Aileen Wuornos, born February 29, 1956, aka the ‘Damsel of Death’ was an American serial killer who became notorious in the early 1990s for murdering seven men in Florida.
She endured a deeply troubled childhood filled with abuse, neglect, and early entry into sex work. After being abandoned by her mother, Wuornos was raised by her grandparents, but her upbringing remained chaotic and traumatic—factors that would later contribute to her violent crimes.
By the late 1980s, she was living as a drifter, working as a sex worker along Florida’s highways. During this period, she embarked on a killing spree, later asserting that the murders were acts of self-defense against clients who had attacked or tried to assault her.
NAME: Aileen Wuornos (born Aileen Carol Pittman)
ALIAS: Damsel of Death, the “Highway Hooker”
DOB: February 29, 1956
DIED: October 9, 2002 (executed)
COUNTRY: Rochester, Michigan, United States
VICTIMS: 7
ARREST: Jan 9 1991
SENTENCE: Received 6x death sentences in 1992
IMPRISONED AT: Was imprisoned at the Florida Department of Corrections’ Broward Correctional Institution.
PARTNER: Tyria Moore
Where is Aileen Wuornos now?
SENTENCE: Received the death sentence – January 31, 1992
Aileen Wuornos was executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002 at the Florida State Prison in Starke.
Her final words were: “Yes, I would just like to say I’m sailing with the rock, and I’ll be back, like Independence Day, with Jesus. June 6, like the movie, big mothership and all, I’ll be back, I’ll be back.” [1]
Wuornos was the 10th woman executed in the United States since 1976, when the death penalty was reinstated following a temporary moratorium. The last woman put to death in Florida before her was Judy Buenoano—nicknamed the “Black Widow”—who was electrocuted in 1998 for murdering her husband and drowning her paralyzed son. [2]
Even after her death, Wuornos has remained a subject of intense public intrigue. Her life has been explored in numerous documentaries, books, and the acclaimed 2003 film “Monster”, where Charlize Theron’s transformative performance earned her an Oscar. Wuornos’s case continues to provoke discussions about trauma, gender, and violence, cementing her as a recurring focal point in both true crime narratives and feminist critiques of the legal system.
Previous Appeals:
Following her conviction in 1992, Wuornos filed multiple appeals, all of which were ultimately denied by the court: Oct 6, 1994 [3], Sep 2, 1995 [4] and May 9, 1996. [5]
- Oct 9, 2002 Executed by lethal injection at the Florida State Prison in Starke
Oct 9, 2002 Executed by lethal injection at the Florida State Prison in Starke
Aileen Wuornos was executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002, at Florida State Prison in Starke. She was 46 years old. Her execution sparked widespread media coverage and renewed debates about capital punishment, mental illness, and the systemic treatment of women in the justice system. In her final statements, Wuornos—consumed by paranoia and rage—accused authorities of surveillance and torture during her imprisonment.
CRIMES COMMITTED
Between December 1989 and November 1990, Aileen Wuornos killed seven men throughout central Florida. She executed each victim with a close-range gunshot, typically stealing their possessions and vehicles afterward. Wuornos maintained that every homicide was an act of self-defense, alleging the men had tried to rape or assault her during paid sexual encounters.
Aileen Wuornos Victims:
Richard Mallory – Nov 1989
Wuornos’ first victim was Richard Mallory, a 51-year-old electronics repair shop owner with a reputation for soliciting sex workers. After being last seen alive on November 30, 1989, Mallory’s fate was revealed when Wuornos allegedly confessed to Tyria Moore the following day. His body was discovered two weeks later, on December 13, abandoned in a remote wooded area used for illegal dumping.
David Spears – June 1990
The grim discovery came on June 1, 1990, when police found the naked, bullet-riddled body of 43-year-old construction worker David Spears. Forensic examination revealed he had been shot six times at close range. His abandoned pickup truck sat nearby, its presence marking another chilling signature of Wuornos’ killing pattern.
Charles Carskaddon – May 1990
The body of Charles Carskaddon, a 40-year-old part-time rodeo worker, was discovered in a remote area of Pasco County on June 6, 1990. The autopsy revealed particularly brutal violence – the medical examiner recovered nine .22 caliber bullet wounds clustered in his lower thoracic cavity, with several rounds perforating vital organs in the upper abdominal region.
Troy Burress – July 1990
Troy Burress, a 50-year-old salesman from Ocala, was reported missing on July 31, 1990. Four days later, on August 4, deputies discovered his remains in a dense thicket off State Road 19 in Marion County. Though advanced decomposition obscured the body, forensic analysis confirmed he had been fatally shot twice—a signature of Wuornos’s method.
