Wurnos Essay, Research Paper

In December of 1989 the body of Richard Mallory, partially eaten by animals, was discovered by two men searching the woods of Daytona, Florida for scraps of metal. His body was badly decomposed and partially hidden from sight by carpet. Mallory, 51, had been shot four times by a small caliber hand gun, two shots to the chest and two to the head. Three months later, the body of David Spears, a construction worker, was found in the thick underbrush of a wooded area just north of I-75. By the end of September a total of seven bodies had been discovered, all having similarities that pointed to the fact that there was a serial killer loose in Florida. In October, the task force assigned to the case arrested a transient prostitute and charged her with seven counts of robbery-homicide; her name was Aileen Carol Wuornos.

Born to Diane Wuornos, Aileen Wuornos’ problems began early in life. After being abandoned by her husband, Diane Wuornos’ gave Aileen and brother Keith up for adoption to her parents. What few friends Aileen had as a child described her as having an “explosive temper and always fighting.” At the age of thirteen, Wuornos became pregnant and was sent to a home for unwed mothers; later she would tell her adopted parents she was raped. Despite the allegation the incident was never reported to the police, and the whole matter was forgotten. While at the home, Wuornos learned that her biological father was sent to prison for the molestation of a child; later that same year her adopted mother died of liver disease caused by her alcoholism. At age fourteen, Wuornos left her home for the streets and began a career as a prostitute; her new career led her to a life of hard liquor and harder drugs. In order to maintain her habit Wuornos began to hitchhike across the nation as an interstate prostitute who serviced truckers(”Up Front:”…) For 17 years Wuornos kept the lifestyle of an interstate hooker; but in December of 1989 Wuornos began a killing spree law enforcement officials say earned her the title of the first female serial killer. Wuornos’ victims were found shot in a secluded area not far from the main highway (lured by the promise of sex) and partially dressed. In addition Wuornos robbed the men of their valuables ,after having killed them, and often took their vehicle to make her get away. In total, Wuornos claimed the lives of seven men, all white, between the ages of 30-60, and all from the vicinity of the highway. At the time of her capture Wuornos’ arrest record included 10 previous arrest on crimes such as armed robbery, assault, auto theft, carrying a concealed weapon, and resisting arrest.

Aileen Carol Wuornos went on trial on January 13, 1992 for the murder of Richard Mallory in Dayton, Florida. During her trial, Wuornos was the single defense witnessed offered up by her defending attorney. Her testimony reflected her previous statement to the police in which she adamantly proclaimed her innocence. Amid tearful sobs, Wuornos testified that Mallory was an abusive “john” who had begun to beat her and was on the verge of raping her, to which she saw no defense but to pull out her .22 pistol and shoot Mallory. However, despite her tearful testimony, the jury returned a judgment of guilty in just under 90 minutes. Upon hearing the verdict, Wuornos began to shout “I’m innocent I was raped! I hope you get raped! Scumbags of America!” The sentencing faze of the trial was just as expected; Aileen Carol Wuornos received Florida’s severest punishment, death.

Wuornos has always maintained that the killings were in self-defense, the product of a “trick gone wrong.” She alleges that all seven men died as a result of defending herself from a beating and rape at the hands of her clients. However, the fact remains Aileen Carol Wuornos ended the lives of seven men, and will face death by electrocution for her crimes. (Chesler…) Despite her attorney’s appeals, Wuornos spends her days on death row wrapped up in her new found religious fervor, awaiting her final date with the electric chair.