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Executive Briefing Report:

Aileen Carol Wuornos

Deborah Rutherford

Southern New Hampshire University

CJ303: Psychopaths, Sociopaths, and Serial Killers

Professor Laurie Nuzzo

December 10, 2023

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Aileen Carol Wuornos

Early Life

“I’d just like to say I’m sailing with the Rock and I’ll be back like ‘Independence Day’

with Jesus, June 6, like the movie, big mother ship and all. I’ll be back” (as cited in Zarrella,

2002). These are the last words of convicted serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who killed seven men

across Florida from 1989-1990. She was arrested in 1991, tried and convicted, and executed by

lethal injection on October 9, 2002. Was Aileen a psychopath or a sociopath? And if either one,

was she born that way or a victim of her circumstances?

Aileen Carol Wuornos was born on a leap year, February 29th of 1956, in Rochester,

Michigan. Her parents were teenagers, separated before she was born. Aileen never met her

father, Leo Pittman. He was an alcoholic child molester who committed suicide in a Kansas

prison (Myers et al., 2005). Aileen’s mother Diane was also an alcoholic who abandoned her and

her brother, leaving them with her parents, Lauri and Britta Wuornos. Lauri and Britta told

Aileen and her brother that their children (Aileen’s biological aunts and uncles) were their

siblings. Aileen did not find out until she was 11 years old that her “sister” was her mother.

Aileen’s grandfather Lauri was an alcoholic who regularly beat and sexually abused her

(Myers et al., 2005). Her grandmother Britta overlooked this abuse and was herself emotionally

abusive towards Aileen. Because of this treatment, Aileen developed behavioral problems that

spilled over into her peer relationships. Her school recommended counseling, but Aileen’s

grandmother would not give permission.

Aileen was drinking alcohol at 13 and had also become pregnant (Myers et al., 2005).

She claimed she was raped, and the identity of the father was unknown. Her son was given up for

adoption at birth. After a stay at an unwed mothers’ home, she returned to her grandfather’s
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house, but was soon running away. She quickly learned that she could sell her body to get what

she wanted, whether it be money, drugs, cigarettes, or a place to stay. She was homeless at 15,

panhandling and prostituting for her basic needs. Police eventually found her living in the woods.

She was sent to her grandfather’s house but stayed only a few weeks before he threw her out and

she became homeless again (Myers et al., 2005).

By 1976, when Aileen was 20 years old, she was living in Florida and had married 69-

year-old Lewis Fell. The marriage was annulled after a month due to Aileen beating her husband

with a cane (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004). After this divorce, Aileen returned to the streets and was

arrested multiple times. Some of her offenses included assault, disorderly conduct, DUI, and

weapons offenses (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004). She was still prostituting at this time and would

regularly brag about it (Myers et al., 2005).

In 1981, after serving prison time for a robbery, Aileen met Tyria Moore in a Daytona

Beach bar. Moore would become Aileen’s girlfriend and would eventually help with her

identification, capture, and conviction. Aileen continued to prostitute despite this relationship but

spent most of her earnings on alcohol and drugs. Aileen stated that she sometimes prostituted

herself “25-30 times a day” (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004, p. 385).

It was during these times of prostitution that she met each of the seven men would

become her victims. The first man, Richard Mallory, was a 51-year-old man. Aileen claimed that

he had tried to rape her, and she killed him in self-defense. She would claim the same for the

other six victims, David Spear (age 43), Charles Carskaddon (age 40), Troy Burress (age 50),

Charles Humphreys (age 56), Walter Antonio (age 60), and Peter Siems (age 65) (Associated

Press, 2002). Peter Siems’ body has never been found, but Aileen has stated that she left his body

off a Georgia highway (Myers et al., 2005). In different interviews, Aileen would go back and
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forth between claiming self-defense and admitting that she killed the men in cold blood to rob

them.

In November 1990, police stated that they thought these killings could have been done by

two women. They released pictures of the two women who were seen running from Peter Siems’

car after he was shot. The police received more than 500 tips that led them to identify the women

as Aileen and her girlfriend, Tyria Moore. After a manhunt, Aileen Wuornos was arrested in a

Daytona bar on January 9, 1991 (Smothers, 1991). On January 16, 1992, Aileen Wuornos went

on trial for the capital murder of Richard Mallory. Two weeks later, she was convicted and

sentenced to death (Stockton, 2023). She eventually pled guilty to four more murders and

received the death penalty for all of them (Stockton, 2023). Because Peter Siems’ body was

never found, Aileen was never charged for his murder. After ten years on Florida’s death row,

Aileen Carol Wuornos died by lethal injection on October 9, 2022 (Myers et al., 2005).

Psychopathy vs. Sociopathy

While psychopaths and sociopaths have many traits in common, there are distinctive

differences between the two. Common to both are a disregard for laws, social norms, and the

rights of others, an inability to feel guilt or remorse, and a propensity for violent behavior (Bonn,

2014). After these commonalities, the distinction begins to be apparent. Sociopaths are more

likely to be nervous, emotional, easily irritable, and prone to violent outbursts of anger. They are

more likely to be unable to hold down a job and tend to be uneducated and societal outcasts.

They are unlikely to form secure attachments with others, but it is not impossible (Bonn, 2014).

