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Infamous Serial Killer Aileen Wuornos

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Explanation of the Case of Aileen Wuornos February 29, 1956, infamous serial killer Aileen Wuornos was brought into the world. Wuornos was brought into a troubled family where her deviancy stemmed from a series of events including traumatic and survival challenges that contributed to her lifestyle. Her parents, Diane Wuornos and Leo Pittman, were teenagers when she was born and were separated before her birth. Her father spent a lot of his time in a mental hospital after being admitted for child molestation. Diane struggled with her own issues; alcoholism and mental illness were some of what she struggled with (Kettler, 2023). Just after her fourth birthday, Aileen was given away by choice from her mother alongside her brother, where she found …show more content…

Several contributing factors could be the answer to why Aileen turned out to be who she was. Having an abusive history or the fact that she was a prostitute, but that does not refute the fact that her prostitution could have been one of the main culprits for what she did, what she did and why she chose those specific victims. The Start of her Serial Killings Wuornos's misconduct behavior started during the mid-1970s with assault, disturbing the peace, and stealing. She served several minor sentences, including time served after a drunken attempt to rob a convenience store while wearing a bikini; she was later detained for armed robbery (Bindel, 2020). In June 1986, Wuornos met 24-year-old Tyria Moore at a local bar. The pair felt sparks while meeting, which led to an intense 4.5-year relationship that also included living together. Their lives were quite opposite as Moore held normal jobs like housekeepers, or cashier while Wuornos engaged in sex work along the Florida highways. During their involvement, Wuornos took a murderous …show more content…

She was shorted after being raped after her 14th birthday, and her family condoned her for pregnancy following the rape, forcing her to give up the child. Mental health experts concluded that those experiences of such abuse trigger the development of borderline personality disorder. BPD can be described as “a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects, and marked impulsivity.” (Stanley, 2018). After a close examination of Wuornos, Dr. Harry Kropp found her to be suffering from a “full-blown delusional system and having a borderline personality disorder with paranoid features” (Kettler, 2023). The state conducted medical exams on Wuornos and a review done by psychologist Dr. Jethro Toomer gathered evidence to believe that the diagnosis of BPD, which is a life-long medical diagnosis, had significantly impacted Wuornos’ overall functioning and adaptive capacity. Her bizarre behavior is rooted in this problem and her overall functioning has been characterized by the existence of mini-psychotic episodes where she is unable to distinguish reality and obtrusive thoughts. Her illness is unpredictable and chronic; her

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