A serial killer is an individual that does the attacking and killing of one by one in a sequence of occasions. Ordinarily, such individuals murder more than three persons on diverse circumstances within fourteen –day time frame. According to Mitchell and Aamodt (2005), “a serial murderer is that individual who kills three or more persons in the slightest three dispersed events with a pause and breaks period between murders”. Serial murderers have a form of sequence in which they commit murder; most probably it is during the time of stress. Following their accomplishment of their cathartic experience, they feel of pressure relieved temporarily. Successive butchers are understood to slay for objectives that include voluptuous force. Frequently, they are reflected to supply the assassin with a sensation of command that may or may not be carnal in nature. This writing discusses Aileen Wuornos a renowned female serial killer, her biography and the theories that relate to serial killings.

Aileen Wuornos Biography

Violence and Abusive Early Years

Born on 29th Feb. 1956, in Rochester, Michigan, Aileen Wuornos grew up in the proximate Troy area to the southern part. Her parents disappeared when Diane her biological mother, was by then fourteen years (Wuornos, 2012).The biological father Leo Pittman was a child molester who escaped into the military when her mother Diane became pregnant with Wuornos Aileen. Aileen and her brother Keith were abandoned by Diane, their mother while they were very young. However, they were adopted by their grandparents Lauri and Brita Wuornos, who resided in Troy and brought up as siblings alongside their children (Wuornos, 2012).

During her childhood, Aileen’s father took his life while serving jail time for the molestation of a child. Keith and her older brother were abandoned by their mother, thus were to be brought up by grandparents. However, Aileen’s grandmother was suspected to be an alcohol addict, and her grandfather as a frightening, aggressive force (Wuornos, 2012).

According to Wuornos (2012), Wuornos was raped while hitchhiking home from a party at the age of 14 years. She realized expectant and therefore sent to a residence for unwed mothers. In 1971, she gave birth to a boy that she eventually gave up for adoption. Upon her return to her grandparents’ home, her relationship with Lauri the grandfather was not good, and it worsened more. She repeatedly began to escape from home and was referredagain first to a juvenile hall and then to Adrian Girls’ Training school. After her grandmother died, her grandfather was tired of her behavior and exited her permanently from the house. Her survival was through the exchange of sex for cash, sleeping in abandoned cars, in friend’s houses and mostly outside. In her teenage years, Wuornos and Dawn Botkin her closest friend were part of a larger group of neighborhood kids who hang out, often misbehaving.

Vagrant survival

By virtue of formally having been a ward of the state, Wuornos survived on an itinerant life as an adult, in hitch-hiking and engagements in sex work to stay alive. During the mid-1970s, she was arrested on charges of assault and unruly behavior and finally established in Florida, where she met a wealthy yachtsman Lewis Fell. In 1976, Fell and Wuornos got married. However, Fell canceled the union soon after Wuornos arrest in a different row. Ten years later, after her involvement in several additional crimes, she met Tryria Moore twenty four years old in Daytona, Florida, who later on began a romantic relationship (Wuornos, 2012).

Series of Murders

It could later be exposed that since late 1989 into the end of 1990, Wuornos had slayed a minimum of six males along the freeways of Florida. In mid-Dec. 1989, the corpse of Richard Mallory was established in a garbage dump, with five more gentlemen’s bodies that came to be realized in the successive months. Aileen Wuornos began her murders in 1989 and towards the end 1990 she had killed further than six men folk alongside the roads in Florida. In the middle of Dec, 1989, Richard Mallory’s corpse was unconcealed in a landfill, plus other five more men’s bodies that were discovered in the subsequent months (Wuornos, 2012).

Eventually, Wuornos and Moore were traced by the relevant authorities by means of their finger prints, and palm prints that they left after clashing an automobile of a man known as Peter Siems, who was missing. While in a bar in Port Orange, in Florida, Wuornos was arrested. Moreover, the police force stalked Moore in Pennsylvania but he sidestepped the tribunal. Moore completed a pact, and in mid-Jan. 1991 she prompted a phone concession from Wuornos, who took complete and solitary obligation for the killings (Wuornos, 2012).

Trial and Execution

There was a media anger that followed the case, partly due to the shocking scenery of the crimes Wuornos had conducted. Throughout the trial, Aileen affirmed that Mallory raped and assaulted and, therefore, murdered him in self-defense. Additionally, she asserted that her murder of five other men was also a result of self-defense though she later withdrew the assertions (Wuornos, 2012).

In the case of Mallory, that was held on 27th January 1992, a judge established that Wuornos was guilty of first –degree killing and was awarded a death punishment. In the resulting months, Wuornos plead culpable to the homicides of the five supplementary men whose crimes she was convicted with and thus issued a death decree for every supplication. Wuornos later admitted to the assassination of Siems, while outside the court whose remain was not found (Wuornos, 2012).