Crimes carried out by a sociopath tend to be unorganized, spontaneous, and messy

(Bonn, 2014). In contrast, psychopaths are unable to form attachments with people, but you may

never know that because relationally, they are charming and can manipulate people into
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relationships. They are well-educated, maintain steady jobs, and have the appearance of strong

family relationships (Bonn, 2014). Crimes carried out by a psychopath are organized and well-

planned. Psychopaths are also generally thought to be formed more by “nature” or a genetic,

biological defect, an “underdevelopment of the part of the brain responsible for impulse control

and emotions” (Bonn, 2014, para. 8). Sociopathy is formed more by “nurture” or environmental

factors, such as childhood trauma, abuse, and emotional disturbances (Bonn, 2014). With these

characteristics in mind, it is easy to see how Aileen Wuornos could be labeled as either a

psychopath or a sociopath. She never had it easy in childhood, suffering unspeakable abuse at the

hands of those who were supposed to love and care for her. Aileen was never able to escape the

horrors of her past, and they went on to dictate her entire future. However, the totality of

circumstances seems to point to the fact that Aileen Wuornos was a psychopath.

Psychopathy and Women

Studies of female psychopaths found that they showed “significantly more executive

dysfunction in conceptual reasoning, problem-solving skills, and cognitive flexibility” (Myers et

al., 2005, p. 4) than females who were not clinically psychopathic. Aileen Wuornos displayed

marked deficits in all those areas. It is uncommon for women to be psychopaths, and women

score consistently lower than males on the PCL-R, or Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (Wynn et

al., 2014). In the International Journal of Women’s Health (2012), researchers stated that women

psychopaths tend to be manipulative by flirting, rather than using con artistry like men. Women

tend to “run away, exhibit self-injurious behavior” (Wynn et al., 2014, p. 260) and to be

manipulative. Aileen was running away by the age of 15, attempted suicide six time between

ages 14 and 22, and charmed and manipulated men while she was engaged in prostitution. Early
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antisocial behaviors could be seen in Aileen, as her “explosive temper” (Myers et al., 2005, p. 2)

and tendency to fight with other children contributed to her isolation.

When examined by three different professionals, two forensic psychiatrists and a medical

student, Aileen scored a 32 on the PCL-R (Myers et al., 2005). The highest score is 40; any score

above 30 is a clinical diagnosis of psychopathy (Hare, 2016). In addition to impulsivity, poor

behavioral control, and antisocial qualities, Aileen also displayed a grandiose sense of self-worth

that is common in psychopaths. She tried applying for a job as a lawyer despite having dropped

out of high school at age 15; she also thought she would eventually have a career in law

enforcement, even though she had a long criminal record (Myers et al., 2005).

One of the most widely known hallmarks of psychopathy is a complete lack of empathy

and concern for others. Aileen took responsibility for her crimes but lacked the empathy to care.

In many of her interviews, she noted that she was not sorry for what she had done. She stated

that if she were ever released, she would kill again and that her goal had been to kill a minimum

of twelve men. Aileen was also diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and borderline

personality disorder (Myers et al., 2005). Aileen Wuornos had all the hallmarks of both

psychopathy and sociopathy, but there was one thing that made a distinction between the two:

genetics.

Her father, Leo Pittman, was a violent man, as evidenced by his rape of a seven-year-old.

Her “fits of rage, along with her lack of concern for others, reflect those of her biological father”

(Arrigo & Griffin, 2004, p. 387). This points to a genetic component rather than environmental,

as Aileen never met her father. Her grandfather, who she thought was her father for the first

eleven years of her life, also had a violent personality. He brutalized Aileen from a young age.
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She later spoke about this abuse, saying that her grandfather would beat her while her skin was

still raw from the leather strap used in the previous day’s assault (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004).

While many factors combined to turn Aileen Wuornos into the person she became, the

biological predisposition to psychopathy became the underlying issue that was exacerbated by

the horrific childhood that she experienced. The early insecurity and lack of attachments in her

childhood led her to be able to kill without empathy or remorse. No one cared for Aileen. No one

loved her or made sure that her needs were met as a child. It is not an excuse for what she did but

rather an explanation. As a woman and a psychopath, Aileen Wuornos is an exception rather than

a rule, but the deck was truly stacked against her from the beginning.

Emotional Triggers

Psychopaths are notoriously emotionally deficient. In a psychopath like Aileen Wuornos,

whose emotional development was stunted from birth, emotion came in the form of impulsive

reactions to emotional triggers. Studies have found that the emotions most predictive of

psychopathology were anger and shame, even when other emotions and risk factors were

considered (Abramowitz & Berenbaum, 2007). There was no shortage of either in Aileen’s life.

Some other emotional triggers for Aileen Wuornos include rape, men, domestic violence, and

rejection (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004).

Anger is a predictor of psychopathology (Abramowitz & Berenbaum, 2007). Anger can

come from many different places, and Aileen had plenty from which to choose. She was

abandoned as a baby, beaten, exploited, and abused. She learned that her “world is one of pain”

(Gavin, 2014, p. 3). Shame can be defined as a “debilitating affective experience” (Abramowitz

& Berenbaum, 2007, p. 1357) that causes people to want to disappear, to escape their own

feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy. As a small child, Aileen was told by her grandfather
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that she was “worthless, wicked, and unwanted from the start” (Smith, 2005, p. 372) and that she

should not have been born. She internalized these words and did not hold herself or her body in

very high regard. From a young age, she was selling her body and showing her breasts to boys

for cigarettes, money, and whatever else she wanted. This behavior of trading sexual favors for

cigarettes earned Aileen the nickname “cigarette pig” (Smith, 2005, p. 375).

