Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992) Movie Script
Interstate 75 through Florida is used
by millions of tourists every year:
Aileen "Lee" Wuornos was only 16
when she first arrived in Daytona Beach.
She made a living as a prostitute
and hitchhiked between exits.
She claimed to have had thousands of
men, and in 1989-90 she murdered seven men.
The FBI called Lee Wuornos
the first female serial killer in the USA.
- and since then
book and film offers have poured in.
Lee Wuornos's friend, Tyria Moore,
was initially suspected but never charged.
Before the two women were arrested,
they were known as the "Angels of Death".
Serial murder seems to have become
a brutal part of life.
They happen so often
that they seem ordinary.
But this is a murder spree
unlike any other.
First came Ted Bundy,
then the Gainesville murders-
- and now Florida is overshadowed
by the threat of yet another series of murders.
Eight men have been shot
on the highways of Florida-
-including on the tourist route I-75.
But the murders have a chilling twist.
For the first time in criminal history,
the killers may be women.
The main suspects are two young women
who posed as damsels in distress.
On January 9, 1991, Lee Wuornos was arrested
at a motorcycle bar in Daytona Beach.
- How are you doing?
- I want to confess to some murders.
This is police video of Lee
confessing to the murders of seven men.
Tyria Moore was never charged.
I wish I had never gotten that gun.
I wish I had never become a whore
- and that I had never done
what I did.
I still have to tell myself
that I did it in self-defense.
They were going to beat me up
or rape me from behind.
So I fought with them
and broke free.
Once I got free, I ran
to the car or jumped over the seat-
-grabbed the gun and started shooting.
Most of them were naked
because they had taken their clothes off.
They didn't think about
running back to the car.
I started shooting
at them from the car.
Hi, kids!
This is Steve Glazer, Lee's lawyer.
My parents abused me,
so I came up with an imaginary friend...
...and built him.
My dog died, so I've got Lothar here
to scare the junkies off.
Did you build Lothar yourself?
I built him
with my own hands!
For several years, Steve and Lothar
lived in an Indian tent.
This is Steve's office.
Before Steve became a lawyer,
he worked as a musician.
We're going to meet Arlene Pralle,
who adopted Lee Wuornos last year.
Arlene, a born-again Christian,
breeds Tennessee Walking Horses.
- Wolves.
- Does she breed wolves too?
My biggest problem is that Lee wants
$25,000 for an interview.
I thought it was illegal
to profit from your crimes,
but apparently it's not anymore.
Arlene asked Steve to look after
the adoption of Lee.
Nick Broomfield.
Do you know she carries our name?
Her name is Aileen Carol Wuornos Pralle.
- Because you adopted her.
- And changed her name.
You must be very close...
How did you come to realize
that you were so close?
It's a good story,
but I can't tell it.
Arlene won't say anything
until her daughter gets $25,000.
How Lee and I met,
I can't tell you-
- because then I'll get so eager
that I'll go on to the next hurdle-
- and then I can't stop.
It's like a horse that wants to jump.
It's a fascinating story-
- because all the people
in the play are so interesting.
You could probably even get an
interview with my doctor in Gainesville.
I was involved in an unfortunate incident
on April 14th last year. It was horrible.
I was kicked in the back, my liver
was ruptured and three ribs were broken.
My doctor said
that it was God's love-
- that passed through me
to Aileen Wuornos, who saved me.
They said I was going to die-
- but my love for her
saved me.
Everyone said I was going to die.
They called my husband in Las Vegas.
There's a lot in this that is,
as he says, "fascinating."
So the next step is to make a counteroffer.
No, the next step is to pay $25,000.
Otherwise you have to make a counteroffer so we have something to offer her.
Like I said before you drove over: don't come here thinking...
Don't come here thinking she'll talk to you without you paying
So we'd be giving the money...
...to you, as her legal...
As her mother and Steve, we get a share as her agent.
A very small share.
The relationship between Arlene and Lee
is very well documented-
- and it seemed cheaper
to buy footage from local TV
Horse breeder Arlene Pralle
has come to Aileen Wuornos's aid.
They often talk on the phone.
We've become really good friends.
She's nothing like how she's portrayed,
but very sweet and compassionate.
This year's Thanksgiving will be special
for the Pralle family.
They hope to spend it with their
newly adopted daughter, Aileen Wuornos.
There was something special
about her eyes-
- that told me she couldn't
have done what she was accused of.
A strange friendship developed.
The two women exchanged letters,
phone calls, and even poems.
Aileen wrote: "You're far too kind
for me to get to know."
It felt as if
I had always known that person-
-and I hadn't experienced that before.
Sometimes she's so depressed.
If I could just hold her
and pray, she would feel better.
Not being able to do that
drives me crazy.
The motive is not greed or
wanting to improve one's own situation.
It's a religious, spiritual wish
that Arlene and Robert fulfill.
Pralle is not interested
in a film contract.
The only motive
is old-fashioned Christian love-
-and a wish to have a family.
While we were waiting for Lee's answer -
-we went to Daytona Beach.
The police found the gun
Lee had used for the murders-
-in this lagoon.
Lee lived here
with Tyria Moore
- whom she was madly in love with.
They stayed at this motel
- and that's where they first saw
the police sketches.
Witnesses saw them in one of the victims' cars.
Tyria fled to Ohio.
Later, she betrayed Lee
and testified against her in court.
Lee was charged with all seven murders.
Tyria became the police's key witness.
This is Lee's
first court appearance.
She had a long history
of neglect and sexual abuse behind her.
Lee was born in 1956 in Troy, Michigan.
Three months later, her mother abandoned her.
In 1963, her father committed suicide.
He was in prison!
For molesting a seven-year-old.
Her relationship with Tyria Moore
was the most stable of her life.
Will you be represented by a lawyer?
Can you afford to hire one?
- Do you work?
- No. I'm in prison.
When did you last work?
In 1984, maybe.
- How do you support yourself?
- I was a call girl.
Do you own any real estate?
- Do you own a car?
- No.
I will appoint a public defender for you.
You are being held without the option
of bail.
According to the press, Lee often went
to The Last Resort
- a biker bar
where she was arrested by the police.
This could get interesting...
Where's it going?
We're looking for a guy named
Cannonball or something like that.
Can I help you?
Cannonball is the big guy over there.
How's it going?
How are you doing?
Did you know Lee well,
or not really?
About as well as a bartender knows
an occasional customer.
She was only here about a dozen times.
She wasn't a regular.
- Did she only come in now and then?
- She didn't have a car.
The bar was on the side of the road
she walked home on, so she'd pop in.
She got drunk down there
the night before she was arrested...
...then she came in here
and slept a bit on that seat.
She was here
when I came in the morning.
But I don't know anything about
what kind of person she was.
And since she was a dyke,
nobody tried to pick her up.
Dyke, lesbian.
Cannonball told us to come back when
"The Human Bomb" was performing.
He should have known Lee well.
3, 2, 1...
- How are you doing?
- Right now I feel very rattled.
- Did you know Lee well?
- Yes.
Can we talk in a few minutes?
We tracked down Dick Mills.
The papers had written
about his sexual adventure with the serial killer.
Dick Mills spent a week with
Lee, just before she was arrested.
Lee was devastated. The police were onto her,
and Tyria had just left her.
Hello.
Is this the article you mentioned?
The headline reads: "My sexual adventure
with the perverted murderer."
I just want to know which lawyer
is the best so I can sue them.
May I read a passage aloud and
hear whether you said what's written?
May I read a passage?
"At first she seemed normal-
- but then she started making
strange confessions."
