Supporters of Wuornos viewed her as a strong independent womanand even as a heroic figure for defending herself against male aggression. Aileen was considered to be the first female serial killer in America (biography.com, n.d.). His mysterious death. If Charlize Theron hadn't played her in a movie (and earned the 2003 Best Actress Oscar for her efforts), would Aileen Wuornos still be remembered? However, using sociological theories can help explain why Aileen ended up living a life of crime. Copyright 2022 Crime Museum, LLC - All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy |. [12], Monster received generally positive reviews from critics; most gave overwhelmingly high praise to Theron's performance as a mentally unstable woman[13] Wuornos had antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. Aileen was never truly loved by any of her family or associates. In a rare turn of events, many viewers have sided with the serial killer. Imagine prosecuting someone with six degrees of first degree murder. Wuornos was born on February 29, 1956, in Rochester, Michigan, growing up in the nearby Troy area to the south. Wuronos grew up grew up in an impoverished home in Michigan. But, who was really Aileen Wuornos? I will explain the abuse she endured, attachment theory, and her PTSD with killing/claiming self-defense. Men who picked her up thinking she was merely a prostitute. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. The film starred Charlize Theron in the performance of her career, which earned her an Academy, Golden Globe and SAG Award. Her case drew national attention to issues such as the relationship between gender and violence and the legal treatment of acts of self-defense by women. Aileen Wuornos says he attacked and raped her, leaving her no option but to protect herself. By, 1990 Aileen Wuornos, had killed six other men. The film was theatrically released in the United States on December 24, 2003, by Newmarket Films. Wuornos' ex-girlfriend pushed her to confess. They view Aileen as failed by the system and worthy of compassion due to her extremely tough childhood. She had experienced long-term abuse as a child, had been abandoned/having no emotional bond by her primary caregivers, and began hooking because she was desperate to survive. Although these two innocent people where the only ones who had been killed, there was a total of six vehicles minimum that were. Songs which appeared in the film, but not on the official soundtrack:[10], On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a rating of 81%, based on 191 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. On October 9, 2002, Aileen is executed by lethal injection. Aileen Wuornos had a difficult upbringing, facing physical and sexual abuse from an early age. She killed seven men while working as a prostitute, claiming that they tried to sexually assault her. Although she is initially hostile and declares that she is not gay, Aileen talks to Selby while drinking beer. Wuornos sold the rights to her story almost immediately after her arrest which captivated the media. Her victims were identified in order as: This was a case in Florida, in 1989 and 1990. She subsequently was arrested numerous times on charges that included armed robbery, check forgery, and auto theft. The penalty phase of Aileen Wuornos' trial began January 28, 1992. Selby invites Aileen to spend the night with her. Thats where they found West, and her later being pronounced dead at the local hospital in Weatherford. Wuornos father, Leo Pittman, was a sociopathic child murderer spent time in mental hospitals throughout her childhood and was ultimately killed in prison. On March 23, 1971, Aileen would give birth to her only child, who was a product of rape at the hands of her grandfathers accomplice. I believe that Aileen Carol Wuornos killed for several reasons and that her traumatic childhood only influenced her urges. In 2004, BT released an official soundtrack to the film. Men who picked her up thinking she was merely a prostitute. Wuornos soon reverted to her darker instincts, and after a physical altercation and a later arrest for yet another fight, Fell annulled the marriage, and Wuornos was left living rough in Florida, committing crimes to survive. After this look at Aileen Wuornos, one of historys most fearsome female serial killers, read about Leonarda Cianciulli, the serial killer who turned her victims into soap and teacakes, and the axe-murdering Lizzie Borden. Aileen Wuornos. Wuornos childhood was extremely tough and hard on her. Her taste for revenge, however, is far from satiated, compelling her to embark on a murder spree that leaves 6 more dead. Aileen Wuornos killed 6 more men. She was subsequently found guilty and sentenced to death on all six counts. Aileen was convicted, sentenced to death for her crimes, and executed on October 9, 2002. The two spent the night together and grew close. The film was also nominated in several other prestigious award categories. Ive been evaluated so many times. Aileen was convicted, sentenced to death for her crimes, and executed on October 9, 2002. Wuornos told conflicting stories about her murders. But many strongly believe that she was not born a killer, her actions were a result of her unimaginably abusive circumstances. Yet Wuornos grandmother was alleged to be an alcoholic and her grandfather a terrifying, violent force. In the ensuing trial, Tyria testified against her former girlfriend and revealed that Aileen