Further Reading For Aileen Wuornos
Dear Dawn: Aileen Wuornos in Her Own Words by Aileen Wuornos
Info
Aileen Wuornos has the distinct honor of being the 10th woman in the United States to be executed by the state since the 1976 reinstatement of the death penalty. She is anomaly among the statistics of history’s serial murderers. Between 1989 and 1990, Aileen went on a murder and robbery spree in Florida which began with her narrowly defending herself during a rape attempt but then going on to murder and rob six more men by way of point-blank gunshot wounds, claiming self-defense in all cases.
Wuornos was a true product of American culture: She grew up poor, abused, poorly educated, and mentally ill, growing up without support in some of America’s forgotten landscapes, raped and abused by the very people in her life that were supposed to look out for her best interests. Aileen was a perfect storm of tragedy and the only road left for her to walk led straight to death row.
Aileen was executed in October of 2002 and left one hell of a final statement before facing the needle:
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 mother ship and all, I’ll be back, I’ll be back.
Episodes: 266 & 267
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