Aileen Wuornos was arrested after a yearlong killing spree that ended with seven men murdered. Wuornos's arrest sparked worldwide media frenzy. She was one of a rare breed - a female serial killer. Her story went on to become an Oscar winning film, with Charlize Theron taking on the role of Wournos.


Tragedy began early in Aileen Wuornos's life. Early in childhood, Aileen and her brother were abandoned by both her mother and father and were left to be raised by their grandparents in Troy, Michigan. By the age of 11, Aileen began having sex with boys in her neighbourhood for spare change or cigarettes. She was pregnant by 14 and sent to live in a home for unwed mothers. She delivered a baby boy that was immediately put up for adoption.

The next decade of her life was filled with failed relationships and small-time crimes. Aileen spent three years in prison for a botched mini-mart robbery. By 1989, she was struggling to provide for herself and her girlfriend Tyria. It was getting harder for Aileen to make enough money prostituting, which made her work harder and longer. This fed the anger she felt towards her male customers and her hatred for her profession. Aileen's temper and frustration for money led her to violence. She decided that the easiest way to make money would be to rob her "Johns." She devised a plan to trick her customers into giving her a ride, and when the time was right, rob them and shoot them. It was a calculated move to make sure the victim could never identify his assailant.

Aileen went on to murder seven men before eventually being caught.