"One night, when we were in bed...
...she started talking
about her sexual fantasies."
"She said she got turned on by
imagining-
- that she had a hood over her head
and was tied to a tree."
"A guy raped her
and shot her in the head."
"The murder gave her an orgasm.
I was disgusted by what she said."
Wrong.
Some of it is partly right, but most of it
I don't know where it comes from.
Check wherever you like,
I never said anything like that.
Once she said...
...that she wanted to lie in bed
with a hood over her head-
- and that someone would sneak in
through the window-
- and rape her.
The rest is made up.
Did you get the feeling
she hated men?
No, just that she was gay.
But I didn't know she was a mother.
Could you tell when you were making love?
No, not really.
She probably took what came along.
It was a bad experience for
both of us. But that's all nonsense.
Ask them
where they got that nonsense from.
Who told them those lies? Who gave
them permission to write lies?
The truth
isn't exactly what sells newspapers, is it?
She can't always have hated men.
You had some kind of relationship.
I don't know...
We were just two lonely,
desperate people.
We were two people who were a little
together. I can't explain it.
When you were making love, you couldn't
have felt that she hated men?
I didn't think about it much.
She probably just took what came, I suppose.
But judging by everything I've heard
and read since then...
Why didn't she kill you, do you think?
- You'll have to ask her that.
- What's your theory?
I don't know the other woman,
but I may have resembled her.
- Her partner, you mean?
- Yes, the woman she lived with.
Her name was Tye or something.
But you'll have to ask them.
Either this Tye
or Aileen herself.
Before Lee got her first death sentence-
- she had planned to live in this
cabin on Arlene's ranch.
Arlene also breeds wolves.
She believes they represent
an important part of our spiritual life.
We had been in Florida for a week
without a word from Lee.
Arlene claimed
that they were close
- but clearly something was wrong.
Now Arlene seemed to be negotiating
to get paid for taking part herself.
She said she had been offered
10,000 dollars by a TV company.
How much would you want
if Lee isn't involved?
Talk to Steve.
I asked if he could be my agent, and he said yes.
He said I should ask journalists to call him.
- What would be a fair amount?
- I have no idea.
I've never done this before.
- Talk to Steve.
- Do you think it'll be less?
It depends on how much...
How many days you'll be staying here,
what you want to see.
Do you want the tapes,
the new material?
The poems, the letters, the drawings?
He can probably write up
some kind of contract.
Talk to him, he's my agent.
An agent, do you understand that?
Arlene adopted Lee before the trial
for the murder of Richard Mallory.
The lawyer at the time was criticized
because she didn't point out to the court
that Mallory had been in prison
for attempted rape.
Many believe that his rape of Lee
is what led her to start killing.
He put the rope around my neck
and said, "Die, you bitch."
He said:
"You're going to do everything
I tell you to do."
"Otherwise I'll kill you right now
and fuck you afterward
- just like I did
with the other whores."
"It makes no difference to me."
"Your body will still be
warm for my big cock."
He pulled on the rope, and I held
on like this. He said:
"Do you want to die, you bitch?"
I shook my head.
"Will you do everything
I tell you to?" I nodded.
Then he told me
to lie down on the seat.
What happened then?
Then he started...
...anal sex
He did it
in a very violent way.
And then...
I don't know if he came or not.
I'm speaking the way people do on the street.
I don't know if he did.
Then he pulled out violently and
thrust hard into my vagina.
- Did you say anything to him?
- No, I cried like a madwoman.
What happened then?
Okay...
He takes some Vaseline...
...he lifts my legs up
and pours something...
...something that turns out to be
massage oil...
...into my rectum.
And it hurt terribly,
because he had torn me up.
And then he poured alcohol into my vagina-
-and it hurt insanely.
Then he went and sat down
in the driver's seat next to me-
-and opened my nostrils
-and sprayed alcohol up my nose.
He said, "I'm saving the eyes
for the grand finale."
I was beside myself with rage.
I screamed at him and everything.
He laughed and said, "I love
hearing you cry and all that pain."
I thought I had to fight,
or I would die.
He had already said he had murdered
other girls. I had to fight.
I jumped up
and spat in his face.
He said, "You're dead meat."
I quickly lay down
and grabbed my bag.
He came at me-
-and I pulled the gun out of the bag.
He came at me-
- and I shot twice,
as fast as I could.
Lee expected to be acquitted-
- but the judge allowed evidence
from the six other murders.
You, Aileen Carol Wuornos, are sentenced
to death in the electric chair.
May God have mercy on you.
Scumbag!
Most of us never end up in prison-
- but if you get drawn into the justice system,
you need a lawyer.
Completely unexpectedly, Lee decided
to hire Steve-
- to defend her
on the following three murder charges.
Steve got a lot of attention
in the media when the trial began.
Arlene thought
that Lee should confess her sins.
Aileen Wuornos gave no indication
that she would not contest the charge.
Instead, she talked about how she
had hired lawyer Steve Glazer.
But Glazer surprised everyone and said
that Wuornos would change her plea.
The country's first female serial killer
would not contest
- that she murdered Dick Humphreys,
Troy Burrows and David Spears.
It was seen as a confession
- and Wuornos still faced
the death penalty for each charge.
The judge questioned Wuornos at length
about her decision.
God has forgiven her
- so why not accept the death penalty? She
can go home to Jesus in a few years.
If you want to be saved
by Jesus Christ...
...you must first
confess your sins
- and that is what she does.
If I could choose,
I would rather be in heaven.
God has not chosen me,
but Lee has the chance.
I have made peace with the Lord
and asked for forgiveness.
I'm sorry that my self-defense
led to a trial
- but I take full
responsibility for my actions.
I'm sorry for all the pain
my actions have caused.
I am ready to die
if you say it is necessary.
It seemed as if Lee Wuornos hoped
for a pardon, but it did not turn out that way.
In case 91-463, I sentence you to death
for the murder of Troy Burrows.
In case 91-304, I sentence you to death
for the murder of Charles Humphreys.
In case 91-112, I sentence you to death
for the murder of David Speers.
Thank you.
I'll be up in heaven
while you all rot in hell.
I hope you get raped
from behind one of these days.
Will it be you
handling the appeal, Mr. Glazer?
I hope your wives and children
get raped from behind.
I will appoint a public defender
to handle the appeal.
I'll say one more thing.
I was raped,
and you are a bunch of bastards.
Executing someone who has
been raped... You goddamn bastard!
Steve played this song for Lee
after the death sentences.
Before he gets his last meal
they shave his head
and ask how he is doing
the prison warden says goodbye
the journalists are to watch him die
watch him strapped into a chair
have you seen the charm of the Iron Lady?
Steel legs, leather on her arms,
where you're strapped in to die
life for life and eye for eye
that's how the Iron Lady looks in her chair
I haven't sung it in a long time. I can do it again later.
- What did Lee think of it?
- I sang it for her.
I sang it for her in the cell. She liked it. Especially this part...
"Look at the scales of justice.
If you can afford it, you can appeal."
"High fees are paid. A rich man
is never dead in this chair."
We set off to visit Lee
in the prison at Everglades-
- a seven-hour drive from Gainesville.
Lee missed Tyria terribly
and hardly spoke to anyone.
Arlene and Steve hadn't heard from Lee
in over two weeks.
I realized they weren't as close to Lee
as I had first thought.
Lee is in a death cell
six by eight feet:
We were supposed to meet her
in the prison chapel.
We've told Wuornos
that you're here-
-but she refuses to take visitors.
I asked the division officer
to get that in writing.
That's not true!
