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Criminal Profile Paper: Aileen Wuornos

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Running Head: CRIMINAL PROFILE PAPER 1

Criminal Profile Paper

Shao Shen Ling

Southern New Hampshire University

CRIMINAL PROFILE PAPER: AILEEN WUORNOS 2

Abstract

Aileen Wuornos was an infamous female serial killer who had robbed and killed 7 men in

Florida between year 1989 and 1990. The current paper looks into the biography of Aileen

Wuornos to provide possible factors and cause such as developmental factors, biological

factors and mental disorders that may have contributed to her committed crimes and violent

behaviors. Moreover, this paper also discuss about the process of capturing Aileen Wuornos

and the sentences that were sentenced to her during the trial for her serial killing, which

eventually led to her execution in year 2002.

CRIMINAL PROFILE PAPER: AILEEN WUORNOS 3

Criminal Profile Paper: Aileen Wuornos

Aileen Wuornos was one of the few female serial killers that were captured, and

trialed in United States between the late 20th century and early 21st century (Edwards, 2012;

Silvio, McCloskey, & Ramos-Grenier, 2006). Aileen Wuornos killed a total of 7 men

between year 1989 and 1990 across the state of Florida before being captured by the police

and later executed in year 2002 by lethal injection (Golden, 2003; Macleod, 2014; Office of

the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney, 2012).

Biography and Early Life

Aileen Wuornos, originally named Aileen Carol Pittman, was born in Rochester,

Michigan, on February, 29th, 1956 (Crime and Investigation Channel, 2014; Macleod, 2014;

Wuornos, 2014; Wuornos, 2008). Aileen was the daughter of Leo Dale Pittman who was a

child molester and psychopath who later committed suicide in prison, and the daughter of

Diane Wuornos, who was only 14 years old when she married Leo in 1954 (Crime and

Investigation Channel, 2014; Macleod, 2014). Aileen was the youngest among the two

children that were gave birth by Diane, as Diane gave birth to Aileen’s elder brother, Keith in

1955 (Macleod, 2014; Wuornos, 2014).

Two months before the birth of Aileen, her mother divorced Leo Pittman, and

attempted to raise both Keith and Aileen by herself, which she eventually failed as she

abandoned both of her children; both Aileen and Keith were later adopted by their maternal

grandparents Lauri Wuornos and Britta Wuornos (Crime and Investigation Channel, 2014;

Macleod, 2014; Wuornos, 2014). Even though being adopted by her own maternal

grandparents, Aileen and her brother did not know that, both Lauri and Britta were their

grandparents until the age of 12 (Macleod, 2014; Silvio, McCloskey, & Ramos-Grenier,

2006; Wuornos, 2014). While being raised by her grandparents, Aileen grew up in a harsh

and abusive environment as Lauri, her grandfather was an alcoholic and had physically and
CRIMINAL PROFILE PAPER: AILEEN WUORNOS 4

sexually abused her (Crime and Investigation Channel, 2014; Macleod, 2014; Silvio,

McCloskey, & Ramos-Grenier, 2006).

According to the Golden (2003); MacLeod (2014), Aileen engaged in sexual activities

at the age of 10, by first experimenting it with his brother Keith, it was later at the age of 11,

she began trading sex among the neighborhood boys in exchange for money, cigarettes and

drugs. However, at the age of 13 in year 1970, she was pregnant as the result of rape by a

family friend from the neighborhood, she was later sent to a home for unwed mother where

she delivered her son, and was forced to put her son up for adoption in March of 1971

(Golden, 2003; Silvio, McCloskey, & Ramos-Grenier, 2006; Wuornos, 2008).

Shortly after giving up her child for adoption, Aileen dropped out from school and

was later expelled out of house by her grandfather, after the death of her grandmother

(Macleod, 2014; Silvio, McCloskey, & Ramos-Grenier, 2006). At the age of 15, after being

threw out of the house along with her brother, she started hitchhiking and prostitution for 4

years of her life, before being arrested and imprisoned by the police for not showing up in a

court hearing (Crime and Investigation Channel, 2014; Macleod, 2014).

