Aileen Wuornos Killed Seven Men—and Shattered Every Stereotype About Female Serial Killers

A new Netflix documentary dissects the life of a “monster” who didn’t fit the pattern of her infamous predecessors.

Although only a fraction of documented serial killers are women—around 12 to 15 percent, according to George Mason University—infamous figures such as Belle Gunness; the “Giggling Granny,” Nanny Doss; and Jane Toppan have left deadly legacies rivaling their male counterparts for more than a century.

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So why was Aileen Wuornos falsely labeled “America’s first female serial killer” following her 1991 arrest?

A new Netflix documentary explores how Wuornos’ widely-publicized trial helped cement her image as a new breed of femme fatale. Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers premieres Thursday, October 30, on Netflix and features prison interviews and other archival material of Wuornos.

While the shocking details of Wuornos’ crimes—she was convicted of six murders, confessed to a seventh, and eventually executed by lethal injection in 2002—and their Hollywood depiction in the Charlize Theron-led biographical movie Monster (2003) helped preserve her notoriety, there were other factors at play.

Wuornos’ crimes were atypical to previous female killers

Wuornos’ killings shared stark differences from those of other female killers, partly contributing to the public’s fascination with her case.

According to criminologist and professor Scott Bonn, female serial killers are typically motivated by comfort or gain—meaning they commit their crimes to some material end. This helped prompt the cultural image of the “Black Widow” killer, or a woman who murders three or more romantic partners for financial or property benefit.

While not necessarily romantic partners, the targets of female killers are often individuals from familiar spaces such as the home or workplace. “Although they comprise less than 15 percent of all serial killers, females are very effective in their work and they typically use quieter and less messy methods to kill than their male counterparts,” Bonn wrote for Psychology Today. “The methods they use for murder are more covert or low-profile, such as murder by poisoning.”

Toppan, a nurse who poisoned patients through morphine and other drugs, is a prime example.

While Wuornos, who met her victims through sex work, did partially kill for gain—robbing her victims afterward—she targeted strangers and used a gun, showing a drive for personal gratification more typical of male killers.