Her laundry hasn't come back,
and she won't wear a dress.
She doesn't have to wear a dress.
She refuses to get dressed.
We drove all the way from Gainesville.
Every time we ask,
she's being difficult.
We can't force her.
But I'll ask her to write it down
so I don't get in trouble.
Hey! We were just looking for you.
Did you walk in this heat?
- Why didn't you drive?
- The gate was locked.
It's just so the horses
don't run off. How did it go?
Rita is completely done in.
This isn't good.
She wouldn't talk to us.
- Why?!
- No idea.
She just wouldn't talk to us, so we got nowhere.
It's a shock.
Steve's going there on Thursday, so go with him.
Arlene and Steve still insisted
they didn't know what was wrong.
They couldn't explain
why they hadn't heard from Lee.
We're wondering
if you can explain why.
The only thing I can think of...
...is that because I was trying
to keep discipline-
- maybe she was trying to punish
Steve and me.
- We lost in court, after all.
- How did you keep discipline?
I wrote and told her she behaved
terribly in the courtroom-
-and that she had to improve.
- Was that when she gave the judge the finger?
- Yes. I wrote a very sharp letter.
I also wrote that I was tired
of her doubting me and Steve.
It wasn't his fault that we lost.
Possibly with money...
She knows how badly off we are,
and that she could help out-
- and this is her way
of punishing us.
"I'm not giving any interviews
so they get money."
- Why do you think she was so angry?
- Because we lost.
She said she wanted to die,
but she wants to live.
It's like saying "I'm hungry"
even though you don't want to eat.
But when she got the three death sentences,
she was furious.
Steve insisted that Lee would die.
His whole justification
for the confession was built on that.
- Are you sure she's going to die?
- Yes, I am.
I'm sure that she,
in her anger and grief and pain-
- and because it's hard to live with
having killed seven people -
- will die for what she's done.
She cried when she said,
"I'm not afraid to die."
"If you think it's necessary
to kill me, then let it happen."
As I told her
from the very beginning...
...I will help her.
It doesn't feel good, but I have to
be there when they strap her down.
She asked me to be there.
I said, "You have the right to have
an attorney and a priest with you."
"If you want, I'll go with you
and be there for your last moments."
I'll deal with the pain later.
I've spoken with several lawyers
who've watched clients be executed-
- and they said it's something you never
forget. I'm not looking forward to it-
- but as her friend,
I want to be there for her.
I'll give her the same advice
Woody Allen gave in his film.
I don't remember which film it was.
The lawyer's advice to the client is:
"Don't sit down."
This is called death row.
If Lee is executed-
- she'll be the first woman in Florida
to go to the electric chair.
In this cell, inmates are held
for up to seven days before the execution.
At five in the morning, he's taken out-
- and has his head
and right leg shaved.
Then he's led down a corridor
that leads to the electric chair.
He's escorted
by the assistant warden-
- and the chief correctional officer
and brought into the execution room itself.
He's placed in the chair
in front of the media witnesses-
- and the official witnesses, who
have already taken their seats.
He's placed in the chair-
- and the straps are fastened across his chest,
his thighs and his arms.
His legs are strapped down
with these straps.
Then the warden checks
that the straps are fitted correctly.
Then he walks over to the microphone
we have here-
- and holds it up to the inmate
so he can make a final statement.
Sometimes he says something,
other times he doesn't.
Once this is done,
the warden goes to the phone-
- and checks with the governor's office
to see whether there is a stay of execution.
If there is no stay-
- the electrode is placed
on the inmate's head.
It's a cap with an electrode in it,
which is fastened on the head.
Then one of these electrodes
is attached to the top of the cap.
Another device is fastened
around the calf-
- and the second electrode
is mounted on it.
When everything is ready, the
warden signals to the executioner-
- who is located in here,
in the execution room.
He nods to the executioner
that he may carry out the execution.
The executioner flips a switch.
- which starts an automatic circuit
of about 2,400 volts and 8 amps.
Once that's done,
- you can see the inmate tense up
when the current hits him.
Almost as if he were lifting weights.
That's the only movement you see.
When it's over, two
doctors come in here
- and examine the body
to see whether the inmate is dead.
It was six o'clock. Steve was going to visit
Lee and hopefully get us in with her.
He said
the trip required seven joints
- and he had a tape with him on which he
sang and played all the instruments.
I'm giving you the keys.
If I'm not out in three and a half hours,
call the emergency squad.
Steve hadn't spoken with Lee
in a month
- and didn't know how she would
respond at the next trial.
If Lee changed her plea and pleaded
not guilty, he would have to withdraw.
Because he didn't have the resources
to continue.
I had given Steve 10,000 dollars -
- instead of the 25,000 dollars,
seemingly with Lee's consent.
Suddenly a guard came out
of the guardroom and stopped us.
We had broken the rules
by driving along the fence.
Do you have a pocketknife?
A pistol, a shotgun, rocket launchers?
Here's the contract.
The visit had gone well.
Lee Wuornos would still
not contest the charge
- and Steve and Arlene would get
2,500 dollars each.
Here I'm paying Arlene in advance
in exchange for a real interview.
Shall we say 1,000 dollars on Sun Up
in the fourth race at Belmont?
Then Steve became worried about his payment.
She wants to know when I'll
be paid. I said I trust you all.
- When will I be paid?
- We'd pay half in advance.
Will you pay everything at the end? All right.
I trust my fellow human beings.
A thousand dollars was to go
directly to Lee Wuornos in prison.
I thought the "Son of Sam law"
forbade it
- but Steve said
that the "Son of Sam" no longer applies.
- How did you hear about her?
- I read about her in the newspaper.
My father was in the hospital
- and my husband and I had nothing better
to do than read the newspapers.
As soon as we saw her eyes in the paper-
- I knew she could not
be a serial killer.
We prayed for two and a half weeks-
-and then we wrote her a letter.
I wrote that Jesus himself had told me
to write to her.
She wrote that she had said:
"God, if You exist, then send
a Christian woman into my life."
So she got my letter,
and it was like an explosion.
And here is this person.
That's how it began.
After many phone calls
and hundreds of letters-
-and phone bills running into thousands
of dollars... this is where we are today.
Arlene felt that Lee should
confess her sins to Jesus.
This is my favorite photo. It was taken
after she had cleared the table.
- What do you mean by "cleared the table"?
- She didn't contest the charges.
You can see it in her face...
It's one of the few pictures of her
that shows she is happy.
It's the first time that she...
I think she's relieved.
She's smiling with relief.
The pictures the newspapers publish
are always the least flattering.
Now that Lee had been paid for,
we went back to the prison.
We're here to try
to talk to Lee Wuornos.
I can't hear. Are you saying "Aileen"?
I want to see your driver's licenses, his
driver's license and her driver's license.
You want to see our driver's licenses?
Then we'll have to get them from the car.
You must be Mr. Broomfield. You were the
hostage at the back gate, weren't you?
You were held hostage at the back gate.
Unfortunately, we drove around
and filmed the facility.
I want to see photo ID or a driver's license.
We waited an hour to get an escort.
Then we were told
that Lee again refused to talk.
Since Tyria betrayed her,
Lee obviously just wanted to be left alone.
People wanted to see her executed,
and every county would do it.
- Why don't you want to be present?
- I'm tired of the reelection talk.
They're just trying to win votes
with this, and I'm tired of it.
I'll probably get three death sentences
and then two more in Pasco and Dixon.
How many times are they going to kill me? This is nonsense.
They're wasting taxpayers' money!
Several of the victims' families
will attend the execution.
