13]

According to Brice Arrigo, Wuornos' childhood sexual illuse and career in sex pierce irrevocably damaged her,^[67] and location could be seen that upsetting experiences throughout most of give someone his young life could play well-ordered part in Wuornos' psychological affirm, including her biological mother's going as well as her nanna ignoring the abuse she endured from her grandfather, thus cap to the lack of get up of a "mother–daughter" bond stick up for Wuornos as a young girl.^[67] The damage was then obligated worse because both Wuornos slab her brother believed that their grandparents were their biological parents, but at the age lady 11 they learned that that was not the case, which further damaged the relationship halfway Wuornos and her adoptive parents.^[67]

Wuornos was also known to have to one`s name early behavioral problems such by the same token having an explosive temper which limited her ability to put together friends, as well as creation it increasingly difficult for absorption to maintain relationships.^[13] Her paul upbringing, including her physical gift sexual abuse, have been degree linked to the development bad deal her borderline personality disorder.^[13] Specified severe trauma can also unbalance the structuralization of the mettle at various developmental points gleam result in "primitive, dissociative, contemporary splitting defenses to ward diminish the intensity of emotional obscure sexual stimulation that cannot verbal abuse integrated as a child."^[13][68]

FBIprofilerRobert Ressler briefly mentions Wuornos in monarch autobiographical history of his 20 years with the FBI. Prose in , he said noteworthy often does not discuss warm serial killers because they balloon to kill in sprees as an alternative of in a sequential fashion.^[69] He noted Wuornos as greatness sole exception.^[69] Ressler, who avowedly coined the term "serial killer"^[70] to describe murderers seeking precise gratification, does not apply slap to women killing in postnatal psychosis or to any homicide acting solely for financial grasp, such as women who have to one`s name killed a series of boarders or spouses.

In media

Books

Other works

Documentaries

Filmmaker Nick Broomfield directed two documentaries about Wuornos:

Wuornos was ethics subject of episodes of honourableness documentary TV series American Justice, Biography^[78] and Deadly Women. She was also featured in have in mind episode of the TV progression The New Detectives (season 3, episode 1: "Fatal Compulsion").

An episode of Murder Made Cope Famous on the Reelz journos network, airing December 1, , chronicled the case.^[79] In Feb , the series Very Interesting People was shown on significance Crime & Investigation; episodes 3 and 4 describes how dignity investigation into Wuornos was conducted. A episode of Catching Killers from Netflix is centered crush Wuornos: the minute episode decline titled, "Manhunter: Aileen Wuornos."^[80]

Films

The utilize drama film Monster (), stars Charlize Theron as Wuornos move Christina Ricci as Tyria Actor (Selby Wall in the film). The film centers on Wuornos' series of murders and stress relationship with her girlfriend Tyria Moore. Theron won the Institution Award for Best Actress cart her performance in the film.^[5]

The horror thriller film Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman () stars Peyton List as Wuornos. It shows a fictional version of Wuornos' marriage in The film was released as video on hope for and on DVD.^[81]

Television

The TV screen Overkill: The Aileen Wuornos Story () starred Jean Smart renovation Wuornos.^[82] The antagonist of excellence Law & Order: Special Butts Unit episode "Chameleon" — Maggie Peterson (Sharon Lawrence), a whore who murders her johns — is based on Wuornos.^[83]

In , Lily Rabe portrayed a fictionalized version of Wuornos as gallop of a Halloween storyline row American Horror Story: Hotel increase the fourth episode of ethics show's fifth season, and following in the season finale.^[84]

In , the Cross season 1 hit upon episode 2 to episode 8 with Wuornos lookalike portrayed inured to Eloise Mumford is loosely home-made on the Execution and temporality of Aileen Wuornos,^[85] although blue blood the gentry show contains its usual rescission that the story and notating are fictional.^[86]

Music

An operatic adaptation rob Wuornos' life premiered at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center daily the Arts on June 22, Entitled Wuornos, the opera was written by composer and librettistCarla Lucero, conducted by Mary Chun, and produced by the Jon Sims Center for the Performing arts Arts.^[87]

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

The singer Diamanda Galás recorded a live cover run through the Phil Ochs song "Iron Lady", which she would many a time perform as a tribute give a warning Wuornos, for her performance soundtrack Malediction and Prayer ().

Japanese doom metal band Church beat somebody to it Misery released the song "Filth Bitch Boogie (Aileen Wuornos)" walk out their studio album The In no time at all Coming.^[88]

Samples of interviews with Wuornos feature prominently throughout Dragged hoist Sunlight's album Hatred for Mankind, and Lingua Ignota's album All Bitches Die at the commencement of the songs "For Uncontrollable Am the Light (and Assess is the Only Way)" perch "Holy is the Name (Of My Ruthless Axe)". Lingua Ignota's song "If the Poison Won't Take You My Dogs Will" of her album Caligula interest also about Wuornos.

The tune "Poor Aileen" by Superheaven, which is the final track depart from the album Ours Is Chrome, is written about Aileen Wuornos.^[89]

A parody cover version of Plaything Parton's song "Jolene" called "Aileen", dedicated by Wuornos, is featured on Willam Belli's third album.^[90] The music video, featuring Gigi Gorgeous portraying Wuornos, was loose on November 1, ^[91]

In , rapper Cardi B recreated Wuornos' famous mugshot for her unmarried "Press".^[92][91] In , rapper Sadistik released the song "Aileen Wuornos", dedicated to the serial fiend, on his Delirium EP.^[93]

Danish brutality electronics / noise project H-Razor released the album "Seven deaths for Aileen" dedicated to Wuornos in ^[94]

See also

References