Wuornos (2012) explains that Wuornos finally decided to fire her appeals, while in the death row for a decade, through her lawyers, who were defending for a stay of putting her to death. However, the attorney appointed by the court had a concern the comments that Wuornos made which suggested that she was deeply detached from realism. Jeb Bush, a governor in Florida, raised an impermanent sojourn of execution in 2002 after three psychoanalysts confirmed her mentally competent to know the death sentence and the grounds for its execution. On the morning of 9th October 2002, Aileen Wuornos was put to death by a lethal injection and her remains were buried in her town of birth after cremation.

Theories related to serial killings

It has not been an easy task to prove why serial killers continue doing such heinous acts. Nevertheless, there have been various educated guesses and theories that try to explain why such horrible acts of violence continue happening.  Most explanations to the existence of serial killers are aligned to psychiatric, sociological and biological explanations. There are also some religious stereotypes that have tried to give explanations on the increasing cases of homicide. According to Weatherby et. al. (2009), principles of Vicious Behavior evaluate and shows why habits like serial killing occur and it also describes violent criminal behavior, through theories as biological, psychological and sociological based schemes of criminology. These philosophies aim at determining how and why violent conduct arises.

Biological Perspective

This model concentrates on physical conformation and disproportions, and genomic makeup in an individual (Weatherby et. al., 2009). There are biochemical discrepancies in the living body practices that impact the antisocial comportment as a result of inborn physical disarrays as uncharacteristic hormonal altitudes, or external circumstances like nutrition or environment-based impurities. For instance, hypoglycemia comes about as a consequence of the reduction in blood and sugar elevations beneath the verge obligatory for ordinary nervous functioning that cause antisocial and vicious actions (Weatherby et.al.2009). Alternative explanations insinuate that aggressiveness could be generated by to variable intensities of male sex hormones, androgens the neurophysiologic alignment contains the brain arrangement, brain damage, brain substances, and ecological conditions.

Siegel posits that brain dysfunctional appears at many advanced levels amongst prolonged wrongdoers than non-criminals (2005). The situation occurs where there is Minimal brain dysfunction (MBD), reflected in episodic epochs of volatile rage” (Siegel, 2005). People who have MBD end up abusively, carrying out suicide, ferociousness, and gratuitous murder (Siegel, 2005).Related to the XYY concept males who have an extra Y chromosome tend to be violent. The challenge in biological theory is that it delves into gene analysis that is complicated to taste in criminals hence it may be used in very few cases. This method is not applicable to Wuornos because she did not exhibit any bodily deformations; neither is she a man with discrepancies in hormones. Finally, at no point did Wuornos meet environmental impurity interruptions to her physical functioning.

Psychological Perspective

The psychological viewpoint of modern trait model focuses on mental ailments, behavior and intellectual courses, and individual maladies. In it the primary focus is on mental disorder and vehement delinquency especially Schizophrenia (Weatherby et. al., 2009). According to several studies, Schizophrenia lessens a person’s capability to distinguish emotive facial languages hence there is an adverse consequent on the standard operation that result in the upsurge of unlawful conduct. As Weiss et, al. (2006) indicate that schizophrenic persons who were rapidly arrested failed in emotive appreciation assessments that involved anger and fear expression.  Furthermore, there was the case of deprived social working as Asperger syndrome, an autism pigeonholed by a “severe and continuous weakening in social interfaces and the growth of constrained, repeated configurations of manners, wellbeing, and actions”.

In other cases personality conditions those exhibit character qualities that rely on perception patterns and environmental reception. Among maladies in this area is Personality Disorder accompanied by occupational injury or personal agony hence leading to antisocial beings” (Siegal, 2005). Though it is not explicit in Wuornos’ biography, incidences of rape and abusive childhood affect the psychology of an individual. It is, therefore, a fact that Wuornos could have developed mild cognitive interruptions that led her to serial killings after her rape an abusive childhood. The problem with the psychological theory is that it considers schizophrenia than any other psychological impacts in man.

Social Process Theory

This model believes that criminality results from the people’s interfaces with various systems of government, establishments, and procedures in the general public (Siegel, 2005).As human beings develop and meet different cultures, they face deficiencies that result in criminal conduct especially where familial and peer relationships among others impact on behaviors. Additionally, in Mackey and Immerman’s findings (Siegal 2005) they advocate a significant association between a preoccupied father-figure during juvenile and male adult fierce conduct. Furthermore, attachment sophistications share with dislike, mistrust, and vocal abuse through which atrocious patients show a triad of youthful callousness to animals, fire startups and enuresis resulting in such anomalies lead to poor management machinery in adulthood. Often, the teenagers under considerable stress, in homes face these conditions some of whom get into serial killing (Weatherby et. al., 2009). The challenge with this model is that it may lack an explanation for individuals whose family backgrounds are unknown. The social learning theory is strongly relevant to Wuornos’ serial killing incidences that though a lady, Wuornos, who had an absent molester father and a present aggressive fighter grandfather takes up their behaviors, applies to serial murder.

