The A-Z Of Psychopaths: Aileen Wuornos – The Highway Killer

She was bad to the bone – a heartless, lying serial killer – but was Aileen Wuornos insane, too?In this episode of The A–Z of Psychopaths, we examine one of the most controversial figures in modern true crime. Aileen Wuornos was convicted of murdering seven men in Florida between 1989 and 1990 and was executed in 2002 — but debate continues over how her crimes should be understood. Was Wuornos a psychopath in the clinical sense? Or was her violence the result of extreme trauma, abuse, and mental illness? Drawing on the Hare Psychopathy Checklist and Wuornos’s own recorded words, this episode explores psychopathy, gendered violence, media narratives, and the dangers of simplistic labels.Listener discretion advised: this episode discusses sexual violence, murder, and execution.AcknowledgementsThis episode includes audio clips from 'Aileen: Life and Death of a Serial Killer', directed by Nick Broomfield and produced by Lafayette Films for Channel Four (1994). Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/psycho-killer-shocking-true-crime-stories--5005712/support.