Steve is even talking about selling
the film rights to the highest bidder.
The criminals can't imagine-
- the grief, the pain, and the agony
they have caused this family.
This was a man that I...
I hope
she ends up in the chair.
You know what that means:
As far as I'm concerned, the other woman
can hold her hand.
People were worried that
Tyria Moore hadn't come forward sooner:
The other girl could have prevented some
of it if she had come forward in time.
She knew about some of it,
but she said nothing.
Four men might have been
saved if she had done so.
Mrs. Prater's brother was the fourth victim.
Lee became more withdrawn and hostile.
- I don't want to be here.
- You don't have to be here, but...
I want to go back to prison.
I'm already on death row.
This is only for the purpose
of getting you reelected.
This is nonsense. I'm trying
to save the taxpayers money.
You'll keep going
to impress the public.
I'll just wait for the chair-
- and leave this planet,
which is full of evil and corruption.
Lee Wuornos claimed
that Richard Mallory raped her.
Many believed her,
but what about the other six victims?
We contacted the police-
- Lee's former appointed attorney,
the psychiatrist, and Tyria Moore-
-but they all refused to comment.
During the trial, Lee was
described as a wounded child-
- who sees the world as a place full
of evil spirits.
It was said that she had temper tantrums-
- and was too immature
to understand the finality of death.
Mike Reynolds has written a book
about Wuornos called "Dead Ends".
Lee's life... She was finished.
She never really made an effort
as a prostitute.
She also never really made an effort
with her previous crimes.
She didn't have much to offer.
She was overweight, drank beer... She never dressed like a prostitute.
She wore cut-off jeans, sneakers, a T-shirt, a cap and glasses.
She didn't make herself available.
She crept in, said "these are my kids" and showed the photos of the children.
Roy Groddy's children,
"I need money."
"I can do that. We can drive into the woods."
The options had started to run out.
It was the night before the trial in Passo.
Other lawyers accused Steve of hastening Lee's execution.
They distanced themselves from Steve.
I'm a court-appointed defense attorney
who pretends
that I'm doing something good
when the rich get to walk free and the poor are left behind,
so I wonder what I'm doing here.
Steve still claims that Lee will die.
Why was she so angry when she was sentenced?
Why did she have a fit of rage? Why did she give the judge the finger?
Why did she react the way she did toward you and Arlene?
You may be misunderstanding that.
Lee wasn't angry with me afterward.
I thought she hadn't written to any of you in a long time.
She changed her statement in court on March 31. The sentence was handed down on May 15.
Since May 15, only 30 days have passed.
During that time I've written to Lee twice and visited her.
Have you just visited her?
We got to see Lee Wuornos on her way to court.
She's become something of a star. Even before the arrest,
up to 15 film companies competed for her story.
Republic Pictures and CBS have produced the TV movie "Overkill",
with Jean Smart as Lee Wuornos, and two feature films are on the way.
And then there are the talk shows, the documentaries and the books.
For every copy of "On a Killing Day" sold, Arlene Pralle gets 33% of the profits.
These deals seemed to upset Lee more than anything else.
I want to say...
To the public
and the whole of humanity...
...and to the journalists-
- who have worked on these cases
for the past 16 months-
- and who have reported libel
and lies in 98.6% of the articles...
They were probably paid
by the police-
- to make me look
like a monster, which I'm not.
I will expose the criminal
officers to the whole world-
- not just to America or Florida,
before I die.
I also feel...
...that the film "Overkill",
which is completely made up...
...falsely portrayed me
as the first female serial killer-
-for the sake of that film.
Because I am no female serial killer-
-and my confessions prove it.
They took the confession
and went 200% against it-
-to get their lying film made.
The confession claimed self-defense,
which they hid from the jury-
-and have kept hidden from the public.
Lee claims she is not a serial killer
because the crimes were not planned.
Lee is also surrounded by experts who compete
to explain her behavior.
She is portrayed as everything from
an neglected child who hates her father
- to a sadist
who enjoys the victims' suffering
Heredity researchers have requested
tissue samples-
- and there are plans
to preserve Lee Wuornos' brain.
We chase Sheriff Don Moreland
across a parking lot.
Moreland has avoided questions
about three officers -
- who are said to have negotiated with
Hollywood a month before Lee's arrest.
We have also contacted the defense attorney,
the state attorney-
- and the prosecutor.
All have refused to speak with us.
We tried to get Moreland to talk,
but he just locked the door from inside.
The only one who would talk to us
was Chief Deputy Brian Jarvis-
-who led the investigation.
I asked whether the case had led
to him being demoted.
I was transferred
to patrol duty.
That happened after a month
of constant harassment -
- which began when Captain Binegar
realized that I knew about the plans-
- about working with Tyria Moore
to get the film rights.
And who was Tyria Moore?
During the investigation, she was suspected
of being one of the two killers.
Three of his colleagues:
Binegar, Munster and Henry
- took part in film discussions
with Tyria Moore.
After the arrest, Lee Wuornos
was charged with the murder.
Tyria Moore was never charged at all,
but she became the prosecution's witness
- and worked with my colleagues
to get the film rights.
Tyria was found in Ohio. She agreed to get
her partner to confess.
We were sitting watching TV when she said
she had something to tell us.
I asked what, and she said
she had shot and killed a man.
- She loved you, didn't she?
- Yes.
She said she would do
anything for you, didn't she?
And to get her to say what you wanted,
you lied to her.
- Many times, didn't you?
- Maybe.
- Do you remember giving a statement?
- Yes.
Tyria Moore agreed
to try to get Lee to confess.
Tyria was taken to a motel
in Marion County.
From there she called
Lee several times
- who was in jail at the time, but had
not yet confessed to the murders.
The phone calls were wiretapped
by the police.
Hello? Yes. Yes.
Hi. I had to call early, because I
didn't know if you were going out today.
What the hell is going on, Lee?
They've been at my parents' place again.
They're asking my sister questions.
- Why are they asking her questions?
- I don't know.
- They're after me, Lee.
- No, they're not.
Then why are they asking so much?
Listen, honey... Just do
what you have to do.
I have to, because I won't go to prison
for something you did.
My mom keeps calling.
She doesn't understand what's happening.
Do what you have to do.
Ty... I won't let you end up
in prison.
Apparently you don't love me anymore.
You'd let me get in trouble
for something I didn't do.
- Don't cry and listen to me.
- I can't handle it. I'm scared.
I don't know whether to keep living or to...
- What if they don't believe me?
- I won't let you go to prison.
If I have to confess,
then I will.
- Why did you do it?
- I don't know.
Ty.
I'll probably never
see you again.
I love you.
If I have to confess so that you won't be in trouble, then I'll do it.
So don't worry.
I love you.
Do it now.
- Right now?
- Yes, just get it over with.
- Okay.
- You can call me later. Goodbye.
In her confession, Lee said that she confessed for Ty's sake.
She said the police had come to her home. She was in floods of tears.
"My family is devastated.
I haven't done anything."
"You dragged me into this because of the car that got smashed."
"You have to say you did it,
so I can be cleared."
I said yes.
That's why I'm doing this now.
Her family shouldn't have
to suffer for something I did.
Tyria came
from a typical family in a small town,
which is what Lee was drawn to.
I'm going to miss her
for the rest of my life.
She's a good person,
so sweet and kind.
As soon as anything happens in the Wuornos case,
we're affected by it.
On October 31st,
- just a few days after the interrogations,
I came home from work
- and found a note
on the back door.
It said that if I didn't keep my mouth shut,
my family would get hurt.
I didn't think much of it,
because I'd gotten threatening letters before.
