One may wonder what motivated a woman to act in such a manner, as we have heard the old phrase ’hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’.
Criminology often reflects the evil deeds of males. Whilst this is true there are women who have inflicted death on others in similar fashion, leaving behind brutal and bloody crime scenes. One such woman is Aileen Wuornos (formerly known as Aileen Pittman). She is charged with killing 7 men in the tropical state of Florida, during the period of 1989/1990. One may wonder what motivated a woman to act in such a manner. We have heard the old phrase ’hell hath no fury like a woman scorned’, haven’t we.
Aileen was born in 1956. She never met her father as he was already in prison, where he hanged himself some years later. She entered the world in difficult circumstances. Often those who display criminal tendencies come from broken homes or single parent families, and develop low self esteem.
Soon Aileen and her brother were abandoned by their mother and were sent to the home of their grandparents. Locked away in a strange house she was sexually molested by her grandfather. In school Aileen began engaging in sexual acts, allowing others to use her in exchange for cigarettes and food. By the time she was 14 she was pregnant. She gave birth to a boy and the infant was sent away for adoption. At age 15 Aileen was sent out of her grandparent’s home and she became a prostitute.
Her anti-social mindset began to escalate and she was arrested for firing a handgun at age 18. Two years later 20-year-old Aileen married 69-year-old Lewis a wealthy man from Florida. By this time her brother, the only family member she had died of cancer. Shortly she was arrested for robbing a convenience store. Aileen soon fell in love with a woman named Tyria Moore, from Daytona and the two women moved in together. By now an experienced sex worker Aileen always carried a handgun.
Her first victim was 51-year-old Richard Mallory whom she shot at point blank range. His body was found by police in the woods. During her killing spree all her victims were men who sought sexual gratification; all of them aged over 40 years. She also shot a retired Air Force officer 6 times in the head.
After a media campaign to locate them the two women were arrested at a bar by police. It was found out that they even pawned items from their dead victims. Her trial began in 1992 and she was charged. Her defence lawyers said she suffered from borderline personality disorder. She claimed she shot the men in self defence.
At the end of the trial Aileen was sentenced to death and transferred to Florida State Prison. During this time she complained that she was ill treated by the prison staff. Here she is supposed to have said “I hate human life, and I will kill again”. Prior to her execution she declined her last meal. On October 9, 2002 Aileen was executed by lethal injection.
Her famous last words were “I will be back, I will be back”- perhaps resonating her thoughts of revenge, towards a society whom she thought had wrongfully used her from her childhood to adult life. Her body was cremated and the ashes sent to her native Michigan, where they were spread under a tree.