Warning: This article contains details some readers may find disturbing
As a society, we have been known to have a morbid fascination with death and crime, which is why when you open up any streaming service, it’s not hard to spot a documentary on a notorious killer.
But when does the fascination end?
It could be when the penny drops, and you realise that the killer in question is genuinely a threat to those around them and not simply misunderstood or suffering from childhood trauma.
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Take the infamous serial killer, Aileen Wuornos, for example.
Known as one of the most prolific serial killers in the 80s, Wuornos - a sex worker - was known for killing male clients of hers who had allegedly assaulted her during her shifts.
Wuornos killed seven male clients, robbing them and their cars in a spree with her girlfriend at the time, Tyria Moore.
Despite Wuornos claiming her crimes were committed as self-defense after being sexually assaulted, she was found guilty and was sentenced to death.
Since her execution in 2002, the eccentric Michigan native gathered an immense cult following for her hatred of men, ramblings about politics and traumatic upbringing.
There was even an immensely popular film created called Monster, starring Charlize Theron, which delved into her life from her first murder up until her execution by lethal injection.
And now, a clip has resurfaced of an interview she had in jail, as well as her last chilling words to the judge who sentenced her.
During court proceedings, Wuornos would display some pretty bizarre and disturbing behaviour, particularly towards the judge and men in the room.
At her sentencing, psychiatrists even testified that Wuornos was mentally unstable and went on to diagnose her with borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder.
However, it was only four days later that she would be sentenced to death and uttered the most chilling words to the sentencing judge as her fate was sealed.
She told him: “May your wife and kids get r***d.”
Later, in an interview with Nick Broomsfield for the true crime documentary Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer, Wuornos went on to explain how her daily life has been since being incarcerated.
She spoke about how she would isolate herself 24/7, spend time alone in her cell and would read the bible to pass the time.
But it was her ending comment about ‘preparing for my death’ which seemed unusually causal and blasé in the moment.
She said: "I'm sitting around a lot, thinking, preparing memory... going back in time, memory of everything I've been through in my life, and then just preparing for my death."
Topics: Crime, Social Media, True crime, US News
Britt Jones