Aileen Carol Wuornos “America’s First Female Serial Killer”

Description

Aileen Wuornos: A Timeline

Timeline of Main Events:

1956:

• February 29: Aileen Carol Wuornos is born.

1969:

• Wuornos’ father, Leo Dale Pittman, a child molester and sociopath, is strangled in prison.

Early 1970s:

• Wuornos becomes pregnant at age fourteen.
• Shortly after becoming pregnant, she drops out of school, leaves home, and begins hitchhiking and engaging in prostitution.

1982:

• Wuornos is convicted of armed robbery.

December 1, 1989:

• Richard Mallory’s abandoned vehicle is discovered by a deputy in Volusia County.

December 1989 – November 1990:

• A series of murders of men occur along highways in northern and central Florida.

December 13, 1989:

• The body of Richard Mallory is found in a wooded area in Volusia County. He died from multiple gunshot wounds.

June 1, 1990:

• The body of David Spears is found along Highway 19 in Citrus County. He died of six gunshot wounds to the torso.

June 1990:

• Peter Siems leaves Jupiter, Florida, heading for New Jersey.
• Walter Gino Antonio’s body is found near a remote logging road in Dixie County. He died from four gunshot wounds to the back and head.

June 6, 1990:

• The body of Charles Carskaddon is found in Pasco County. He died of nine small caliber bullet wounds.

July 4, 1990:

• Law officers find Peter Siems’ car in Orange Springs. Witnesses identify Tyria Moore and Aileen Wuornos as the two people seen leaving the car. A palm print on the interior door handle matches Wuornos’.

July 31, 1990:

• Troy Burress is reported missing from Ocala.

August 4, 1990:

• The body of Troy Burress is found in a wooded area along State Road 19 in Marion County. He died of two gunshot wounds.

September 12, 1990:

• The body of Charles “Dick” Humphreys is found in Marion County. He died of six gunshot wounds to the head and torso. His car is later found in Suwannee County.

November 19, 1990:

• Walter Gino Antonio’s body is found near a remote logging road in Dixie County.

November 24, 1990:

• Law officers find Walter Gino Antonio’s car in Brevard County.

December 1990:

• The FBI Investigative Support Unit in Quantico begins looking into the murders, believing ten cases of murdered or missing white men in Central Florida between April 15, 1990, and November 30, 1990, are connected.

Within two weeks of her arrest (implied late 1990/early 1991):

• Wuornos and her attorney sell movie rights to her story. Investigators in her case also do the same.

1992:

• July 13: A psychological evaluation of Wuornos is conducted after her trial but before hearings on other charges.
• October 8: Psychological evaluations of Wuornos are conducted by Dr. Harry Krop and Dr. Bill E. Mosman.

Sometime after her arrest and conviction for Richard Mallory’s murder:

• While on death row, it is discovered that Richard Mallory had previously served time for attempted rape.
• Wuornos pleads no contest to the murders of the other five men (Spears, Carskaddon, Burress, Humphreys, and Antonio) and receives a death sentence in each case.

April 26, 2001:

• Wuornos writes a letter to Judge Hall asking for a hearing to waive her appeals.

June 6, 2001:

• Wuornos writes a letter to Chief Justice Walls asking for a hearing to waive her appeals.

September 5, 2002:

• Wuornos’ death warrant is issued.

September 26, 2002:

• Raag Singhal, the attorney appointed to represent Wuornos, writes a letter to the Florida Supreme Court requesting a psychological evaluation of Wuornos prior to her execution.

October 2, 2002:

• A Temporary Stay of Execution is dissolved.

October 7, 2002:

• Florida Support sends a “next friend” letter requesting a stay of execution based on Wuornos’ alleged insanity.

October 8, 2002:

• A Motion to Declare Wuornos Incompetent to be Executed is filed.

October 9, 2002:

• Aileen Carol Wuornos is executed by lethal injection in Florida. She declined a last meal, requesting only a cup of coffee. Her last words are reported.

