Aileen Wuornos: the Selling of a Serial Killer - the 1992 Interviews

[Chopper]

This documentary about Aileen Wuornos was directed by Nick Broomfield, the same documentarian who made the controversial Tupac & Biggy documentary.

First off I have to say that this is probably one of the most disturbing documentaries I have seen in a while, much of the interviews with Wuornos go into detail about some of the corruption of the florida pd and the investigation into the proposed movie deals that were twisting the facts about her killings.

I feel this documentary is also a good portrait of how America is insane. We live in a culture dominated by the media, serial killer fascinations, and general over saturation of the truth. Everyone in this documentary from Aileen's creepy, born again, "Christian" mother who adopted her, to her spaced out defense lawyer who kept a dummy with him he made as a kid, all just really CREEPED me out.

The things that perplexes me is that all literature I have read about female murderers states that most women are self destructive, meaning they will kill themselves before they do anything else. I feel Wuornos did her murders more out of pent up rage rather than anything methodical or planned out.

Anyone else seen this? Any thoughts on it?

[BoyScoutKevin]

Well, one thing we know, female serial killers are fewer in number than male serial killers. And those that exist, usually operate in conjunction with a man, which makes Aileen doublely unique.

I agree tht she did her murders out of pent up rage, but what made her so angry, that she felt the need to kill?

[Shadowphile]

I suggest looking at 'creepy born again adoptive "Christian" mom' as a source

[Chopper]

HAHA!

and to answer your inquiry Kevin all the info i read and watched on Wournos stated that she was mentally and physically abused for a long period in her life. a lot of people believe her murders were mere responses to her pent up rage, plus the one john who ##### her.

[BoyScoutKevin]

Thank-you, Chopper. That makes sense. It wasn't always that way. In the past, it was thought that women who were sexually abused as children, internalized their anger. Drinking, smoking, using drugs, becoming sexually promiscuous, and even allowing themselves to be further abused. And it was thought men who were sexually abused as children, externalized their anger. Becoming abusers and abusing others. But, they have discovered it is not always like that. Men both externalizing and internalizing their anger, and women internalizing and externalizing, like Aileen, their anger. Thank-you again, Chopper.

[ulthar]

"all literature I have read about female murderers states that most women are self destructive, meaning they will kill themselves before they do anything else."

Except perhaps when children are the victims.  Think Susan Smith, Andrea Yeats and others.  

Our understanding of the female role in violent crime in changing.  It used to be that 'society' took the maternal instinct at face value and never questioned a female's nurturing instinct.  But now that's turning out to not be quite as strong as was once believed.

Perhaps society is changing it, or perhaps there was always this sinister set of females and society just did not want to admit it.

[Chopper]

hey you're very welcome Kevin! yeah this is only what i've read and come across on this subject, i don't claim to be an expert on it but i was a criminal justice major so i had to read quite a bit of stale text books on these types of things.

if you really want to get more sound knowledge on the topic i would recommend you go to Ulthar as i'm pretty sure he works in the area of law enforcement.

speaking of creeps -- keep an eye on some of your counselors :P

[Chopper]

hey thanks for the insight Ulthar. i think it is quite a possiblity there has always been a sort of genetic psycho strand of women out there, whether if society every wanted to admit it or not. i believe things are still a lot like you wrote however i still think men externalize their violence more than women. however in our society we are seeing a rise in women killers and also women criminal societies growing in prisons. thanks again, i appreciate your insight.

[ulthar]

Chopper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>  go to Ulthar as
> i'm pretty sure he works in the area of law
> enforcement.
>

Used to be; not any longer.  Still do some reading, occasionally, though.

If interested in profiling and such, I'd recommend John Douglas' books Mindhunter and Journey Into Darkness.  Both are pretty good.

[ThadC]

I was trying to do a search for women serial killers to refresh my memory, but I seem to remember a program on Discovery a while back on the topic. There has actualy beed quite a few women killers in history. I seem to remember some nurses that were killing patients, a woman who was killing her lovers, and keeping there bodies in her basement. Anouther woman was going around to truck stops killing truckers. I think women serial killers are fewer, but not unheard of throughout history. I also remember that more than a few of them had " normal childhoods"
Women can be just as much a killer as a man, but what might be scary is that they may be more likely to get away with it. Not much really on the net about the topic for some reason.