But I handed it over to the police
in case anything happened.
Less than a month later,
my wife had gone to the post office...
It was midday.
When she got home, there had been
a break-in. She went up to my office
- and all the papers on the Wuornos case
had been destroyed. Everything else was untouched.
This is the note
that was on Brian Jarvis' door.
He suspects the break-in
has to do with the case,
- but has not been able to prove who the guilty party is
I reached out to many different departments
within the police-
-to get it cleared up.
Instead, the police accused the media
of breaking into my house.
They refused to acknowledge that something
was wrong and that they had to look into it.
Then they accused me
of having arranged the break-in.
Now Brian works as a private investigator.
He has quit the police.
That's when I understood that the prosecutor's office
would not do anything in Okala.
The police were not doing their job here.
I wrote to the FBI.
It took four months to get an answer.
In the meantime, we were literally
awake for weeks on end-
-because we were afraid of falling asleep.
It destroyed our whole way of life.
The evidence against Tyria Moore...
She was in possession of things from one
of the victims, but was never charged.
She was recognized
when we showed the composite sketches.
A clerk had seen two people
who fit the descriptions.
The time she gave matched
the time Mr. Humphreys had been there.
We had found
a receipt in his car.
She never saw the photos of the girls.
Her witness statement was never followed up.
There is no evidence that
Tyria Moore was involved in the murders.
The clerk remembered Tyria and Lee,
but refused to be interviewed.
None of the witnesses would talk to us.
This man met Tyria and Lee-
-when they smashed up a car belonging
to Peter Sims, one of the victims.
If you don't leave here,
I'm calling the police!
We just want to ask a few questions
about Lee Wuornos and Tyria Moore.
I have nothing to say.
Something happened in that car
before or after.
Because there was a guy named Ray
who owned it, right?
We tried to talk to him, but he
seemed scared. Why do you think that is?
Maybe he's afraid the girl
will run off and murder him.
Tyria was the one driving. Lee never
implicated Tyria in the murders.
In the enigmatic Tyria Moore...
Michael McCarthy is writing a book
with Brian Jarvis.
For the first time in her life, she found
a person she loved.
She was willing
to do anything-
- to provide for something she had never had, a traditional family.
They became a couple. She was the "husband" and Tyria Moore was the "wife".
Out of this came a life of bitterness, frustration and rage.
And who does she murder? She murders her father over and over and over again.
She kept murdering the same man.
We don't know what triggered it, but you don't need to be...
...a Sigmund Freud to see what kind of relationship she had with her father.
Those middle-aged white men must have stood for everything she hated in our culture.
Arlene had written to Lee-
- and said that she didn't trust my eyes.
Arlene hadn't visited Lee in over two months-
- and let it be known that she wished she had never heard of her.
I'm asking you to turn off the cameras...
- You've got half of the money.
- I haven't got anything.
You got 1,250 dollars from us!
This has nothing to do with money, but with you violating my privacy.
Turn off the cameras...
This is about you breaking an agreement and a contract.
Steven Glazer is supposed to be here. I can't see Mr. Glazer here.
It doesn't say we may only film you when Mr. Glazer is present.
No, but it also doesn't say that I have to talk to you today.
- We were supposed to meet on Sunday.
- With Mr. Glazer.
No, that was your arrangement with him, it has nothing to do with us.
We've been here for four weeks. We were supposed to meet Lee the first week.
I have the right to refuse you. I'll talk to you with my lawyer.
I think you're a very deceitful person. You've tricked us.
I think you're incredibly calculating, and I've had enough.
I'll talk to you together with Mr. Glazer. Period.
I don't like being filmed after a hard day's work.
- You've been paid, partly...
- I haven't got anything.
We gave you 1,250 dollars the last time we were here!
Steve Glazer put them in your hand. We filmed it.
For the fifth time, turn off the cameras.
- Did you get the money or not?
- I'm not saying any more.
Lee has agreed to meet us. Steve will make sure we get in.
"'1967, and the songs keep spinning on www!"
Sorry, I didn't hear you.
Good.
Can you tell me when she's ready?
- You don't have any hidden cameras, do you?
- No, just the big one here.
Hello, how are you doing?
Sorry it took so long, but there was
no chance after the trial.
After the interrogation, I mean.
- After the interrogation in court?
- Yes, in Pasco.
- It's been hard to get hold of you.
- I know.
Have you had problems with Arlene?
It's been a bit difficult.
- Did you know that?
- Yes, she told me.
I said some things to Arlene.
- I hope you got the money.
- Yes, I did.
As long as they get their share. I'm only thinking
of the corrupt police officers.
One thing
I wanted to ask you was...
...why the money was so important.
How much can you use here?
The money isn't important to me,
but it seems to be for you.
No, I was just wondering...
Most of it probably goes
to Arlene and Steve.
Arlene and Steve seem
to be the greedy ones, yes.
I have my doubts about Arlene and Steve,
and I think that's what they're after.
And I think that's why
they want to see me dead.
I told Arlene that I thought
she was manipulative.
- Did you give them more than ten thousand?
- No.
I don't trust them.
I have my doubts about Arlene
and Steve. I think that they...
I can't talk about it now,
especially not in front of the camera.
Arlene didn't adopt me to become
my mother, but to bury me.
She only adopted me
so she could visit me more easily.
Steve has been very
in the media, and Arlene too.
They make me furious, because I think
their only motive was to make money.
I can't go into that any further.
But I will later,
probably just before I die.
How much did they have to do with
your changing your defense strategy?
They persuaded me.
- They talked me into it.
- Into not contesting the charges.
Let me give you an example,
and this one makes me furious.
Steve and Arlene wanted me
not to contest the charges.
Arlene started it, I think,
and Steve went along with it.
Arlene said to me,
"Can't you just confess?"
"I can't take any more
of all these trials."
"You're killing your adoptive mother
with all these trials."
"Without trials,
the police have nothing for the movie."
But the same day
I didn't contest the charges-
- the paper said the police
would make the movie either way.
But it's too late now.
But why...?
They convinced me that the officers
wouldn't be able to make their film-
- because they'd have to
be part of the court proceedings.
Why do you think Arlene and Steve
wanted you to confess?
Both Arlene and Steve suggested
how I could take my own life.
That's not very motherly.
- Kill yourself while you're sitting here?
- Yes.
They both suggested it.
It's neither very motherly
nor appropriate for a lawyer.
They even gave me
some ideas, which is pretty sick.
They're not on my side,
but it's too late now.
Now I just have to get through the rest
of these ridiculous trials-
- find a good detective
and a good investigative journalist-
- who can find out that I'm telling
the truth and that they're lying -
- and find the evidence.
If I just have the evidence,
I can get a new trial.
And before all this happened?
Before the crimes, you mean?
It was going well until Tyria said:
"Meet strangers and make more money."
But you had worked as a prostitute
for a while before that, hadn't you?
Money was pretty good then.
I made a lot of money.
The problem came
when Saudi Arabia came into the picture.
My regular customers went
to bases and trained-
- before going to Kuwait,
so I lost many regular customers.
So Tyria suggested that I take
strangers again, like when I started.
I only made $100 to $150 a week from the regulars.
Do you feel that Tyria was also after money?
- Was Tyria after money too?
- The way I see it now, yes, absolutely.
She took advantage of me.
So did my first partner.
I bought a laundromat for her,
and she skipped town after two months.
- And now Steve and Arlene.
- Everyone!
People only think about money.
"Aileen Wuornos deserves to die.
So what? Now we get to make money."
But that doesn't matter.
The principle is self-defense.