Charles Richard Humphreys – Sep 1990
Charles “Dick” Humphreys, was a 56-year-old with a distinguished career spanning military service, law enforcement, and child protection. A retired Air Force major, former police chief, and Florida state child abuse investigator, Humphreys’ body was discovered in Marion County on September 12, 1990.
Unlike Wuornos’s other victims, Humphreys was found fully dressed—a departure from her usual pattern. The autopsy revealed six gunshot wounds to his head and torso, indicating a brutal, close-range attack. His abandoned vehicle later turned up over 100 miles away in Suwannee County, deepening the mystery of his final hours
Walter Jeno Antonio – Nov 1990
On November 19, 1990, hunters stumbled upon a shocking discovery near a desolate logging road in Dixie County – the nearly nude body of Walter Antonio. The 62-year-old victim had been executed with four gunshots to the back and head, the brutal signature of a killer growing more brazen. In a chilling postscript, Antonio’s abandoned vehicle turned up 200 miles away in Brevard County five days later, the final puzzle piece in Wuornos’ seven-month killing spree.
Peter Siems – June 1990
In June 1990, retired merchant marine Peter Siems departed Jupiter, Florida, en route to visit family in New Jersey. His journey ended abruptly when his 1986 Pontiac Sunbird was discovered abandoned in Orange Springs on July 4, 1990. Eyewitnesses provided crucial testimony, identifying Tyria Moore and Aileen Wuornos as the women seen hastily exiting the vehicle at the location where it was ultimately recovered. Forensic evidence solidified their connection to the crime – investigators matched Wuornos’ palm print to one lifted from the car’s interior door handle. Despite extensive searches across multiple states, Siems’ body has never been recovered, making his case the only unsolved disappearance among Wuornos’ known victims.
CAPTURE & INVESTIGATION
Witnesses placed Tyria Moore and Aileen Wuornos at the scene where Peter Siems’ abandoned car was discovered, reporting the pair had fled the vehicle in a suspicious hurry. The case took a decisive turn when crime scene technicians lifted a perfect palm print from the driver’s side door—a match to Wuornos that eliminated any doubt about her involvement.
A massive manhunt ensued, leading authorities to Wuornos’ location in Port Orange, Florida. Police deliberately delayed arresting her immediately, instead surveilling her movements in hopes she would contact Tyria Moore, their other suspect. The strategy worked—on the afternoon of January 9, 1991, officers quietly arrested Wuornos at the Last Resort bar under the pretext of minor outstanding warrants (unrelated to the murders). The press was kept in the dark, and no mention was made of the homicide charges yet.
Meanwhile, investigators tracked Moore to her sister’s home in Pittston, Pennsylvania. There, Moore confessed that Wuornos had admitted to Richard Mallory’s murder on the day it occurred. Moore claimed she had avoided pressing Wuornos about other killings, fearing retaliation.
Moore struck a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to coax a confession from Wuornos in a series of recorded phone calls. Playing on their relationship, Moore tearfully begged Wuornos to confess—both to clear her own name and avoid prosecution as an accomplice. Initially guarded, Wuornos eventually broke. On January 16, 1991, she admitted to six murders, insisting each was in self-defense and that Moore had no involvement.
TRIAL & CONVICTIONS
Wuornos’ first trial—for the murder of Richard Mallory—began in January 1992. She claimed self-defense, alleging Mallory had raped and assaulted her, though her account conflicted with her earlier taped confession. While the jury never learned of Mallory’s prior conviction for attempted sexual assault, no corroborating testimony emerged from other sex workers to support Wuornos’ version of events.
On January 27, 1992, the 35-year-old was convicted of first-degree murder and armed robbery. Four days later, the judge sentenced her to death. In a strategic move two months later, Wuornos pleaded no contest to killing David Spears, Troy Burress, and Charles Humphreys, then outright guilty to the murders of Charles Carskaddon and Walter Antonio—receiving death sentences for each. (Peter Siems’ case remained unresolved; without a body, no charges were filed.)
Though Wuornos initially stood by her self-defense claims, she later recanted. Investigators believed her victims were either johns or good Samaritans who’d offered roadside assistance. During proceedings, psychiatric experts debated her mental state, diagnosing borderline and antisocial personality disorders.