After Aileen was released from jail, she hitchhiked to Florida and met Lewis Gratz

Fell, a wealthy 69 years old yacht club President; Lewis later married Aileen on the very

same year (Golden, 2003; Griffin & Arrigo, 2008; Wuornos, 2008). However, the marriage

only lasted for 9 weeks due to the violent behavior of Aileen, as she constantly got into fight

in local bar, and she even assaulted her husband with a cane when he refused to give her

money (Golden, 2003; Griffin & Arrigo, 2008; Macleod, 2014). Shortly after Aileen was

divorced, she went back to Michigan for a brief amount of time in 1976, before meeting Tyria

Moore (her homosexual partner) and becoming a highway prostitute along Florida’s highway

which led to the serial killing of 7 men between 1989 and 1990 (Crime and Investigation

Channel, 2014; Golden, 2003; Macleod, 2014; Wuornos, 2012).

CRIMINAL PROFILE PAPER: AILEEN WUORNOS 5

Committed Crimes

Theft, Robbery and Assault

In 1974, Aileen was arrested and imprisoned for disorderly conduct, drunk driving,

discharging a firearm from a vehicle and grand larceny in Colorado (Crime and Investigation

Channel, 2014; Golden, 2003). Two years later in 1976, she was arrested and jailed in

Michigan for assault and disturbing the peace after she attacked a bartender (Crime and

Investigation Channel, 2014; Golden, 2003). In 1981, she was caught by the police in Florida

for robbing a convenience store, she was later sentenced to 14 months of imprisonment

before being released on June of 1983 (Golden, 2003; Wuornos, 2012). Three years later in

Miami, Aileen was detained and accused of car theft and resisting arrest (Golden, 2003;

Wuornos, 2012).

Murders and Serial Killing

Between 1989 and 1990, Aileen killed and robbed a total of 7 men who she accused

they had attempted to rape her, and that she shot all of them in the act of self-defense

(Golden, 2003; Office of the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney, 2012; Wuornos, 2012).

Among the victims, Richard Mallory was the first victim of the serial killing, he was shot 3

times by Aileen with the use of a .22 caliber pistol, his body was discovered by people who

were looking for scrape metals in a remote wooded area (Macleod, 2014; Office of the Clark

County Prosecuting Attorney, 2012). Before the police are able to arrest Aileen, the serial

killing went on for almost a year, and just like the other victims, her last victim named Walter

Antonio was shot dead with the use of .22 pistol and he was found nearly naked in a distant

logging area in November of 1990.

CRIMINAL PROFILE PAPER: AILEEN WUORNOS 6

Contributing Factors of Committed Crimes

Developmental Factors

From the interpretation of Aileen Wuornos’s biography, some of her youth

delinquencies and violent behaviors could be contributed by developmental factors such as

the abusive upbringing environment that she lived in when she was a child, and the neglectful

parenting that was being used on her by her grandfather, as an research done on Aileen

Wuornos through an interview found out that her grandfather was not only physically abusive

but emotionally abusive as well, as he often beats her up and called her with insulting names

such as whore (Myers, Gooch, & Meloy, 2005). In a study carried out by Knutson et al.

(2004) point out that, deficient parenting, particularly neglectful parenting (in which the

parents provide minimum supervisory and practice punitive discipline) was a significant

predictor for the development of antisocial behavior for children and adolescents in their later

life.

Moreover, the combination of abusive parenting and the aggressive nature of Aileen,

made her even more prone to the development of antisocial behavior, as according to

relatives of Aileen, she had several behavioral problems since she was a child, she had a hot

temper which caused her to get in to fight with others frequently, she also stole from her

family and friends; furthermore, she also had property destruction behavior as she had set her

home on fire and also the girl’s toilet in school on fire (Myers, Gooch, & Meloy, 2005).

