119: Aileen Wuornos

Today we are finally covering the woman that many have dubbed the “First Female Serial Killer in America”. While this statement is inaccurate and in fact cannot be measured as the term “serial killer” was not even coined until the 1970s, we can say that Aileen was the first notorious female serial killer in American history. Most of this was due to the fact that Aileen’s case came to light just as the country was riding a wave of high profile serial killers. The 1980s saw a peak in serial killings before advancements in forensic and investigative sciences changed the landscape for mass murderers. Killers such as Jeffrey Dahmer, Richard Ramirez, Gary Ray Bowels, and the duo Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole all were active during this time period. It is estimated that more than 200 serial killers were active during the decade, and of these only a very few were women. Such a small pool made it easy for someone like Aileen to stand out as a star.