Wuornos spent 10 years on death row, her psyche unraveling. She abandoned all appeals, demanding her execution. She was executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002. Joining the ranks of other notorious serial killers like Ted Bundy who received the ultimate penalty.
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REFERENCES / CITATIONS:
- Oxygen: How Aileen Wuornos Went From Sex Worker To ‘America’s First Female Serial Killer’– Apr 20, 2023
- The Guardian: Florida executes woman serial killer – Oct 10, 2002
- Court Listener: Wuornos v. State – May 9, 1996
- Court Listener: Wuornos v. State – Sep 21, 1995
- Court Listener: Wuornos v. State – Oct 6, 1994
Books about Aileen Wuornos
Dear Dawn: Aileen Wuornos in Her Own Words
The chilling autobiography of Aileen Wuornos, the notorious female serial killer who was the subject of an Investigation Discovery special and the Oscar-winning film starring Charlize Theron, Monster…
Monster: My True Story
Told in her own words, this is the story of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was portrayed in an Oscar-winning performance by Charlize Theron in the film Monster…
Dead Ends: The Pursuit, Conviction, and Execution of Serial Killer Aileen Wuornos
When police in Florida’s Volusia County were called to investigate the murder of Richard Mallory, whose gunshot-ridden body had been found in the woods just north of Daytona Beach…
TV Shows & Documentaries about Aileen Wuornos
Monster
Based on the life of Aileen Wuornos, a Daytona Beach prostitute who became a serial killer.
Movie / Dramatization | 2003
PRIME VIDEO
World’s Most Evil Killers – S3.E2 – Aileen Wuornos
A look at the life and crimes of the serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who murdered 7 men in Florida by shooting them at point-blank range. She was executed by lethal injection in 2002.
TV Series / Documentary | 2017
Born to kill? S2.E6 – Aileen Wuornos: The Highway Killer
From 30 November 1989 through 19 November 1990, seven Florida men lie dead when a hitchhiking prostitute starts breaking all the rules.
TV Series / Documentary | 2011
Very Scary People S1.E7/E8 ∙ Aileen Wuornos: Monster Made
Aileen Wuornos a rare “female” serial killer responsible for the murder of 7 men in Florida between 1989-1990 by shooting them at point-blank range. She stole the murder victims cars and continued her murder spree working as a prostitute.
TV Series / Documentary | 2019
Crimes That Shook the World – S2.E5 – Aileen Wuornos
Profile of serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who was convicted and sentenced to death for the murders of six men in Florida over the course of a year. The programme explores how police were able to gather only circumstantial evidence against Wuornos…
TV Series / Documentary | 2006
Mind of a Monster S1:E2 – Aileen Wuornos
America’s first female serial killer wrote down her darkest secrets for her best friend while on Florida’s death row. Now, for the first time, those secrets are revealed in detail as the written words of Aileen Wuornos tell us what really happened.
TV Series / Documentary | 2019
ID
Murder Made Me Famous – S6.E3 – Aileen Wuornos
Aileen Wuornos committed and was executed for, murder of seven men in Florida to which she claimed self-defense. This presents the story from often conflicting sources, including books, TV, and movies.
TV Series / Documentary | 2015
REELZ
Snapped: Notorious S23.E27 – Aileen Wuornos
An in depth look at the complexities of the case against the woman branded as America’s first female serial killer. Questions still revolve around her claim of self-defense and whether or not she got the justice she deserved.
TV Series / Documentary | 2017>
OXYGEN
Making a Monster – S1.E6 – Aileen Wuornos
A group of the world’s leading forensic psychologists and psychiatrists come together to share their own first-hand experiences and insights into the mind of a serial killer.
TV Series / Documentary | 2020
PRIME VIDEO
Twisted – S2.E6 – Aileen Wuornos
TWISTED takes an in-depth look at some of the world’s most prolific serial killers through first-hand accounts and testaments of the people who knew them best.
TV Series / Documentary | 2010
MORE ARTICLES ABOUT Aileen Wuornos
A selection of interesting articles about Aileen Wuornos, sourced and curated from around the web:
How Aileen Wuornos Went From Sex Worker To ‘America’s First Female Serial Killer’
Oxygen | Author: Aly Vander Hayden and Cydney Contreras | Apr 20, 2023
Florida executes woman serial killer
The Guardian | Author: Oliver Burkeman | Oct 10, 2002
Lesbian lover says Wuornos told her of killing
UPI | Author: UPI Archives | Jan. 16, 1992
Wuornos says men deserved killing
Tampa Bay Times | Author: Archives | Aug. 10, 1991