According to studies done by Narusyte, Andershed, Neiderhiser, and Lichtenstein (2007);

Schaffer, Clark, and Jeglic (2009); Shek and Ma (1997), the use of inappropriate parenting

could encourage the development of antisocial behavior during adolescence among children,

especially children who had shown sign of aggression.

Besides, due to Aileen’s hot temper and aggressive behavior, she was often rejected

by peers and thus she did not have many friends (Macleod, 2014; Myers, Gooch, & Meloy,
CRIMINAL PROFILE PAPER: AILEEN WUORNOS 7

2005; Wuornos, 2012). As stated by Bartol and Bartol (2014), studies had shown that

children who are frequently rejected by peers are at risk of developing antisocial and

delinquent behavior. The statement was fully demonstrated by Aileen as she was involved in

drug abuse, theft, aggression towards peers and arson (Golden, 2003; Macleod, 2014; Myers,

Gooch, & Meloy, 2005; Wuornos, 2012).

In sum, with the combination of both Aileen’s upbringing environment and aggressive

nature, there is a risk that the mentioned developmental factors may have played a direct and

or indirect role that caused her to get involved in all the crimes that she had committed.

Biological Factors

As mentioned earlier in the biography, Aileen’s biological father is a psychopath, and

therefore, there is a possibility that she had inherited some of the psychopathic traits from her

father, such as poor behavioral control, lack of remorse and empathy, which can play an

indirect role in causing her to commit crimes like murder, as according to Blonigen, Hicks,

Krueger, and Iacono (2008); Brogaard (2012); Hicks, Vaidyanathan, and Patrick (2010),

psychopathic traits can be inherited and genetically predisposed to the offspring of

psychopath. In the study conducted by Myers, Gooch, and Meloy (2005), Hare’s

Psychopathy Checklist Revised was utilized by the researchers to assess Aileen, results

generated from the PCLR indicates that Aileen has a very high tendency of becoming a

psychopath as she has fulfilled a significant numbers of criteria in the checklist (with the total

score of 30), for instance, need for stimulation, pathological lying, conning, lack of remorse,

parasitic life, impulsivity and promiscuous sexual behavior.

Moreover, in the interview conducted by Myers, Gooch, and Meloy, the researchers

found out that, Aileen’s mother was an alcoholic. Hence, there is a possibility that Aileen

may had suffered from central nervous system damage or dysfunction due to prenatal alcohol

exposure which may contributed to her aggressive personality and nature. As stated by Pinel
CRIMINAL PROFILE PAPER: AILEEN WUORNOS 8

(2014), prenatal alcohol exposure could cause neurological damage to a newborn, and

disorders like lack of impulse control and difficulty to communicate and understand others

could occurred to the newborn.

In sum, by looking at the case of Aileen Wuornos from a biological perspective, it is

possible that biological factors like genetic predisposed and neurological dysfunction may

have contributed to her criminal behavior.

Capture and Arrest

Initially, the investigation for the serial killing was not progressive for the

investigators, because the investigators knew nothing about the suspect, not even the number

of people that were involved in the killing (Golden, 2003; Macleod, 2014; Wuornos, 2014).

However, in June of 1990, a clue was left by Aileen and her homosexual partner Tyria, after

they had wrecked the car of Peter Siems (one of the victim of the serial killing) in an

accident.

Despite Aileen’s efforts of destroying all the evidences that were left in the car by

taking off the plate number and rubbing off finger prints that were in the car, the police

managed to identify the car through the vehicle identification number which they later found

out that it belongs to Peter Siems who was reported missing by his parents (Golden, 2003;

Macleod, 2014; Wuornos, 2014). More importantly, there were witnesses that witness the

entire accident, which allowed the investigators to acquire the gender and the look of the

suspects for the first time as the witnesses were able to provide the sketch of the suspects.

