Sitting behind bars following her arrest on suspicion of multiple motorway murders, Aileen “Lee” Wuornos, aged 34, made a heartfelt vow to her partner over a phone call.
Her girlfriend, Tyria Moore, aged 28, expressed fear, saying, “Lee, the police are after me.” Wuornos, struggling to contain her emotions, assured, “I won’t let you go to jail. Ty, I love you. I’m willing to confess everything to protect you from trouble.”
This declaration of affection sealed Wuornos’ destiny, leading to her conviction for six homicides. She faced execution in 2002 by the state of Florida.
Dubbed “America’s first female serial killer” by the media, Wuornos became the subject of true-crime TV programs and the 2003 film “Monster.” The case is now under scrutiny again, shedding new light on the murderer and her troubled past.
A new Netflix documentary, titled “Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers,” has premiered on the platform, featuring fresh footage from a death row interview with Wuornos.
The director of the show, Emily Turner, disclosed, “Aileen mentioned, ‘I will reveal the truth about my crimes,’ and this interview showcases a different side of her – contradictory, profoundly human, and at times unsettling.”
In one of her final interviews, Wuornos chillingly stated, “The real Aileen Wuornos isn’t a serial killer. I was so lost that I became one.”
As a young ‘drifter,’ Wuornos suffered abandonment by her parents at the age of four, leading to her adoption by grandparents in Michigan. She became pregnant at 13, and her child was placed for adoption.
Wuornos endured violent abuse from her grandfather and recounted being sexually assaulted by teenage acquaintances in a new Netflix segment.
By 16, she had left home and turned to a transient lifestyle as a sex worker, facing numerous hardships. Her life took a turn when she met Moore, a motel maid, in a Florida bar in 1986, sparking a passionate four-year relationship.
Their love affair ended when authorities began investigating a series of brutal murders and robberies of men near Florida highways, leading to Wuornos’ arrest. She was eventually persuaded by Moore to confess, with Moore cooperating with the authorities to avoid legal repercussions.
Wuornos initially pleaded not guilty to the murder of Richard Mallory, citing self-defense, but was found guilty by the jury. She later admitted to five additional murders and received a death sentence.
The Netflix documentary features insights from Wuornos’ childhood friend, Dawn Botkins, recalling their final meeting before Wuornos’ execution, where Wuornos acknowledged her status as a serial killer, attributing it to years of abuse, alcohol consumption, and her relationship with Moore.
“Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers” is now available on Netflix.