Shame is also known to be a precursor of hypersexuality, especially for women; when

someone feels ashamed and worthless, they seek out behaviors that validate those feelings

(Dhuffar & Griffith, 2014). The problematic sexual behaviors also serve to mask the shame that

the person is feeling, much like any other addiction to alcohol, food, or drugs. When her

grandfather kicked her out of the house at fourteen, Aileen did what she had to do to survive. She

turned to prostitution and remained in that business until her arrest (Smith, 2005).

Rape was another emotional trigger for Aileen. When she discussed her crimes after her

arrest, she blamed her victims for their deaths, claiming that they had raped or attempted to rape

her (Gavin, 2014). She maintained her stance that the murders were unplanned, resulting only

from a violent reaction to believing she was going to be raped. From Aileen’s background, it is

clear why rape was such a trigger for her. In her early years, there is evidence to suggest that

Aileen was sexually abused by her grandfather; she told a friend that her grandfather had sex

with her and talked about a sexual encounter with him that her own mother had also experienced

(Smith, 2005). When Aileen was raped at 13 and became pregnant, her grandfather placed the

blame on her. He would not let her see the baby before he was given up for adoption, even

though she badly wanted to. Once she became a prostitute, Aileen was raped many times and left

for dead, and gang-raped at least one time (Smith, 2005). When victims of rape or childhood
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sexual abuse turn to prostitution, it is most commonly to be able to regain a sense of control and

to be able to have sex on their terms (Campbell et al., 2003).

Because rape and sexual violence were present in all areas of her early development, it

would make sense that men, especially violent men, were also triggers for Aileen. She likely

inherited the genetics of her psychopathy from her father, Leo Pittman, who was known to have

mental defects and a history of violent behavior; he beat Aileen’s mother while she was pregnant

(Smith, 2005). He abandoned her teenage mother and hung himself while serving time in Kansas

for the rape and sodomy of a seven-year-old girl (Smith, 2005). Aileen was then raised by her

grandfather, who brutalized her. As just a young girl, Aileen was made to pull down her shorts

and underwear and bend over a kitchen table, or lay face down, spread-eagled, and naked so her

grandfather could beat her (Smith, 2005). Interestingly, during an interview with a forensic

psychologist after her arrest, Aileen said that she “was saving her victims’ families from violence

at the hands of the men” (Gavin, 2014, p. 2). She was triggered by the alleged rape, but also by

the idea of these men further perpetrating violence on their families.

Rejection was yet another trigger for Aileen. Research shows that psychopathy is related

to insecure attachment, which comes about through rejection, most commonly through the

parental-child connection (Conradi et al., 2015). Aileen was abandoned by both of her parents as

a baby, which “suggests that she was rejected (or at the very least unwanted and neglected) from

the moment of her birth” (Smith, 2005, p. 370). While her mother did come back into her life for

a short period of time, she was neglectful, once leaving six-month-old Aileen and her 15-month-

old brother Keith “alone in an attic covered with feces and flies” (Smith, 2005, p. 371). Her

subsequent adoption by her grandparents possibly caused psychological issues related to insecure

caregiver attachments, commonly known as “Adopted Child Syndrome” (Gavin, 2014, p. 3).
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Later in life, a string of failed relationships, such as her short-lived marriage to Lewis Fell,

further added to the rejections that Aileen consistently experienced.

Risk Factors

Generally speaking, psychopathy is the result of genetics, while sociopathy is the result

of epigenetics (Pierce, 2022). Research shows that antisocial personality disorder, which Aileen

had, can develop among people who “experience chronic adverse life situations during crucial

developmental periods, or whose family exhibits a history of the disorder” (Pierce, 2022, p.5).

While there is no way to know for sure if Aileen’s father was a diagnosed psychopath, his

violent, abusive behavior is an indicator that he was not mentally well.

Sociopaths tend to respond emotionally, and thus appropriately, to fear and the threat of

pain to themselves or others, while psychopaths do not. In fact, evidence suggests that

psychopaths may even show some pleasure when imagining other people in pain (Kuhn, 2015).

“Functional connectivity issues” (Pierce, 2022, p. 11) in the prefrontal cortexes of psychopaths

mean that they are unable to connect emotionally, even when presented with an immediate threat

that might send a sociopath into an aggressive rage. This is how a psychopath can maintain an

emotional distance from their crimes.

Nature vs. Nurture

In the case of Aileen Wuornos, it is almost impossible to separate nature from

nurture. The environmental and genetic risk factors overlap enough that the lines are blurred. It is

possible, as shown by twin studies, that she had a genetic predisposition to psychopathy and that

her suffering and horrible experiences during her formative years triggered the condition (Kuhn,

2015). Aileen lived a high-risk life from the very beginning. She was born to teenage parents of

low socioeconomic status who abandoned her as a baby, leading to insecure attachments, a
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hallmark of psychopathy. She suffered psychological, physical, sexual, and emotional abuse.

There is evidence of conduct disorder; as a child, she was fighting, setting fires, stealing, running

away, and attempting suicide multiple times (Smith, 2005). Aileen’s entire family were

alcoholics. She had short-term relationships with both men and women. Aileen was a highway

prostitute, one of the most dangerous kinds, because she picked up strangers who then drove her

to remote areas for sex (Smith, 2005). It is difficult to find one aspect of Aileen’s life where she

was loved and cared for. It could be argued that her entire life was a risk factor for what she

became in the end.