They say it's about the number.
It has nothing to do
with the number of people killed.
They say it's about the number.
Self-defense is self-defense,
even if it happens a hundred times.
I never provoked the men.
Not in any way.
I was very friendly,
decent and clean.
I didn't swear. Many times
I talked about Jesus and politics.
We never argued.
So they had no reason to
reach for the nearest weapon-
- and try to rape me.
Two did it, five tried.
How long? Two, three minutes?
Two, three more minutes.
I won't break any more rules.
What are you going to do? Will you try
to look into any of this?
If you can look for the contract
with Republican Pictures...
If you can find it,
I'll get a new trial.
- Republic Pictures...
- They're making the film "Overkill".
If you find the contract,
they're finished.
So you mean...
This section is covered
by a speaker-
- because of the legal problems
that could arise.
The same goes for the censored names
that follow.
They had made up their minds.
"Even though she is innocent, we will get
people to believe she is a serial killer."
"You have to get people to believe
that she is a serial killer-
-and you have to get her convicted."
We're going to be in Okala for a few days-
- and we'll try to ask the police
about their involvement in this
- We'll be back here Tuesday.
- Fine.
We tried to contact the officers. Lee
spoke about it, but they wouldn't comment.
The prosecutor ruled that the police
hadn't received any money from Republic Pictures.
Thanks. Take care of yourself.
When we returned on Tuesday-
- we were no longer welcome. The reason
was that we had broken the rules.
Next time I'll look better.
I'll get some mascara and a hairbrush.
Right after that, it was discovered that
Richard Mallory, Lee's first victim-
- had spent ten years in an institution
for attempted rape.
If the sentence is appealed,
Steve Glazer will not take the case.
Several months later, the film
discussions drew the attention of the police.
Both Munster and Binegar have been
transferred from the criminal investigation division-
- and here Sheriff Maugham announces
Dan Henry's dismissal-
- following a wiretapped conversation
about the film deal.
Hello.
This is one of the most unpleasant things
I have ever had to do.
I'll read a statement.
On November 10, 1992-
- Dan Henry had to resign from his
position with the Marion County police-
- after being informed of an investigation
led by the Florida police.
The investigation was requested
by Don Moreland and Alec Kenurtle-
- after information had
come to the authorities-
- from attorney Bill Ducotis
on behalf of his client Bruce Munster.
The Florida police investigation is based
on recordings of phone calls-
- between Munster and Henry
regarding the Aileen Wuornos case.
Some claimed that if the officers
accepted money-
- the death sentences could be overturned.
- Sheriff's office.
- May I speak with Sheriff Moreland?
He's not here right now.
Can I take a message?
May I speak with Inspector Butler?
- May I speak with Butler, please?
- He's not here right now.
- Can I speak with Tricia Jenkins?
- One moment.
She's in court.
Shall I have her call you back?
Sheriff's office.
- I'm trying Sheriff Moreland again.
- Unfortunately, he can't take your call now.
Do you know when he'll be back?
Is he coming back today?
I don't know.
He's got your message.
- Butler's office
- Yes, I'm trying Butler again.
He's in a meeting right now.
It'll be at least two hours
Steve Glazer here. Do you need someone
to defend your rights?
Leave a message after the tone.
Are Thorsteinsson
Broadcast Text Copenhagen, 2004
by millions of tourists every year:
Aileen "Lee" Wuornos was only 16
when she first arrived in Daytona Beach.
She made a living as a prostitute
and hitchhiked between exits.
She claimed to have had thousands of
men, and in 1989-90 she murdered seven men.
The FBI called Lee Wuornos
the first female serial killer in the USA.
- and since then
book and film offers have poured in.
Lee Wuornos's friend, Tyria Moore,
was initially suspected but never charged.
Before the two women were arrested,
they were known as the "Angels of Death".
Serial murder seems to have become
a brutal part of life.
They happen so often
that they seem ordinary.
But this is a murder spree
unlike any other.
First came Ted Bundy,
then the Gainesville murders-
- and now Florida is overshadowed
by the threat of yet another series of murders.
Eight men have been shot
on the highways of Florida-
-including on the tourist route I-75.
But the murders have a chilling twist.
For the first time in criminal history,
the killers may be women.
The main suspects are two young women
who posed as damsels in distress.
On January 9, 1991, Lee Wuornos was arrested
at a motorcycle bar in Daytona Beach.
- How are you doing?
- I want to confess to some murders.
This is police video of Lee
confessing to the murders of seven men.
Tyria Moore was never charged.
I wish I had never gotten that gun.
I wish I had never become a whore
- and that I had never done
what I did.
I still have to tell myself
that I did it in self-defense.
They were going to beat me up
or rape me from behind.
So I fought with them
and broke free.
Once I got free, I ran
to the car or jumped over the seat-
-grabbed the gun and started shooting.
Most of them were naked
because they had taken their clothes off.
They didn't think about
running back to the car.
I started shooting
at them from the car.
Hi, kids!
This is Steve Glazer, Lee's lawyer.
My parents abused me,
so I came up with an imaginary friend...
...and built him.
My dog died, so I've got Lothar here
to scare the junkies off.
Did you build Lothar yourself?
I built him
with my own hands!
For several years, Steve and Lothar
lived in an Indian tent.
This is Steve's office.
Before Steve became a lawyer,
he worked as a musician.
We're going to meet Arlene Pralle,
who adopted Lee Wuornos last year.
Arlene, a born-again Christian,
breeds Tennessee Walking Horses.
- Wolves.
- Does she breed wolves too?
My biggest problem is that Lee wants
$25,000 for an interview.
I thought it was illegal
to profit from your crimes,
but apparently it's not anymore.
Arlene asked Steve to look after
the adoption of Lee.
Nick Broomfield.
Do you know she carries our name?
Her name is Aileen Carol Wuornos Pralle.
- Because you adopted her.
- And changed her name.
You must be very close...
How did you come to realize
that you were so close?
It's a good story,
but I can't tell it.
Arlene won't say anything
until her daughter gets $25,000.
How Lee and I met,
I can't tell you-
- because then I'll get so eager
that I'll go on to the next hurdle-
- and then I can't stop.
It's like a horse that wants to jump.
It's a fascinating story-
- because all the people
in the play are so interesting.
You could probably even get an
interview with my doctor in Gainesville.
I was involved in an unfortunate incident
on April 14th last year. It was horrible.
I was kicked in the back, my liver
was ruptured and three ribs were broken.
My doctor said
that it was God's love-
- that passed through me
to Aileen Wuornos, who saved me.
They said I was going to die-
- but my love for her
saved me.
Everyone said I was going to die.
They called my husband in Las Vegas.
There's a lot in this that is,
as he says, "fascinating."
So the next step is to make a counteroffer.
No, the next step is to pay $25,000.
Otherwise you have to make a counteroffer so we have something to offer her.
Like I said before you drove over: don't come here thinking...
Don't come here thinking she'll talk to you without you paying
So we'd be giving the money...
...to you, as her legal...
As her mother and Steve, we get a share as her agent.
A very small share.
The relationship between Arlene and Lee
is very well documented-
- and it seemed cheaper
to buy footage from local TV
Horse breeder Arlene Pralle
has come to Aileen Wuornos's aid.
They often talk on the phone.
We've become really good friends.
She's nothing like how she's portrayed,
but very sweet and compassionate.
This year's Thanksgiving will be special
for the Pralle family.
They hope to spend it with their
newly adopted daughter, Aileen Wuornos.
There was something special
about her eyes-
- that told me she couldn't
have done what she was accused of.