had confessed to her the murder of her first victim, Richard Mallory. However, Selby reads in the newspapers about the string of murders, and she begins to suspect that Aileen may have committed them. She claimed that the murders were done in self-defense, that the men tried to sexually assault her. Aileen Wuornos killed her first victim, 51-year old Richard Charles Mallory, as an act of self-defense. Im one who seriously hates human life and would kill again., On June 6, 2002, Aileen Wuornos got her wish: she was put to death at 9:47 PM that day. Many of her outbursts were described as unpredictable and frequently unprovoked. At one point, Aileen Wuornos almost managed to break her vicious cycle when, in the mid-1970s, she married a rich yachtsman named Lewis Fell. She was continuously rejected. Wuornos in 2002 Born Aileen Carol Pittman (1956-02-29)February 29, 1956[1] Rochester, Michigan, U.S. Died October 9, 2002(2002-10-09)(aged 46) Florida State Prison, Raiford, Florida, U.S. As a result of the alleged sexual abuse, Aileen got pregnant and gave birth at the age of 14. Read More:23 Best Serial Killer Movies Ever Made. She was also engaging in heavy drug abuse. The case of Aileen Wuornos is one that is indeed horrific. In 2001, she directly petitioned the court to ask for her sentence to be hurried along. Their wedding even made the society pages. After four days of repeated phone calls, Aileen Wuornos confessed to several of the murders but insisted over the phone that the killings Moore hadnt known about were all attempted rapes. By the time she was 11, Aileen was performing sex acts at school for food and cigarettes. During the trial, Wuornos asserted that she had been raped and assaulted by Mallory and had killed him in self-defense. [17][18], In 2005, a reference to Monster appeared in the series Arrested Development. Here are ten facts about Tyria: 1. I'm a decent person." When she was four, her and her brother were sent to live with their grandparents. Watch Theron as she goes through a repertory of little arm straightenings and body adjustments and head tosses and hair touchings, as she nervously tries to shake out her nervousness and look at ease. After Aileen gave birth she gave the baby up for adoption. Aileen was abandoned by her mother shortly before her fourth . And note that there is only one moment in the movie where she seems relaxed and at peace with herself. She frequently left the home she shared with Fell to carouse in a local bar where she often got into fights. Although it remains unclear exactly why Aileen Wuornos shot and killed seven men, it has been suggested that her difficult childhood may have been a contributing factor. However, after more family hardships Wuornos began living on her own and began to engage in prostitution to acquire money to survive. She was merely 15 at the time and dropped out of school a few months later. Wuornos would later state that she was sexually abused by her grandfather and had sexual relations with her brother. Who is Aileen Wuornos's Son? Selby Wall is a fictional rendition of Aileens real-life love interest, Tyria Moore. Mallory was 51 years old and had finished his prison term years earlier. Fell was a successful businessman who had settled into semi-retirement as the president of a yacht club. He was a convicted rapist, and she stated that he had sodomized and beaten her under the purview of sexual acts. She later pleaded no contest to other killings, saying that she wanted to "get right with God." As mentioned previously, Aileen killed six and most likely seven victims (one victim was never found). During his testimony, however, Barry acknowledged that he moved out of his parents' home when AileenWuornoswas 9 years old, and had no firsthand knowledge of the atmosphere in the home after that time. The two spent the night together and grew close. She killed seven men between the years 1989-1990 on Floridas highways. She confronts Aileen, who justifies her actions by claiming she had only been protecting herself. Wuornos had a deeply troubled childhood. On February 8, 2004, it premiered at the 54th Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed for the Golden Bear, while Theron won the Silver Bear for Best Actress. Tyria, aghast and afraid that she would have no option but to give Aileen up to the police, asked her to keep the rest of the details to herself. Patty Jenkins, director extraordinaire of Monster, made such a name for herself with the movie that she now boasts of tentpole films like. She was a demented murdered with a demented childhood, her childhood made her and her crimes she committed later in life. She supported herself through prostitution. We strive for accuracy and fairness.If you see something that doesn't look right,contact us! At the age of 20, Aileen Wuornos tried to escape her life by hitchhiking to Florida and marrying a 69-year-old man named Lewis Fell. [8] The film was chosen by the American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2003. Aileen was born in Rochester, Michigan, on February 29, 1956. The night of her arrest, Aileen is approached at the biker bar she frequents by two strangers, who unbeknownst to her are bounty hunters. Aileen Wuornos' life was anything but normal, and this is why her life of crime is no surprise. After being brutally raped and beaten by a client, Vincent Corey, Aileen kills him in self-defense and decides to quit prostitution. Biography reports the murders took place between 1989 and 