Communication Considerations

With these emotional triggers and risk factors in mind, as well as the fact that

Aileen was a diagnosed psychopath, it would be difficult to communicate with her on a personal

level. As an adult, Aileen was loud, rude, and abrasive. She had no problem speaking her mind

and flipped the judge off more than once during her murder trial (Broomfield, 1992). Since

psychopathic murderers are not able to empathize and connect emotionally with their victims, it

would be a mistake to use sympathy for the victims to connect with Aileen. Research shows that

poor parental bonding and childhood abuse are correlates of psychopathic personalities; this can

mean that lack of consistent and meaningful communication can affect behavioral patterns as an

adult (Thompson et al., 2021).

Aileen would not know how to communicate as a normal person. As a psychopath, and

someone whose control was stripped of her at every opportunity, she would undoubtedly have a

need to be in control of any conversation. She would be charming, funny, and able to mimic the

emotions of the interviewer, leading them to let their guard down (Thompson et al., 2021).

Aileen would make herself relatable; she was not a serial killer, just a victim who did what she
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had to do. She would show no real concern for her victims, instead blaming them for their own

deaths. In many of her interviews, Aileen maintains that she did what she did in self-defense,

therefore blaming the victims and absolving herself of wrongdoing. She says, “I never woulda

hurt anybody unless I had to and I had to at the time” (Smith, 2005, p. 378). Aileen took

advantage of these men and used her encounters with them to finally be in control. She had been

abused, raped, and victimized her entire life, but here was her chance to turn the tables. Her

behavior was “rational, planned, and goal-directed” (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004, p. 389 ). She was

able to turn off any emotion while killing these men; she viewed them as rapists and therefore

they deserved what they got.

The best options for communication with Aileen are to establish a friendly rapport with

her while being cautious at the same time. The interviewer will need to let her believe she is in

control, to actively listen to and acknowledge her, and be able to maintain focus and self-control.

The interviewer should ask questions and keep Aileen talking, which in the case of a psychopath,

can “reduce their impulsive tendencies“(Thompson et al., 2021, p. 202).

Ineffective ways to communicate with Aileen would be to talk down to her, to make her

feel inferior, and to be accusatory. This will cause her to either shut down or become angry, and

no information will be given. She should not be made to feel that she is in trouble, that the

interviewer is suspicious of her, or that she is being seen as a liar. Acting as though you are a

friend who is just there for a conversation will go a long way towards communicating effectively

with a psychopath such as Aileen Wuornos (Thompson et al., 2021).

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Criminal Profile

Physical Features

The subject in question is Aileen Carol Wuornos. She was born February 29, 1956, in

Rochester, Michigan. She is a highway prostitute who may also be using one of the following

aliases: Lori Grody, Susan Blahovec, Cammie Marsh Green, or her birth name, Aileen Pittman

(Macleod, n.d.). Aileen is a 5’4 Caucasian woman. She is extremely overweight and may look

older and weathered (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004). Her face is pockmarked, freckled, and the corners

of her mouth are turned down (Rosenthal, 2004). She may be loud, aggressive, and have few

inhibitions, all exacerbated by the fact that she is likely to be drinking alcohol. She may also be

hostile, hateful, and defiant. (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004). If she decides she wants something from

you or needs to use you in some way, she will be flirtatious and charming (Wynn et al., 2012).

Aileen may be in the company of her girlfriend, Tyria Moore (Tron, 2021). Her IQ is listed as 81

and she may display impaired cognitive functioning (Wuornos v. State, 1994).

Personality Traits

Aileen Wuornos is a complicated person. She has suffered horrible physical,

mental, and sexual abuse throughout her life (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004). She has never been safe in

any sense of the word. She was abandoned by her mother, never knew her rapist, pedophile

father, and was adopted by her grandparents who beat her and told her she was worthless (Smith,

2005). Because of this complete carelessness regarding her life, Aileen turned to the streets and

prostitution as early as her preteen years (Smith, 2005). Aileen was married in 1976, a union

which only lasted a month due to her violence towards her new husband (Arrigo & Griffin,

2004). Her life has been characterized by loss and a lack of love. She has become angry, violent,
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and hyper-vigilant, which are often characteristics displayed when a person has learned there is

no one to meet her basic needs (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004).

Psychological Triggers

Considering the sadistic abuse in her childhood, Aileen may be easily triggered.

Men, and specifically their rejection of her, will be a trigger for her. She has known nothing but

victimization at the hands of men. She believed that her grandfather was her father until she was

eleven years old (Smith, 2005). She was rejected by him from the beginning, internalizing this

treatment and shutting off her emotions to cope (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004). Aileen found it hard to

make friends, as she was severely emotionally disturbed and was always starting fights with

people. Her family did not want her and neither did her peers. This led to a profound sense of

social isolation and abandonment.

The mention of rape or any kind of sexual violence will be a trigger for her. She

was raped and beaten regularly by her grandfather, and suffered multiple rapes and gang rapes

once she began to be homeless (Smith, 2005). Without many other opportunities available to her,

she became a prostitute. Many sexual violence survivors do end up turning to prostitution, to

relive the sexual experience, but to control it and do it on their terms this time (Campbell et al.,

2003). Aileen has never been in control of anything that happened to her, but these experiences

of prostitution were different. Aileen has learned early on that the aggressor has the power. With

each episode where she was beaten, brutalized, and raped, she learned to hate. She learned that

she needed to hurt people before they had a chance to hurt her (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004).