A strange friendship developed.
The two women exchanged letters,
phone calls, and even poems.
Aileen wrote: "You're far too kind
for me to get to know."
It felt as if
I had always known that person-
-and I hadn't experienced that before.
Sometimes she's so depressed.
If I could just hold her
and pray, she would feel better.
Not being able to do that
drives me crazy.
The motive is not greed or
wanting to improve one's own situation.
It's a religious, spiritual wish
that Arlene and Robert fulfill.
Pralle is not interested
in a film contract.
The only motive
is old-fashioned Christian love-
-and a wish to have a family.
While we were waiting for Lee's answer -
-we went to Daytona Beach.
The police found the gun
Lee had used for the murders-
-in this lagoon.
Lee lived here
with Tyria Moore
- whom she was madly in love with.
They stayed at this motel
- and that's where they first saw
the police sketches.
Witnesses saw them in one of the victims' cars.
Tyria fled to Ohio.
Later, she betrayed Lee
and testified against her in court.
Lee was charged with all seven murders.
Tyria became the police's key witness.
This is Lee's
first court appearance.
She had a long history
of neglect and sexual abuse behind her.
Lee was born in 1956 in Troy, Michigan.
Three months later, her mother abandoned her.
In 1963, her father committed suicide.
He was in prison!
For molesting a seven-year-old.
Her relationship with Tyria Moore
was the most stable of her life.
Will you be represented by a lawyer?
Can you afford to hire one?
- Do you work?
- No. I'm in prison.
When did you last work?
In 1984, maybe.
- How do you support yourself?
- I was a call girl.
Do you own any real estate?
- Do you own a car?
- No.
I will appoint a public defender for you.
You are being held without the option
of bail.
According to the press, Lee often went
to The Last Resort
- a biker bar
where she was arrested by the police.
This could get interesting...
Where's it going?
We're looking for a guy named
Cannonball or something like that.
Can I help you?
Cannonball is the big guy over there.
How's it going?
How are you doing?
Did you know Lee well,
or not really?
About as well as a bartender knows
an occasional customer.
She was only here about a dozen times.
She wasn't a regular.
- Did she only come in now and then?
- She didn't have a car.
The bar was on the side of the road
she walked home on, so she'd pop in.
She got drunk down there
the night before she was arrested...
...then she came in here
and slept a bit on that seat.
She was here
when I came in the morning.
But I don't know anything about
what kind of person she was.
And since she was a dyke,
nobody tried to pick her up.
Dyke, lesbian.
Cannonball told us to come back when
"The Human Bomb" was performing.
He should have known Lee well.
3, 2, 1...
- How are you doing?
- Right now I feel very rattled.
- Did you know Lee well?
- Yes.
Can we talk in a few minutes?
We tracked down Dick Mills.
The papers had written
about his sexual adventure with the serial killer.
Dick Mills spent a week with
Lee, just before she was arrested.
Lee was devastated. The police were onto her,
and Tyria had just left her.
Hello.
Is this the article you mentioned?
The headline reads: "My sexual adventure
with the perverted murderer."
I just want to know which lawyer
is the best so I can sue them.
May I read a passage aloud and
hear whether you said what's written?
May I read a passage?
"At first she seemed normal-
- but then she started making
strange confessions."
"One night, when we were in bed...
...she started talking
about her sexual fantasies."
"She said she got turned on by
imagining-
- that she had a hood over her head
and was tied to a tree."
"A guy raped her
and shot her in the head."
"The murder gave her an orgasm.
I was disgusted by what she said."
Wrong.
Some of it is partly right, but most of it
I don't know where it comes from.
Check wherever you like,
I never said anything like that.
Once she said...
...that she wanted to lie in bed
with a hood over her head-
- and that someone would sneak in
through the window-
- and rape her.
The rest is made up.
Did you get the feeling
she hated men?
No, just that she was gay.
But I didn't know she was a mother.
Could you tell when you were making love?
No, not really.
She probably took what came along.
It was a bad experience for
both of us. But that's all nonsense.
Ask them
where they got that nonsense from.
Who told them those lies? Who gave
them permission to write lies?
The truth
isn't exactly what sells newspapers, is it?
She can't always have hated men.
You had some kind of relationship.
I don't know...
We were just two lonely,
desperate people.
We were two people who were a little
together. I can't explain it.
When you were making love, you couldn't
have felt that she hated men?
I didn't think about it much.
She probably just took what came, I suppose.
But judging by everything I've heard
and read since then...
Why didn't she kill you, do you think?
- You'll have to ask her that.
- What's your theory?
I don't know the other woman,
but I may have resembled her.
- Her partner, you mean?
- Yes, the woman she lived with.
Her name was Tye or something.
But you'll have to ask them.
Either this Tye
or Aileen herself.
Before Lee got her first death sentence-
- she had planned to live in this
cabin on Arlene's ranch.
Arlene also breeds wolves.
She believes they represent
an important part of our spiritual life.
We had been in Florida for a week
without a word from Lee.
Arlene claimed
that they were close
- but clearly something was wrong.
Now Arlene seemed to be negotiating
to get paid for taking part herself.
She said she had been offered
10,000 dollars by a TV company.
How much would you want
if Lee isn't involved?
Talk to Steve.
I asked if he could be my agent, and he said yes.
He said I should ask journalists to call him.
- What would be a fair amount?
- I have no idea.
I've never done this before.
- Talk to Steve.
- Do you think it'll be less?
It depends on how much...
How many days you'll be staying here,
what you want to see.
Do you want the tapes,
the new material?
The poems, the letters, the drawings?
He can probably write up
some kind of contract.
Talk to him, he's my agent.
An agent, do you understand that?
Arlene adopted Lee before the trial
for the murder of Richard Mallory.
The lawyer at the time was criticized
because she didn't point out to the court
that Mallory had been in prison
for attempted rape.
Many believe that his rape of Lee
is what led her to start killing.
He put the rope around my neck
and said, "Die, you bitch."
He said:
"You're going to do everything
I tell you to do."
"Otherwise I'll kill you right now
and fuck you afterward
- just like I did
with the other whores."
"It makes no difference to me."
"Your body will still be
warm for my big cock."
He pulled on the rope, and I held
on like this. He said:
"Do you want to die, you bitch?"
I shook my head.
"Will you do everything
I tell you to?" I nodded.
Then he told me
to lie down on the seat.
What happened then?
Then he started...
...anal sex
He did it
in a very violent way.
And then...
I don't know if he came or not.
I'm speaking the way people do on the street.
I don't know if he did.
Then he pulled out violently and
thrust hard into my vagina.
- Did you say anything to him?
- No, I cried like a madwoman.
What happened then?
Okay...
He takes some Vaseline...
...he lifts my legs up
and pours something...
...something that turns out to be
massage oil...
...into my rectum.
And it hurt terribly,
because he had torn me up.
And then he poured alcohol into my vagina-
-and it hurt insanely.
Then he went and sat down
in the driver's seat next to me-
-and opened my nostrils
-and sprayed alcohol up my nose.
He said, "I'm saving the eyes
for the grand finale."
I was beside myself with rage.
I screamed at him and everything.
He laughed and said, "I love
hearing you cry and all that pain."
I thought I had to fight,
or I would die.
He had already said he had murdered
other girls. I had to fight.
I jumped up
and spat in his face.
He said, "You're dead meat."
I quickly lay down
and grabbed my bag.
He came at me-
-and I pulled the gun out of the bag.
He came at me-
- and I shot twice,
as fast as I could.
Lee expected to be acquitted-
- but the judge allowed evidence
from the six other murders.
