Nick Broomfield's second documentary on Aileen Carol Wuornos, a highway prostitute who was executed in 2002 for killing seven men in the state of Florida. This second installment includes the filmmaker's testimony at Wuornos's trial.
I have studied serial killers on and off since the mid-1990s. I would hardly call myself an expert, but I have seen more than my share of footage and read more than my share of books. Aileen is definitely one of the more interesting serial killers. They are all interesting to a greater or lesser degree, but Aileen is interesting not only because she is a woman, but because she has a fascinating upbringing and mentality. I think she was crazy, but not necessarily a sociopath.
Male and female serial killers are different, both in their methods and their motives. As Wuornos herself says, she never had the "thrill" aspect, and despite being a prostitute, I doubt there was a sexual outlet aspect in her murders. She was, first and foremost, desperate for money. Whether she can even be called a serial killer at all is up for debate.
I have studied serial killers on and off since the mid-1990s. I would hardly call myself an expert, but I have seen more than my share of footage and read more than my share of books. Aileen is definitely one of the more interesting serial killers. They are all interesting to a greater or lesser degree, but Aileen is interesting not only because she is a woman, but because she has a fascinating upbringing and mentality. I think she was crazy, but not necessarily a sociopath.
Male and female serial killers are different, both in their methods and their motives. As Wuornos herself says, she never had the "thrill" aspect, and despite being a prostitute, I doubt there was a sexual outlet aspect in her murders. She was, first and foremost, desperate for money. Whether she can even be called a serial killer at all is up for debate.