Personality Disorder

Aileen Wuornos should be considered dangerous, as she is clinically

psychopathic. She is charming and manipulative, should she need to use you in some way, but
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can quickly become violent if she feels threatened or cornered in any way (Arrigo & Griffin,

2004). Aileen was not afforded the chance to establish a secure parental attachment or bonding in

childhood (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004). Research on attachment patterns has shown that

“affectionless psychopathy in adults was linked to the absence of a maternal object and to a

biological predisposition” (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004, p. 379). Aileen suffered both. She was never

able to form healthy attachments with anyone in her life. This inability to form attachments

manifests in psychopaths as a profound lack of empathy and inability to view their victim as a

thing of value. When Aileen began killing these men, she viewed it as a way to finally be in

control. She had been abused, raped, and victimized her entire life, but here was her chance to

turn the tables. Her behavior was “rational, planned, and goal-directed” (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004,

p. 389). She was able to turn off any emotion while killing these men; she viewed them as rapists

and therefore they deserved what they got.

She has learned how to detach and dissociate from situations that threaten her. She has no

problem neutralizing a threat, perceived or real, from years of shutting off her emotions to deal

with her circumstances (Smith, 2005). Because of these factors, Aileen perceived each of her

victims as trying to take advantage of her. As she is a prostitute, this almost certainly means they

were trying to take advantage of her sexually. Aileen possesses both the aggressive rage and the

lack of empathy needed to take her victims’ lives (Arrigo & Griffin, 2004).

Hold back Evidence

In most criminal cases, hold back evidence is assessed. Hold back evidence refers to

details of the crime that the police will have found either through crime scene investigation or

witness statements. Examples of this evidence can be the timeline in which the crime was

committed, the weapons, wound patterns, the point of entry or exit, or any other fact that only the
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perpetrator would know (Gehl & Plecas, 2017). This is done to test the suspect once

apprehended; if the person is innocent, they will likely not know these evidentiary details. It is

also done to weed out false confessions. Some people will take the blame for others, such as in

organized crime groups or a mother covering for her child. They could desire the media attention

from the case or could be experiencing a mental illness such as psychosis or Munchausen

syndrome, both of which can drive false confessions (Gehl & Plecas, 2017).

Evidentiary Considerations

In the case of Aileen Wuornos, information should be released as to the nature of the

crimes, the victims, physical description of the suspect, and items that they may have taken from

the crime scene. With respect to the victims, only general descriptions should be given until the

next of kin have been notified (International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2020). Crime scene

information that could be released immediately would be that all the victims died of gunshot

wounds (Wuornos v. State, 1994). It should also be released that all the victims have been white

males between the ages of 41 and 65, killed by a .22 caliber pistol with between 2-9 gunshots

each. The bodies were all left in wooded areas off major highways, implying that these were

crimes of opportunity performed as they traveled (Myers et al., 2005). Since the bodies were

found in different counties, this should be a statewide press release. This information should be

released so that the public understands who is most at risk when it comes to this perpetrator.

Specifically, truckers or other white males who travel the state and interstate highways should be

wary of picking up hitchhikers or women acting as though they need help (Bankston, 1995). To

support this, one of the biggest pieces of information that should be released is that the

perpetrator is a woman.
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Women generally are not the perpetrators of violent crimes, especially against strangers

(Brennan, 1992). A psychopathic woman as an offender is even more statistically rare. The detail

that she is a woman narrows down 50% of the suspect pool, and the public will have a clearer

picture of whom they should be avoiding. Sergeant Bruce Munster of Ocala, Florida, believes

that the victims being shot from the torso down is also a significant clue. From his experience,

male killers tend to shoot in the head, and women shoot in the body (Bankston, 1995). Aileen

Wuornos is also known to be traveling with her girlfriend, Tyria Moore; this may make the two

of them less inconspicuous (Smith, 2005). It should also be noted that Aileen Wuornos is a

prostitute, an alcoholic, and frequently patronizes bars and liquor stores (Smith, 2005). This

information serves to establish a clearer picture of what Aileen may be doing in her day-to-day

activities.

Some information that should not be released is the fact that robbery took place at most

of the crime scenes. Money and other items were taken from the bodies, including a radar

detector, a camera, and a ring (Myers et al., 2005). If this evidence is held back, it could be used

to confirm the perpetrator's story; if they do not know items were stolen or cannot name the

items, this could be a clear indicator that they were not involved after all. This is a case that has

gained national media attention, and it would be a waste of time and resources to be interviewing

offenders who cannot recall basic crime scene details. While time is wasted on false leads or

false confessions, it is likely Aileen Wuornos will take the opportunity to kill again. The damage

she has suffered throughout her life, her psychopathy, and her anger make her easily triggered

(Arrigo & Griffin, 2004). If she is free to continue prostituting, these situations will continue to

arise, and it is highly likely that she will claim more victims.
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Intervention Approaches

Studies of gender and psychopathy have shown that these traits are more common in

males than females (Wynn et al., 2012). Thus, there is not as much research on intervention

strategies specific to women. Aileen Wuornos is an exception in many regards; she is a woman, a

psychopath, and a violent serial killer. Developing intervention strategies for her will require a

targeted, personal approach, one that considers not only her patterns of behavior but also her

possible genetic predispositions to violence and psychopathy (Reidy et al., 2013).

