She looked like any other little girl — bright eyes, soft smile, innocent face.
But behind that smile hid one of history’s darkest stories.
Born in 1956 in Rochester, Michigan, Aileen Wuornos faced tragedy from the start. Her mother abandoned her, her father was jailed for horrific crimes, and her grandparents — her supposed protectors — became her abusers. “No child should ever endure what she did,” one expert later said.
By 14, Aileen was pregnant after being assaulted, and her baby was adopted. Lost and alone, she turned to the streets. Over the years, her pain grew into rage — and that rage turned deadly. Between 1989 and 1990, she murdered seven men in Florida, claiming each act was self-defense.
Dubbed the “Damsel of Death,” Wuornos became one of the world’s most infamous female serial killers. She was executed in 2002, leaving behind a haunting question: was she born evil, or did the world make her that way?
Sometimes, the most chilling monsters are the ones shaped by pain. What do you think?
