Aileen Carol Wuornos (née Pittman), often labeled in the media as “America’s first female serial killer,” remains a notorious figure in Florida’s criminal history. Between 1989 and 1990, while working as a prostitute along highways in central and northern Florida, Wuornos was responsible for the murders of at least seven men.
The Spree and Victims
Wuornos’s year-long killing spree involved shooting and robbing her male clients.
The bodies of seven middle-aged men were discovered, primarily in wooded areas near Florida highways, with the victims’ stolen cars and possessions often providing a trail for investigators.
The identified victims were:
Richard Charles Mallory: A 51-year-old electronics store owner, considered the first victim on November 30, 1989. Mallory was found shot multiple times in the chest. Wuornos later claimed he had beaten and raped her, and she killed him in self-defense, a claim that gained some attention after it was revealed Mallory had a prior conviction for attempted rape.
David Andrew Spears: A 47-year-old construction worker, found nude and shot six times on June 1, 1990, in Citrus County.
Charles Edmund Carskaddon: A 40-year-old part-time rodeo worker, found in Pasco County on June 6, 1990, with nine gunshot wounds.
Troy Eugene Burress: A 50-year-old salesman from Ocala, found in a wooded area in Marion County on August 4, 1990, having been shot twice.
Charles Richard “Dick” Humphreys: A 56-year-old retired Air Force major and former police chief, found shot multiple times in Marion County on September 12, 1990.
Walter Gino Antonio: A 61-year-old trucker, security guard, and reserve police officer, whose body was found in Dixie County on November 19, 1990, nearly nude and shot four times.
Peter Abraham Siems: A 65-year-old retired merchant seaman who disappeared in June 1990. His car was found abandoned in Orange Springs, Florida, and a palm print on the interior door handle matched Wuornos, though his body was never recovered.
The weapon used in the killings was a small-caliber pistol.
Investigation, Arrest, and Confession
The key breakthrough in the case came when police traced items belonging to the victims to Florida pawnshops where Wuornos had used an alias. Her fingerprint on a pawn shop card was matched to her prints in the police database, as she had an existing criminal record in Florida for previous offenses including armed robbery, forgery, and auto theft.
Wuornos was arrested on an outstanding warrant at a bar in Port Orange, Florida, in January 1991. Following her arrest, and the cooperation of her live-in partner, Tyria Moore, Wuornos gave multiple taped confessions to law enforcement.
While initially claiming self-defense against assault, she later gave inconsistent statements. During her court plea for some of the murders, she admitted that she had killed for profit.
READ: Was Aileen Wuornos A Serial Killer In Florida, A Victim, Or Both?
Trial and Execution
Wuornos was first tried for the murder of Richard Mallory in Volusia County, Florida, in January 1992. The jury found her guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery with a firearm, and she was sentenced to death. She later pleaded “no contest” or guilty to five other murders, ultimately receiving six death sentences.
During the penalty phase of her first trial, defense psychologists testified that Wuornos suffered from borderline personality disorder, which resulted in extreme mental or emotional disturbance and impaired her capacity to conform her conduct to the law.
After years on Florida’s Death Row, and a period in 2001 where she dropped her appeals, concerns were raised about her competency. Florida Governor Jeb Bush ordered a mental examination. Wuornos was ultimately deemed mentally competent to be executed.
On October 9, 2002, Aileen Wuornos was executed by lethal injection at Florida State Prison in Starke, Florida. She was the second woman executed in Florida since 1976.
Her final words, “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,” were part of a rambling statement made before her death.
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