Cast of Characters:

• Aileen Carol Wuornos (1956-2002): The central figure of the narrative, identified as “America’s First Female Serial Killer.” She was executed for the murder of six men, claiming self-defense due to attempted sexual assault while working as a highway prostitute. She had a difficult early life, including a father who was a child molester and sociopath, became pregnant at 14, dropped out of school, and had a prior conviction for armed robbery.
• Richard Mallory (51): Clearwater electronics shop owner. His body was the first of the victims to be found (December 13, 1989). Wuornos was convicted of his murder. It was later discovered he had a prior record for attempted rape.
• David Spears (43): Winter Garden construction worker. His body was found on June 1, 1990.
• Charles Carskaddon (40): Part-time rodeo worker. His body was found on June 6, 1990.
• Troy Burress (50): A sausage salesman from Ocala, reported missing on July 31, 1990, and found deceased on August 4, 1990.
• Charles “Dick” Humphreys (56): Retired Air Force major, former police chief, and Florida state child abuse investigator. His body was found on September 12, 1990.
• Walter Gino Antonio (62): His body was found on November 19, 1990.
• Peter Siems (65): Disappeared in June 1990 while traveling from Jupiter, Florida, to New Jersey. His car was found, and witnesses placed Wuornos and Tyria Moore near it. His body has never been found.
• Leo Dale Pittman: Wuornos’ father, described as a child molester and sociopath who was strangled in prison in 1969.
• Tyria Moore: Identified as being seen with Wuornos leaving Peter Siems’ car. Her exact relationship with Wuornos and involvement in the crimes is not detailed in this source.
• Judy Buenoano: Mentioned as the second woman executed in Florida since 1848, preceding Wuornos. She died in the electric chair in March 1988.
• Judge Hall: The judge to whom Wuornos wrote a letter on April 26, 2001, requesting a hearing to waive her appeals.
• Chief Justice Walls: The Chief Justice to whom Wuornos wrote a letter on June 6, 2001, also requesting a hearing to waive her appeals.
• Dr. Harry Krop: Conducted a psychological evaluation of Wuornos on October 8, 1992.
• Dr. Bill E. Mosman: Also conducted a psychological evaluation of Wuornos on October 8, 1992.
• Raag Singhal: An attorney appointed to represent Wuornos who requested a psychological evaluation prior to her execution on September 26, 2002.

Aileen Carol Wuornos “America’s First Female Serial Killer” FBI Files & Court Documents

605 pages of Aileen Wuornos FBI files, appellate court documents, and additional material.

Aileen Carol Wuornos (February 29, 1956 – October 9, 2002) was execution by lethal injection on October 9, 2002 for the murder of six men.  She was the second woman to be executed in Florida since 1848, in March 1988 Judy Buenoano died in in the state’s electric chair.

Between December 1989 and September 1990, the bodies of several men were found murdered along the highways of northern and central Florida, including Richard Mallory, Dick Humphreys, Troy Burress, David Spears, Walter Gino Antonio, Peter Siems, and Charles Carskaddon.

Items belonging to Mallory and Antonio were pawned near Daytona Beach and the alias names used were traced to Wuornos through thumbprints left on the pawn shop cards. Wuornos confessed to the murder of all six men, claiming that she was picked up by the men when she was working as a highway prostitute, and shot them in self-defense after they attempted to sexually assault her.

Wuornos was convicted of the murder of Richard Mallory after a jury trial in Volusia County and was sentenced to death. At trial, the State was allowed to introduce similar crimes evidence about Wuornos’ commission of several other murders. While on death row, it was discovered that Mallory had previously served time for attempted rape. Wuornos pleaded no contest to the murders of the other 5 men and was sentenced to death in each case.

Within two weeks of her arrest, Wuornos and her attorney had sold movie rights to her story. Investigators in her case did likewise. The case resulted in several books and movies, and even one opera on the life of “America’s first female serial killer.” Wuornos’s father, Leo Dale Pittman, was a child molester and a sociopath who was strangled in prison in 1969. Wuornos was pregnant at age fourteen. Shortly thereafter, she dropped out of school, left home and took up hitchhiking and prostitution. Wuornos had a prior conviction for armed robbery in 1982.