Trauma Control Model

This is a theory that affords an etiological approach by stressing on the fact that when a man goes life characterized by destabilization as bereavement in the family, separation misuses shakiness whether in childhood or adulthood they might distrust all human beings and reject everyone. Furthermore, in the loss they lose self-esteem, become suspicious, anxious and, confused hence to adapt with such situations they become serial killers. The relation between the homicide adaptation and their past life come about as a result of engagement in pornography, alcoholic usage, or drug abuse (Siegel, 2005). The suffering that Wuornos went through as a neglected child with the mother and with a father who had been a criminal is fitting for there is an understanding that the rape she went through must have made her hate, distrust, and revenge against men. Even though she ended in the hands of the grandparents, the trauma intensified in a grandmother who was a drunkard and grandfather who was a fierce fighter. Therefore, this approach is of high value in explaining Wuornos as a serial killer.

Labeling Theory

Explaining Criminal Behavior (2003) indicates that labeling theory maintains that society generates convicts through its criminal justice system by judging on some people as criminals, thereby lastingly denouncing them. When the person has involved in illegal or irregular acts, he or she is isolated from conventional society and is labeled a “burglar,” “prostitute,” “junkie,” get discriminated from other societal fellows hence they feel like social outcasts. Consequently, they become used to the status of being criminals isolate themselves from the world and begin murdering those who view them as criminals (Explaining Criminal Behavior,2003).In Wuornos’ case, this is a relevant model for she served as a prostitute in life and the society saw her as a criminal who accepted the label and persecuted killings.

The labeling theory is based on the fact that these ‘’labeled’’ social outcasts feel haunted by the negative societal views. It therefore becomes easy for victims of such labels to commit a second crime that is against the society’s norms. These heinous acts are a result of the affected offenders self concept and the way they view themselves. Feelings of inadequacy, low self esteem and anger are eminent to such victims and results and thus continue to commit homicide.

Conflict Theory

It is a theory that has its roots in the interrogation of values and existing systems by the powerless who feel those in power have disadvantaged them. These powerless individuals opt to go against the law for they feel it is not part of their real (Explaining Criminal Behavior, 2003). Illegal behaviors mean an exhibition/ experience of power by such groups as this is popular among the serial killers (Explaining Criminal Behavior, 2003).There is a weakness in conflict approach to criminology as it is more political than social hence has fewer occurrences that it can explain in killings. This concept is inapplicable in the case of Wuornos because it narrows its scope on the class difference yet she did not kill in reaction to that.

Radical theory

Radical model posits that powerful people especially the capitalists (persons in authority) create laws so as to favor themselves send their interest’s laws are designed by the powerful to protect their interests (Explaining Criminal Behavior, 2003). When the lower class realize the injustices and the misuse of the powerful individuals they repel and intent to exterminate the capitalists hence causing incidences of criminal killings. The weakness in this theory is that it explains rare cases that may apply to massacres and war that serial killings. It may not suit for Wuornos serial murders for she did not act out of response to any authority. Contrary to the radical theory whereby people in the authority create laws that favor their interests.

Social Learning theory

This is another important theory that has been used to explain the reason behind the ever increasing cases of serial murders. It is a concept that uses personal behavior to explain their daily actions. Some people get their behaviors through modeling or via rewards and punishments. Though it should not be taken literally that serial killers that they learnt the art of killing by watching others kill but rather concept of rewards and punishment takes the centre stage. For instance, people who have worked in the military have high chances to engage in violent behaviors such as rape, assault and even killing when not in war (Siegel, 2005). People who are previously subjected to humiliation and suffering have resentment and anger built up for long periods and this can be catalysts to extremist behavior. Wuornos life was characterized with resent and tribulations and this leads her to becoming one of the most feared serial killer. Other instances such as domestic sexual abuse, parental abuse or involvement in prostitution are also other important aspects in the learning theory.

Conclusion

The overall observation is that crime emerges from various dimensions of life in an individual. Wuornos is a known serial killer whose target preys were men in Florida; she kills about six men of which leads to her trial and execution. The biography and theories in the paper have been detrimental in the elucidation of her actions and behavior. Given that Wuornos grew up in a poor life, in an absence of both the mother and father, who had intentionally deserted her, she was raped,  lives as an individual known as a prostitute and had a relation with a father who was abusive and criminal her case is clear. The reasons for her aggressive behavior and violence base in labeling theory as she was known as a whore serving in Florida, Social learning model in her abusive impoverished childhood and family that made her less intimate and aggressive. Finally, trauma and psychological theories that explains her being a serial killer because of the hallucinations she had the traumatic incidences she underwent in life. However, through some theories like conflict, radical and biological models do not fit in this case at all.

References

Mitchell, H. a. (2005).The Incidence of Child Abuse in Serial Killers.Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, 20(1), 40.

n.a.(2003). Explaining Criminal Behavior. In Psychology and Criminality (pp. 86-106).

Siegel, Larry J. 2005. Criminology: The Core, Second Edition. Australia: Thomson Wadsworth.

Weatherby A., B. D. (2009). The Buller-McGinnis Model of Serial Homicidal Behaviour: An Integrate Approach. Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice Research an Education, 3(1), 1-21.

Wuornos, A. (2012). Dear Dawn: Aileen Wuornos in Her Own Words. Soft Skull Press.

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