Traditional approaches to intervention are often ineffective for people who score high on

the PCL-R, or Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (Wynn et al., 2012). The average score on the

PCL-R for female offenders is 19 out of 40; Aileen Wuornos scored a 32 (Myers et al., 2005). It

is also known that individuals with high psychopathy scores are associated with high rates of

recidivism, even though they are more likely to be released from incarceration early (Reidy et al.,

2013). This is partly due to the same reason most conventional interventions do not work:

psychopaths are cunning, manipulative, and personable, making it easy to deceive those working

with and managing them. Many of them, in their grandiose states, do not even see anything

wrong with themselves, making them resistant to treatment at all (Anderson & Kiehl, 2014). In

addition, it has been noted that with some psychopaths, if the wrong type of intervention is

applied, their violent behavior has the potential to increase in severity and frequency (Reidy et

al., 2013).

Aileen Wuornos’ Needs

What, then, is an effective strategy for intervention and treatment in a psychopathic serial

killer like Aileen Wuornos? As discussed, interventions need to be specifically tailored to the

person and their individual needs. A comprehensive clinical assessment should be performed first
 19

to assess these needs (Logan, 2009). Aileen Wuornos has a need for control. She was never able

to maintain control over a single thing that happened to her, until she began prostituting (Smith,

2005). Her crimes showed that she lashed out due to a perceived threat of rape, hurting the men

she enticed before they could hurt her. Aileen liked to control her girlfriend Tyria Moore; she

wanted to be the one earning the money and deciding where they lived and where they went

(Russell, 2013). Based on these observations and this deep-seated need for control, Aileen should

be an active part of the treatment planning (Logan, 2009). Interventions should be spearheaded

only by professionals that have already established a working relationship with her; otherwise,

she is likely to take advantage or resist treatment altogether.

Effective Interventions for Psychopathy

Because of the psychopath’s inability or unwillingness to recognize flaws in themselves,

the best interventions will be those that focus on reducing their harm towards others. This is

accomplished by reinforcing positive behaviors and emphasizing the need for self-control

(Anderson & Kiehl, 2014). There should also be focus on minimizing the risk factors that

perpetuate or exacerbate the individual’s tendency towards violent behavior, such as substance

abuse, toxic relationships, and living situations (Logan, 2009). Aileen has a history of all three,

namely alcoholism, many short-term failed relationships, and unstable accommodations (Myers

et al., 2005). It would be counterproductive to focus on strengthening the psychopath’s empathy

and other cognitive factors, because these are neurobiological deficits that cannot be remediated

by psychoanalytic intervention. By working on their impacts on others first, they can establish

patterns of pro-social behaviors that will provide a foundation for further therapeutic

interventions (Anderson & Kiehl, 2014). Measurable goals should also be established and

subsequently rewarded as they are reached (Logan, 2009).

 20

We know that many female criminal offenders have repeated, brutal histories of trauma

and abuse, and Aileen is clearly no exception. There can be no excuse for, or denial of, the

cruelty and tragedy that is her childhood. However, for any intervention to have its intended

effect, she would need to work on her psychopathic traits first. These would include, but are not

limited to, her grandiose behavior, lying, violence, rage, and manipulative tendencies (Smith,

2005). It is necessary to encourage Aileen to take full responsibility for herself and how her

actions have affected other people (Logan, 2009). When discussing her crimes, she changes her

stories multiple times, sometimes bragging of her cold-blooded murders and sometimes playing

the victim and claiming self-defense (Myers et al., 2005).

Once Aileen has shown measurable progress in these areas, it would then be appropriate

to address the underlying psychological issues and the co-occurring disorders. Aileen has also

met criteria for antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder as presented in

the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Myers et al., 2005). These disorders

have mixed etiology; there is a genetic component to her personality and behaviors, triggered

and exacerbated by the ongoing trauma she has suffered throughout her life (Smith, 2005). When

attachment and other developmental pathways are interrupted by extreme stress early in life, the

brain develops coping mechanisms such as dissociation and heightened awareness (Myers et al.,

2005). With intensive, one-on-one therapeutic work, Aileen can begin to heal the trauma she has

endured. She will need a therapist that she can trust and that has proven that they are on her side,

both of which are concepts that she has never personally experienced due to abandonment and

betrayal her whole life (Russell, 2013).

To address the trauma, Aileen may benefit from mentalization-based therapy.

Mentalization is "the process by which we implicitly and explicitly interpret the actions of
 21

ourselves and others as meaningful based on intentional mental states," such as desires, needs,

feelings, beliefs, and reasons (Bateman & Fonagy, 2008, para. 1). When a person has an

antisocial personality disorder, such as Aileen does, they stabilize their relationship by viewing

each one in a strict, inflexible category. If there is a situation in which that balance is upset,

"feelings of humiliation" are exposed, and the only way the person can avoid this is to control the

other person, violently if necessary (Bateman & Fonagy, 2008, para. 1). Mentalization based

therapy helps the patient to mentalize and be aware of the other person's needs even when this

relationship structure is disrupted. Patients learn how to "assess their emotional and interpersonal

situation through a more grounded, flexible, and benevolent lens" (Choi-Kain et al., 2017, para.