Moreover, the investigators were able to recover fingerprints that matched the prints

of Aileen, as she had criminal record in Florida where her fingerprints were recorded in file

(Golden, 2003; Macleod, 2014; Wuornos, 2014). Soon after the fingerprints were identified,

a manhunt for Aileen began, she was later arrested by the police in a biker bar in Florida

(Golden, 2003; Macleod, 2014; Wuornos, 2014). While her homosexual partner was later
CRIMINAL PROFILE PAPER: AILEEN WUORNOS 9

arrested in Pennsylvania and testified against Aileen in court during trial (Golden, 2003;

Macleod, 2014; Wuornos, 2014).

Mental Disorders and Death Sentences

From the look of Aileen’s early life, some of the behaviors that are displayed by her

during adolescence fit the criteria for conduct disorder, as she often got into fight with her

peers, stole from her friends and family, and had set fire on her home and the girl’s toilet in

school, which fit the criteria of aggression towards people and animals, destruction of

property and theft or deceitfulness in the DSM IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association,

2000).

However, according to a psychiatric assessment done by a psychiatrist who was hired

by the defense of Aileen testified that, Aileen was diagnosed with antisocial personality

disorder and borderline personality disorder with paranoid features (Capital Punishment in

Context, 2014; Myers, Gooch, & Meloy, 2005; Office of the Clark County Prosecuting

Attorney, 2012).

According to Myers, Gooch, and Meloy (2005), Aileen fit all the criteria that were

listed in DSM IV-TR for antisocial personality disorder, as she failed to conform to social

norms with respect to lawful behaviors (demonstrated by constant involve in criminal

activity), deceitfulness (she lied to her victims and lured them into remote area), impulsivity

and failure to plan ahead (she never had a long term plan), irritability and aggressive (she gets

into fight often), reckless disregard for safety of self and others (she put herself in dangerous

situation by hitchhiking and prostitution), consistent irresponsibility and lack of remorse (she

disregard the life of her victims and killed all of them without the sense of guilt).

Moreover, she also fit the criteria for border personality disorder in DSM IV-TR, as

she had recurrent suicidal behavior (she had tried different methods to kill herself, from

shooting herself to overdosing on tranquilizer), inappropriate and intense anger, pattern of

CRIMINAL PROFILE PAPER: AILEEN WUORNOS 10

unstable and intense interpersonal relationship characterized by alternating between extremes

of idealization and devaluation (she married the wealthy yacht club president for only 9

weeks, and she had a homosexual relationship with Tyria Moore), affective instability due to

a marked reactivity of mood ( she had mood swings) and impulsivity (drug abuse) (Myers,

Gooch, & Meloy, 2005).

Even though Aileen was diagnosed with both antisocial personality disorder and

borderline personality disorder, the diagnosis did not played a significant role during the trial,

as she was still sentenced to death by jury for the murder of Richard Mallory, her first victim

(Macleod, 2014; Golden, 2003; Office of the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney, 2012;

Wuornos, 2014).

After death sentence was sentenced to Aileen during the trial for murder of her first

victim, she never attended the trial for the murder of the rest of her victims and pleaded no

contest to the accused murders, which led to the additional death sentences being sentenced

on her (Golden, 2003; Macleod, 2014; Wuornos, 2014). She also did not appeal for the death

sentences, as she claimed that the reason for not attending trials and appeal for sentences was,

she wanted to be honest and truthful to God (Golden, 2003; Macleod, 2014; Wuornos, 2014).

Despite the court and the jury found Aileen to be competent for trial and legally sane,

according to experts, there are evidences that suggest Aileen was in fact insane. For instance,

Aileen had once wrote to the court due to delusion of being abused by the prison guards, as

she wrote that she was placed in a pressurized chamber that has a head shrinking machine by

the prison’s officials (Capital Punishment in Context, 2014).

Conclusion

In my opinion, I felt that Aileen Wuornos should not be sentenced to death, instead,

she should be given the verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity, as it is evident that she was

mentally ill and was suffering from delusion.

CRIMINAL PROFILE PAPER: AILEEN WUORNOS 11

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