Snapped on Oxygen: Who are the alleged victims of serial killer Aileen Wuornos?

Aileen Wuornos, labeled America's first female serial killer, fatally shot and robbed seven clients while engaging in street pr*stitution in the late '80s and early '90s along the highways of Florida. Her victims were Richard Mallory, David Spears, Charles Carskaddon, Peter Siems, Troy Burress, Charles "Dick" Humphreys, and Walter Antonio.

Wuornos later alleged that these men either r*ped or attempted to r*pe her. She eventually pleaded no contest to multiple counts of murder and was sentenced to death. She was executed via lethal injection in 2002.

Snapped on Oxygen recently revisited the crimes of Wuornos and the controversial case against her, in an episode titled Notorious: Aileen Wuornos. The synopsis for the episode stated:

"An in-depth look at the complexities of the case against Aileen Wuornos, the woman branded as America's first female serial killer; questions still revolve around her claim of self-defense and whether or not she got the justice she deserved."

The episode aired this Monday, July 3, 2023.

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Aileen Wuornos: America's first female serial killer claimed she murdered seven men in self-defense

The killings of America's first female serial killer Aileen Wuornos started in December 1989 and continued until the following September, during the course of which at least seven men were found robbed and murdered along the highways of Florida. Her first victim was 51-year-old Richard Mallory and her final victim was a 61-year-old trucker named Walter Antonio.

According to reports, Wuornos posed as a street pr*stitute and targeted middle-aged male motorists. She shot all her victims before leaving their bodies along the highways in Florida. She was arrested in early 1991.

Wuornos eventually admitted to the killings, but claimed to have acted in self-defense because these men had either r*ped or attempted to r*pe her. The case garnered significant media attention, especially after she pleaded guilty to several murders, which led to her ultimate execution in 2002.

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The seven known victims of Aileen Wuornos'

1) Richard Mallory

Mallory, 51, Aileen Wuornos' first known victim, was an electronics store owner from Clearwater and was murdered sometime in late 1989. Reports state that he picked up Wuornos, a hitchhiking pr*stitute, from Interstate 75 in Florida for s*xual services. Authorities first discovered his abandoned vehicle before finding his body miles away in a wooded area. He had been shot multiple times in the chest.

2) David Spears

43-year-old Spears, who was a construction worker, was reported missing before his naked body was found along the US Route 19 in Florida's Citrus County. Similar to the first victim, he had also been shot six times in the chest.

3) Charles Carskaddon

Not long after the discovery of David Spears' body, 20-year-old Carskaddon, who worked as a part-time rodeo, was found dead in Pasco County. He was shot at least nine times and his badly decomposing body was found wrapped in an electric blanket.

4) Peter Siems

Retired merchant seaman Siems, who left for Arkansas from Jupiter, Florida, in June was never found. Authorities did, however, discover his abandoned car in Orange Springs in early July. Witnesses reported seeing two women abandoning the car and Aileen Wuornos' handprint was eventually found on the vehicle.

5) Troy Burress

A 50-year-old sausage salesman from Ocala, Burress was reported missing in late July. Days later, his body was found along Marion County's State Road 19. He died of two gunshot wounds.

6) Charles "Dick" Humphreys

Dick Humphreys was a 56-year-old retired Air Force Major and a former child-abuse investigator from Florida, whose body was found in Marion County in September of that year. He also died of multiple gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

7) Walter Antonio

Wuornos' final victim was 62-year-old trucker and security guard Antonio whose body was found in November in the remote logging areas of Dixie County. He had been shot at least four times.

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Aileen Wuornos' case has been a subject of multiple documentaries and a 2003 film, titled Monster. The case has also become the ground for arguments surrounding issues involving gender and violence and even the legal treatment of self-defense claims by women.