14). Other cognitive behavioral therapies, such as schema therapies, may also help Aileen to

restructure her dysfunctional schemas and address the hurt and abandonment she felt as a small

child, knowing there was no one to love her or meet her needs (Choi-Kain et al., 2017).

Ineffective Interventions for Psychopathy

Interventions that would not work for Aileen Wuornos or someone like her would include

any that ask her to consider another person’s feelings above her own. People with psychopathy or

antisocial personality disorder, like Aileen, are unable to connect with another person

emotionally and cannot understand when the person feels pain (Bateman & Fonagy, 2008),

Therefore, bringing up her victims and the pain and fear they must have felt in their last moments

will do no good; she cannot understand and connect with them on the level it would take for her

to care. On factor 1 of the PCL-R, interpersonal/affective traits, Aileen’s score is at the 93.1

percentile; on factor 2, social deviancy, her score is at the 92.8 percentile. The strength of these

scores suggests that Aileen Wuornos is emotionally callous, aggressive, and immune to feeling

empathy for her victims (Myers et al., 2005). This is why treatment should begin with Aileen
 22

taking responsibility for herself and her actions and working to reduce the risk factors that trigger

her to lash out.

From Victim to Perpetrator

Aileen Wuornos is a complicated woman. She is a statistical phenomenon, considering

that psychopaths and serial killers are more likely to be men (Logan, 2009). It is easy to look at

her life and crimes and reduce her to a violent, man-hating, drunken prostitute who had no regard

for herself or others. It is easy to look at her and see an insane criminal who killed seven

innocent men in a callous, unemotional manner. It is easy to write her off as someone devoid of

feelings and someone who deserves to die for who she was and what she did. What is difficult,

but necessary, is diving deep into the psyche of Aileen Wuornos to find out why and how she

ended up as she did. Before she was the boisterous, lesbian, damsel of death, she was a little girl

who was lied to, abused, and betrayed her entire life. (Smith, 2005). She was brutalized so many

times that she made it her mission to never be the victim again. Instead, Richard Mallory, David

Spears, Charles Carskaddon, Troy Burress, Dick Humphreys, Walter Gino Antonio, and Peter

Siems became the victims (Associated Press, 2002). By facing the raw, uncomfortable tragedy

that is Aileen Wuornos, it is possible that we can gain valuable insights, so that there are no

longer families experiencing the pain that these men's families have gone through. Equally

important is that we try to prevent even one more child turning from victim to perpetrator, ever

again.

Reflection

The best way to determine and implement strategies for those with psychopathic and sociopathic

personality disorders is to intervene as early as possible. Evidence shows that children who

display callous-unemotional (CU) traits such as lack of empathy, rule-breaking, impulsivity, and
 23

egocentrism, have a lesser chance of those traits developing into psychopathy if they are

recognized and treated as early as possible (Bjornebekk & Thogerson, 2021). Parents, teachers,

daycare providers, bus drivers, and other adults with whom children interact daily should all be

educated regarding the potential behavioral signs. If people were more aware of what may

potentially be problematic behavior, it could be easier to intervene on behalf of the child earlier

and reduce their risk of serious problems in adulthood.

If early intervention is not possible or if you are dealing with an adult who already has a

psychopathic or sociopathic personality, understanding their traits and triggers is paramount to

choosing the most effective intervention strategies. When treating psychopathy, the correct

approach is a necessity because often, psychopaths do not believe that there is anything wrong

with them and are generally resistant to anything construed as treatment (Logan, 2009).

Treatment should therefore be less about changing the psychopath or sociopath's personality and

more about changing and managing the risk factors that increase the risk of harm to people

around them (Logan, 2009). To accomplish this, the individual's risk factors and triggers must be

closely assessed.

Another factor that is important to consider when designing intervention programs is how

the constructs of psychopathy and sociopathy differ between men and women. Aileen Wuornos

was a statistical anomaly. Men are statistically more likely to be psychopaths and serial killers

(Logan, 2009). While there are women psychopaths and serial killers, women do display some

differences. They are less likely to shoot a victim, preferring instead to use poison or something

less physically gory (Psychology Today, n.d.). They are also more likely to carry out their crimes

in tandem with a man; Aileen acted alone and shot all of her victims multiple times at close range

(Arrigo & Griffin, 2004). Other differences to consider are the women psychopaths tend to
 24

"show deficits in conceptual reasoning, mental flexibility, and problem-solving" (Ramsland,

2019, para. 15). The ways in which psychopathic traits present may look different in women than

in men as well. For example, men may manipulate through being charming con artists, while

women may manipulate through flirting, sexually provocative behavior, fake suicide attempts, or

pretending to be an assault victim for sympathy (Ramsland, 2019). Understanding these

differences and their individualized traits can help tailor any intervention strategies to the

specific areas of the individual.

In real-life situations, having this knowledge allows you to quickly assess an individual

and come up with ways to communicate with them. Building a rapport and using positive and

unaccusatory language while still being clear about personal boundaries are effective strategies

to communicate with a psychopath in any setting (Bjornebekk & Thogerson, 2021).

