Monster: The Story of Aileen Wuornos

Monster: The Story of Aileen Wuornos

By: Andrea Salina

MONSTER

Aileen Wuornos didn’t stand a chance from the very early years of her life. Her family background lays the groundwork for her emotional instability that would deem her one of the most notorious female serial killers of all time.

Aileen was born February 29, 1956 in Rochester, Michigan as Aileen Carol Pittman. Her biological father, whom she never knew, was a crazed child molester that hanged himself in prison in 1969. Her mother Diane Wuornos, married Pittman when she was just 15. She had two children, Aileen and Keith who was born in 1955. They divorced a few months before Aileen was born after only two years of marriage (Manners, 121.)

In 1960, motherhood became unbearable for Diane and she abandoned Aileen and Keith. They were then adopted by their maternal grandparents, Lauri and Britta Wuornos in Troy, Michigan, where they would call home for the next several years (Manners, 122).

Sue Russell in Lethal Intent writes that Aileen was whipped with a belt by Lauri.

"When she was made to pull down her shorts and bend over the wooden table in the middle of the kitchen, when the doubled-over belt flew down onto her bare buttocks, little Aileen railed against her father, petrified and crying noisily. Sometimes she lay face down, spread-eagled naked on the bed, for her whippings." (216).

Lauri and Britta did not reveal that they were, in fact, the children's grandparents. Aileen discovered the truth at around age twelve, information which did not help an already troublesome situation. Lauri Wuornos drank heavily and was strict with the

Monster 2

children; when Aileen and Keith discovered their true parentage they rebelled (Manners, 122).

Aileen later told police that she had sex with Keith at an early age, but acquaintances doubt the story and Keith is unable to speak for himself, having died of throat cancer in 1976. At any rate, Aileen was clearly