Aileen Wuornos became ‘queen of serial killers’ after media attention

Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute in Daytona Beach, Florida, who was convicted of killing multiple men and dubbed the “Queen of Serial Killers,” was ready for her close-up after admitting to protecting the woman she loved.

Between 1989 and 1990, a Michigan-born drifter killed seven middle-aged men along Florida highways. Wuornos, a rare serial killer, was convicted and sentenced to death – a sentence that was carried out in 2002. But long before her execution, she had already stepped into the spotlight.

“I don’t think adults ever really listened to her in her life,” Emily Turner, director of Netflix’s “Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers,” told Fox News Digital.

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Aileen Wuornos is shown here testifying during her 1992 murder trial in Daytona Beach, Florida. She is the subject of a new true crime documentary on Netflix called “Aileen Wuornos: Queen of the Serial Killers.” (Peter Bauer-USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

“The first time in her life that she was being interviewed by people and being listened to and taken seriously was when she committed these serious murders,” Turner said. “I think it’s a really sad reflection of the world we live in.”

The documentary was recorded, which includes an unearthed interview with Wuornos On death row in Floridareconsiders her case and sheds light on audio recordings with those who knew her.

Aileen Wuornos spent six years on death row before being executed by lethal injection. (Netflix © 2025)

At the beginning of the film, outsider Wuornos whispers to director Yasmine Hirst, with whom she corresponded for 10 years: “You guys are going to make millions out of this.”

Before her death, Aileen Wuornos was keen to speak publicly about her troubled childhood and crimes. (Netflix © 2025)

After her arrest in 1991, the case attracted massive media attention. Wuornos has given numerous interviews and made bold public statements, though she has sometimes expressed frustration with people taking advantage of her story.

“Jackie Giroux was the first to have her rights to life,” Turner said. “She says The media made her famous – They made her the “Queen of Serial Killers.” … It was a great time in history when there was a real hunger for true crime stories, and at that particular point, she was killing these guys.

Detectives are shown here holding a portrait of Aileen Wuornos and her first victim, Richard Mallory. (Acey Harper/Getty Images)

“Eileen was really aware of that,” Turner said. “You can see it in her interview in the film – she’s looking at the spotlight, and to some degree, she was fascinated by that attention. To me, that’s one of the many tragic parts of this story. For the first time, she gained notoriety – she was somebody, and she knew it.”

Making a Monster: Aileen Wuornos

Giroux is also heard in the film saying that Wuornos “wants to be famous.”

But before fame came love and betrayal. In 1991, Wuornos, then 34, was arrested after a multi-state investigation. Her friend, Teria Moore, agreed to cooperate with investigators in exchange for immunity. In a recorded phone call, a frightened Moore told Wuornos she was worried the police were “after me.”

Wuornos was heard saying, before holding back tears, “I will not let you go to prison.” “Tae, I love you. If I have to confess everything so you don’t get in trouble, I will.”

Trea Moore, former lover of Aileen Wuornos, testifies during Wuornos’ trial for the 1992 murder of Wuornos in Daytona Beach, Florida. Wuornos learned that Moore cooperated with police and helped her obtain her confession during the trial. (Daytona Beach News-Journal-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

What Wuornos didn’t know was that the police were on Moore’s side, directing her to extract a confession that would ultimately determine Wuornos’ fate.

This confession led to Wuornos being convicted of six murders. She was not charged with the 1990 murder of Peter Sims because his body was never found, according to prosecutors. Florida Sheriff’s Association.

Aileen Wuornos was arrested in January 1991 after a multi-state investigation. (© Florida Times-Union/USA TODAY NETWORK)

Wuornos met Moore in 1986, which led to a four-year romance.

Aileen Wuornos knew something was wrong when her friend Teria Moore called her. (David Tucker-USA TODAY Network via Imagen Images)

Wuornos is heard saying: “I loved her so much.” “…And the only reason I carried that darn gun was because I wanted to make sure I got home alive in one piece – so I could breathe another day with her. But it didn’t work out that way. It all failed.”

Police soon linked Wuornos to a string of murders—Richard Mallory, David Spears, Charles Carskadon, Troy Burris, Charles Humphreys, and Walter Antonio—all middle-aged men found shot along remote highways.