1990 along a number of highways throughout the state of Florida. By the late 1980s she was a drifter. Wuornos and Moore went on to kill three more men before Aileen was picked up on a warrant after yet another fight in a biker bar in Volusia County, Florida. She spares one man out of pity when he admits he has never had sex with a prostitute. She was sent off to a school for unwed mothers where she had her son in 1971 (?). In the documentary, Aileen Wuornos: Mind of a Monster, Tyria divulges, Once I found out that she was prostituting, I did everything I could to help her stop doing that. But Aileen was adamant and would not relent. Having previously been a ward of the state, Wuornos subsisted on a vagabond existence as an adult, hitchhiking and engaging in sex work to survive. He was also diagnosed with schizophrenia, and he eventually suicided in prison. Despite the strains in their relationship, the couple remained together. Aileen Wuornos was that person in the state of Florida (American 1). (List statistics of murder in the U.S.) Aileen Wuornos is a serial killer who went on a yearlong killing spree leaving seven men dead. Theres a lot of people out there who have had tough lives, but they dont go on a killing spree,Steven Binegar, an investigator on the case, said. She shot him with her favorite 22 caliber pistol. Ten years after first being sentenced to die, Wuornos was still on Floridas death row and degenerating fast. By age 11, Aileen regularly traded sex to schoolmates for cigarettes, drugs, and even food. First psychiatric help for her mental disorder(s) as well as drug and alcohol treatment. Not only is she memorable for her crimes, but after she was committed. 1. In the documentary, Aileen Wuornos: Mind of a Monster, Tyria. Score: 4.7/5 (6 votes) . He would also sexually abuse her, and so would his friends. Wuornos, soon set out to find other work, but due to her criminal background and no former work experience. In 1976, in Florida, Aileen, Life Course Theory: The connection between an individuals life and the historical and socioeconomic context of the life is the direct focus of this theory. That crime resulted in a pregnancy. As reported by Orlando Sentinel, Wuornos' claims of abuse were refuted by her adopted brother during her sentencing hearing. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. To avoid prosecution, Moore made a deal, and in mid-January 1991, she elicited a phone confession from Wuornos, who took full and sole responsibility for the murders. (I am) so used to being treated like dirt that I guess it's become a way of life. She then gave up her son for adoption and got by on prostitution and petty theft. [11] Film critic Roger Ebert named Monster the best film of the year, gave it four stars out of four, and noted that Theron's role is "one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema":[8]. When all else failed, they resorted to using Tyria as a means to elicit a confession. During her trial, Wuornos had been diagnosed as a psychopath with a borderline personality disorder. When Aileen Wuornos was 15 years old, she dropped out of school to have her grandfathers friends baby at a home for unwed mothers. Barry Wuornos, a portly, balding man with wire-rimmed glasses, took the witness stand amid a chorus of oohs from the courtroom gallery, who relished the chance to see a relative of the highway. Aileen's older brother Keith was born on March . Selby takes to Aileen almost immediately, as she likes that she is very protective of her. Reasons For Sentencing Wuornos to Death The State's expert psychologist, Dr. Bernard, testified that Aileen Wuornos suffered from both borderline personality disorder as well as antisocial personality disorder. Probably, because Wuornos has the dubious distinction of being one of the few convicted female serial killers in the United States. One of her grandfathers friends, a known pedophile, raped her and left her to figure out the pregnancy. On multiple occasions, Lauri would beat his granddaughter after removing her clothes. If anything, Wuornos seemed to welcome it. Aileen Wuornos in handcuffs after her capture. Her parents separated before her birth, and her father later spent time in mental hospitals for child molestation. Alternate titles: Aileen Carol Wuornos, Aileen Pittman, Distinguished Professor of History, Baylor University. According to certain sources, she is presumed to be living in Pennsylvania with her family. Monster had its world premiere at the AFI Fest on November 16, 2003. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Aileen-Wuornos, Capital Punishment in Context - The Case of Aileen Wuornos. [6][7] Monster received positive reviews from critics and achieved box office success, grossing $64.2 million on an $1.5 million budget. Less than a year after her father committed suicide, Wuornos grandmother died of liver failure. You see, Aileen was given the death penalty for killing 7 men in Florida and was put to death by lethal injection on October 9, 2002. Wuornos: Mind of a Monster, Tyria and cigarettes term years earlier selby invites to! One moment in the nearby Troy area to the film was chosen the! Highways throughout the state of Florida ( American 1 ) were sent to live their. Never truly loved by any of her grandfathers friends, a reference to Monster appeared in state. Grandmother died of liver failure older brother Keith was born in Rochester, Michigan, on February,... 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