According to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney office, Wuornos declined the traditional last meal, which could have been anything she wanted for under $20, and instead was given a cup of coffee.

Her last words were reported as, “I’d 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.”

The homicides attributed to Wuornos:

Richard Mallory, 51, Clearwater electronics shop owner. On December 1, 1989, a deputy in Volusia County discovered an abandoned vehicle belonging to Richard Mallory. His body was found December 13, several miles away in a wooded area. Mallory had been shot several times, two bullets to the left lung were found to have caused hemorrhaging and ultimately death.

David Spears, 43, Winter Garden construction worker, body found June 1, 1990, along Highway 19 in Citrus County. Except for a baseball cap, Spears was nude. He had died of six bullet wounds to the torso.

Charles Carskaddon, 40, part-time rodeo worker, body found June 6, 1990, in Pasco County. The medical examiner found nine small caliber bullets in his lower chest and upper abdomen.

Troy Burress, 50, a sausage salesman from Ocala, was reported missing July 31, 1990. On August 4, 1990 law officers found the body in a wooded area along State Road 19 in Marion County. The body was substantially decomposed, but evidence showed he had been shot twice.

Charles “Dick” Humphreys, 56, retired Air Force major, former police chief and Florida state child abuse investigator, body found in Marion County on September 12, 1990. The body was fully clothed and had been shot six times in the head and torso. Humphreys’ car was found in Suwannee County.

Walter Jeno Antonio, 62, body found on November 19, 1990 near a remote logging road in Dixie County. His body was nearly nude and had been shot four times in the back and head. Law officers found Antonio’s car five days later in Brevard County.

Peter Siems, 65. In June 1990, Peter Siems left Jupiter, Florida, heading for New Jersey. Law officers later found Siems’ car in Orange Springs on July 4, 1990. Witnesses identified Tyria Moore and Aileen Wuornos as the two persons seen leaving the car where it ultimately was found. A palm print on the interior door handle matched that of Wuornos. Siems’ body has never been found.

FBI FILES

114 pages of FBI files related to the Wuornos case. The earliest files dated from December 1990, when the FBI Investigative Support Unit, Quantico began looking into the murders.  At the time the FBI believed that the cases of ten murdered or missing white men in Central Florida between April 15, 1990 and November 30, 1990, were connected.

Includes a report from the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, Behavioral Analysis Unit on its analysis to determine the probability that Wuornos murdered James Weston Chambers. The unit’s conclusion was that Chambers was not murdered by Wuornos.

FLORIDA APPELLATE COURT DOCUMENTS

400 pages of fillings and related documents part of and in response to post-trial appeals. The filings cover issues such as competency,  aggravating circumstances at the time of the murders, jury instructions and effectiveness of her trial attorney. Files includes Wuornos’ handwritten submittals.

 
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL

Additional material includes:

1992 psychological evaluations of Wuornos by Dr. Harry Krop and Dr. Bill E. Mosman (Oct 8, 1992)

Psychological evaluation of Wuornos, conducted after trial, prior to hearings on other charges (July 13, 1992)

Wuornos’ letter to Judge Hall asking for hearing to waive appeals (April 26, 2001)

Wuornos’ letter to Chief Justice Walls asking for hearing to waive appeals (June 6, 2001)

Death Warrant (Sept. 5, 2002)

Wuornos’ writings accusing prison officials of abuse

Letter to Florida Supreme Court from Raag Singhal, attorney appointed to represent Wuornos, requesting a psychological evaluation of Wuornos prior to her execution ) (Sept. 26, 2002)

Dissolution of Temporary Stay of Execution (Oct. 2, 2002)

“Next friend” letter from Florida Support, requesting a stay of execution on the grounds of Wuornos’ insanity (10/07/02)

Motion to Declare Wuornos Incompetent to be Executed (Oct 8, 2002)