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“The media has made her the queen of serial killers,” producer Jackie Geroux said in the film about Aileen Wuornos. “That was her notoriety. She wanted to be famous.” (Netflix © 2025)

Witnesses reported seeing two women in cars belonging to Wuornos’ victims. Investigators later found Wuornos’ fingerprints on stolen vehicles, on pawned property and at several crime scenes.

In 1991, Aileen Wuornos was arrested at the Last Resort Bar after an undercover sting. (Netflix © 2025)

Moore denied any role in the murders and offered to help police clear her name.

“[I] “I miss her so much,” Wuornos said in the film Behind Bars. “I will always miss her. I will always love her. I will think of her on my execution day.”

Aileen Wuornos was persuaded to confess by her friend Teria Moore, who was working with the police. (Peter Bauer-USA Today Network via Imagn Images)

Wuornos lured men by pretending to be travelers or offering sex in exchange for money. She often told stories of being homeless and struggling to survive before convincing drivers to stop in secluded areas. She shot her victims with a .22-caliber pistol, claiming self-defense after they had been assaulted or threatened, but she also robbed them of money, jewelry, and cars.

Aileen Wuornos has been called the “Hell Whore”, “Death Girl” and “Queen of Serial Killers”. (RGR/Alami Group)

After her arrest, tabloids called her a “hell whore” and a “death girl.” Her interviews captivated reporters eager to understand what might drive a woman to kill.

“What struck me was that it contained a lot of contradictory things at once,” Turner explained. “She’s charismatic, but she’s a murderer. She’s a victim of sexual violence, but she’s also a perpetrator of horrific acts of violence.”

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The Fairview Hotel is where murderer Aileen Wuornos and her lover Tyria Moore stayed. (Acey Harper/Getty Images)

“She is deceptive and lies, but as we depicted in the film – when she stands in court and talks about how prostitutes are not to be believed and the extent of sexual assault, she is really telling the truth in this regard.”

Shown here is Aileen Wuornos smiling during her interview. (Netflix © 2025)

“It defies definition,” Turner added.

Turner emphasized that she was not trying to make an “apology video.” Like many, she wanted to understand what It prompted Wuornos to commit her crimes.

Serial killer Aileen Wuornos’ investigators are shown here at the Rose Bay sign where she told them she threw away her gun. (Acey Harper/Getty Images)

“What would people be shocked to learn? I think anyone who has even a modicum of understanding of her story knows that she had a terrible childhood,” Turner said.

Aileen Wuornos is shown in this undated photo from the Florida Department of Corrections. She was executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002 in Florida for killing six men while she was a prostitute. (Florida Doc/Getty Images)

“The things she says to Yasmin are shocking. She has a kind of humanity there – and to me, that’s the most disturbing truth. It’s easier to say she was just bad, but I think she was the product of a horrific childhood and repeated sexual assaults throughout her life. And again, many people with such trauma don’t go on to commit such terrible acts.”

In the end, Wuornos wanted to die. She became paranoid, and was convinced the powers that be were conspiring against her. When asked for her final words, she declared: “I’m sailing with the rock, and I’ll be back — like Independence Day with Jesus… on the big mother ship and everything. I’ll be back.”

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The new true crime documentary “Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers” is directed by Emily Turner, who spoke to Fox News Digital. (Netflix © 2025)

Her death did not end the public fascination. Actress Charlize Theron later won an Academy Award for her role as Wuornos In the movie “The Beast” in 2003.

Actress Charlize Theron won an Academy Award for her role as Wuornos in the 2003 film Monster. (Aaj Pictures/Alami)

“When I first saw Jasmine’s interview, it took a while to understand what we were watching,” Turner said. “[Aileen] Very contradictory. go from [discussing] The childhood trauma she suffered, and then there’s a lighthearted element where she talks about the victims. “It’s really disturbing that you talk about killing people like that.”

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“I’m very clear that what I did was terrible,” Turner said. “… [But] Her story felt almost like a Trojan horse – it had a lot to say about the world… and how its portrayal in the media was so different. … I think her story has a lot of lessons for all of us.”

“Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers” is available on Netflix for streaming.