The father of my oldest two children is a classic narcissist. He displays many traits that

could be considered psychopathic as well. He has a grandiose nature; while he has only

completed a GED and two semesters of trade school, he believes that at any point in time, he

could take over a business, even those of which he has no knowledge. For example, he is the

general manager of some of our local Subway restaurants. I do not know how he managed to

land that job, but I am sure much of it has to do with the fact that he can talk his way into or out

of just about anything. He works at Subway, yet he recently told me that he would be able to

walk into the urgent car where his wife works and be able to run it without issue. He has no

medical knowledge, no experience running any establishment of that size, and no leadership

experience other than his current position. He is a recovering alcoholic who has displayed many

other traits of psychopathy, such as a lack of empathy and a complete unawareness of how his

actions hurt other people. He is financially irresponsible, promiscuous, impulsive, and has a
 25

criminal record that includes three driving under the influence charges. It is difficult to talk to

him because he constantly talks in circles, leading you to eventually question yourself and feel

like the crazy one. On the other hand, he is funny, charming, and can convince you to do

anything he needs. I am not sure if he truly loves people, but I know that he will make you

believe he loves you if it gets him something he wants.

From studying the tips presented by members of law enforcement regarding

communication with a psychopath, a few strategies have stood out. One of them, which has

served me quite well in conversations with my children’s father, is to play into his ego and

grandiose beliefs about himself. His narcissistic and possibly psychopathic tendencies lead him

to believe that he is smarter and more important than me; therefore, helping him to believe that I

agree with those beliefs is something that he greatly enjoys (O'Toole et al., 2012). For example,

if I have an idea of something I want to do or get for our children, I ask leading questions, so he

thinks that he arrives at the idea by himself. Then, I compliment him on what a great idea it is. I

do not need the credit for anything, unlike him, so if I am able to make him think it was his idea,

everyone ends up happy.

Another communication strategy is to set boundaries and focus the conversation

appropriately (O'Toole et al., 2012). There have been many times where the boys' father has tried

to distract me from serious matters or used abusive language to bully me into making his point or

get his way. He also knows that my mother was physically and verbally abusive, and that

because of this, being a good mother to my own children is the most important thing in my life.

When he gets mad or feels as though he is losing the upper hand in the conversation, he will

revert to attacking my parenting, knowing that is the one thing that will hurt me the most. To

counteract this, I have had to set clear boundaries and let him know that I do not tolerate those
 26

kinds of personal attacks. I also let him know that the conversation will end if he is unable to be

respectful and concise. As a people pleaser, it is difficult to set these boundaries, especially with

someone who has always gotten his way, one way or another. However, setting boundaries keeps

the conversation focused and sets a precedent that behavior such as that will not be tolerated for

future conversations as well.

When dealing with possible psychopaths or sociopaths, it is important to realize that this

refers to a "constellation of psychological symptoms" (Kiehl & Hoffman, 2011, p. 2). The

implications of this fact are that these symptoms can and do affect every part of the person's life.

Therefore, communicating with or treating a psychopath must match up as closely to all aspects

of the person's life as possible. If a psychopath is misdiagnosed or misidentified, the

consequences can be serious.

One limitation to be considered when dealing with psychopaths or sociopaths is

treatment. There is evidence that the wrong kinds of treatment can make the person worse rather

than better. A study of incarcerated psychopaths ready to be released from a therapeutic

community showed that those who received the group therapy had a "higher violent recidivism

rate than those who were not treated at all" (Kiehl & Hoffman, 2011, p. 21). Group therapy only

provided the psychopaths with information that made it easier to manipulate everyone else. If

you are dealing with a misdiagnosed psychopath, and you place them in group therapy based on

that assessment, it could exacerbate the problem.

Within the context of criminal cases, misdiagnosing or misidentifying a psychopathic

suspect could lead to uninformed, and therefore ineffective, interview tactics. For example,

playing to a psychopath's sympathies for his victim will often be futile, because they are unable

to empathize with or feel anything for the victim (Bonn, 2016). The psychopath, who can lie and
 27

manipulate easily, could lead investigators to a complete dead end or twist the situation so

intricately that it takes up valuable time untangling the truth (Bonn, 2016). Psychopaths are good

at their game; getting it wrong could greatly influence a case.

On the other hand, identifying someone as a psychopath when they are not could also

have profound consequences. Since psychopathic traits are assessed on a spectrum, it is more

accurate to look at someone as being "more or less psychopathic to some degree" (McGreal,

2018, para. 4). A person could have a few psychopathic traits, but not enough to score a 30 or

above on the PCL-R; labeling them a psychopath could saddle them with an unfair stigma

(McGreal, 2018). In Robert Hare's book Without Conscience (1993), he discusses that incorrectly

labeling someone a psychopath (or sociopath) influences how a person is treated by others,

which inhibits them from being a successful part of society. When profiling a criminal, the crime

may have all the hallmarks of the perpetrator being a psychopath or sociopath, but misidentifying

or mislabeling a suspect could cause the wrong person to be accused or arrested. Not only is this

unfair to the innocent person, but it also allows a guilty person to remain free to commit other

crimes. It also means that the victim or victims do not get their due justice.

Psychopathic and sociopathic individuals share many of the same traits but are markedly

different in their behavioral presentations. When profiling, studying, or treating an individual

with these behaviors, it is imperative to remain in control and to tailor your conversational style

to accommodate them, even though that may seem "distasteful" (O'Toole et al., 2012, para. 11).

With education, understanding, and a little skill, we can effectively help to manage the

psychopathic and sociopathic individuals among us, and make the world a safer place for us all.
 28

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