You, Aileen Carol Wuornos, are sentenced
to death in the electric chair.
May God have mercy on you.
Scumbag!
Most of us never end up in prison-
- but if you get drawn into the justice system,
you need a lawyer.
Completely unexpectedly, Lee decided
to hire Steve-
- to defend her
on the following three murder charges.
Steve got a lot of attention
in the media when the trial began.
Arlene thought
that Lee should confess her sins.
Aileen Wuornos gave no indication
that she would not contest the charge.
Instead, she talked about how she
had hired lawyer Steve Glazer.
But Glazer surprised everyone and said
that Wuornos would change her plea.
The country's first female serial killer
would not contest
- that she murdered Dick Humphreys,
Troy Burrows and David Spears.
It was seen as a confession
- and Wuornos still faced
the death penalty for each charge.
The judge questioned Wuornos at length
about her decision.
God has forgiven her
- so why not accept the death penalty? She
can go home to Jesus in a few years.
If you want to be saved
by Jesus Christ...
...you must first
confess your sins
- and that is what she does.
If I could choose,
I would rather be in heaven.
God has not chosen me,
but Lee has the chance.
I have made peace with the Lord
and asked for forgiveness.
I'm sorry that my self-defense
led to a trial
- but I take full
responsibility for my actions.
I'm sorry for all the pain
my actions have caused.
I am ready to die
if you say it is necessary.
It seemed as if Lee Wuornos hoped
for a pardon, but it did not turn out that way.
In case 91-463, I sentence you to death
for the murder of Troy Burrows.
In case 91-304, I sentence you to death
for the murder of Charles Humphreys.
In case 91-112, I sentence you to death
for the murder of David Speers.
Thank you.
I'll be up in heaven
while you all rot in hell.
I hope you get raped
from behind one of these days.
Will it be you
handling the appeal, Mr. Glazer?
I hope your wives and children
get raped from behind.
I will appoint a public defender
to handle the appeal.
I'll say one more thing.
I was raped,
and you are a bunch of bastards.
Executing someone who has
been raped... You goddamn bastard!
Steve played this song for Lee
after the death sentences.
Before he gets his last meal
they shave his head
and ask how he is doing
the prison warden says goodbye
the journalists are to watch him die
watch him strapped into a chair
have you seen the charm of the Iron Lady?
Steel legs, leather on her arms,
where you're strapped in to die
life for life and eye for eye
that's how the Iron Lady looks in her chair
I haven't sung it in a long time. I can do it again later.
- What did Lee think of it?
- I sang it for her.
I sang it for her in the cell. She liked it. Especially this part...
"Look at the scales of justice.
If you can afford it, you can appeal."
"High fees are paid. A rich man
is never dead in this chair."
We set off to visit Lee
in the prison at Everglades-
- a seven-hour drive from Gainesville.
Lee missed Tyria terribly
and hardly spoke to anyone.
Arlene and Steve hadn't heard from Lee
in over two weeks.
I realized they weren't as close to Lee
as I had first thought.
Lee is in a death cell
six by eight feet:
We were supposed to meet her
in the prison chapel.
We've told Wuornos
that you're here-
-but she refuses to take visitors.
I asked the division officer
to get that in writing.
That's not true!
Her laundry hasn't come back,
and she won't wear a dress.
She doesn't have to wear a dress.
She refuses to get dressed.
We drove all the way from Gainesville.
Every time we ask,
she's being difficult.
We can't force her.
But I'll ask her to write it down
so I don't get in trouble.
Hey! We were just looking for you.
Did you walk in this heat?
- Why didn't you drive?
- The gate was locked.
It's just so the horses
don't run off. How did it go?
Rita is completely done in.
This isn't good.
She wouldn't talk to us.
- Why?!
- No idea.
She just wouldn't talk to us, so we got nowhere.
It's a shock.
Steve's going there on Thursday, so go with him.
Arlene and Steve still insisted
they didn't know what was wrong.
They couldn't explain
why they hadn't heard from Lee.
We're wondering
if you can explain why.
The only thing I can think of...
...is that because I was trying
to keep discipline-
- maybe she was trying to punish
Steve and me.
- We lost in court, after all.
- How did you keep discipline?
I wrote and told her she behaved
terribly in the courtroom-
-and that she had to improve.
- Was that when she gave the judge the finger?
- Yes. I wrote a very sharp letter.
I also wrote that I was tired
of her doubting me and Steve.
It wasn't his fault that we lost.
Possibly with money...
She knows how badly off we are,
and that she could help out-
- and this is her way
of punishing us.
"I'm not giving any interviews
so they get money."
- Why do you think she was so angry?
- Because we lost.
She said she wanted to die,
but she wants to live.
It's like saying "I'm hungry"
even though you don't want to eat.
But when she got the three death sentences,
she was furious.
Steve insisted that Lee would die.
His whole justification
for the confession was built on that.
- Are you sure she's going to die?
- Yes, I am.
I'm sure that she,
in her anger and grief and pain-
- and because it's hard to live with
having killed seven people -
- will die for what she's done.
She cried when she said,
"I'm not afraid to die."
"If you think it's necessary
to kill me, then let it happen."
As I told her
from the very beginning...
...I will help her.
It doesn't feel good, but I have to
be there when they strap her down.
She asked me to be there.
I said, "You have the right to have
an attorney and a priest with you."
"If you want, I'll go with you
and be there for your last moments."
I'll deal with the pain later.
I've spoken with several lawyers
who've watched clients be executed-
- and they said it's something you never
forget. I'm not looking forward to it-
- but as her friend,
I want to be there for her.
I'll give her the same advice
Woody Allen gave in his film.
I don't remember which film it was.
The lawyer's advice to the client is:
"Don't sit down."
This is called death row.
If Lee is executed-
- she'll be the first woman in Florida
to go to the electric chair.
In this cell, inmates are held
for up to seven days before the execution.
At five in the morning, he's taken out-
- and has his head
and right leg shaved.
Then he's led down a corridor
that leads to the electric chair.
He's escorted
by the assistant warden-
- and the chief correctional officer
and brought into the execution room itself.
He's placed in the chair
in front of the media witnesses-
- and the official witnesses, who
have already taken their seats.
He's placed in the chair-
- and the straps are fastened across his chest,
his thighs and his arms.
His legs are strapped down
with these straps.
Then the warden checks
that the straps are fitted correctly.
Then he walks over to the microphone
we have here-
- and holds it up to the inmate
so he can make a final statement.
Sometimes he says something,
other times he doesn't.
Once this is done,
the warden goes to the phone-
- and checks with the governor's office
to see whether there is a stay of execution.
If there is no stay-
- the electrode is placed
on the inmate's head.
It's a cap with an electrode in it,
which is fastened on the head.
Then one of these electrodes
is attached to the top of the cap.
Another device is fastened
around the calf-
- and the second electrode
is mounted on it.
When everything is ready, the
warden signals to the executioner-
- who is located in here,
in the execution room.
He nods to the executioner
that he may carry out the execution.
The executioner flips a switch.
- which starts an automatic circuit
of about 2,400 volts and 8 amps.
Once that's done,
- you can see the inmate tense up
when the current hits him.
Almost as if he were lifting weights.
That's the only movement you see.
When it's over, two
doctors come in here
- and examine the body
to see whether the inmate is dead.
It was six o'clock. Steve was going to visit
Lee and hopefully get us in with her.
He said
the trip required seven joints
- and he had a tape with him on which he
sang and played all the instruments.
I'm giving you the keys.
If I'm not out in three and a half hours,
call the emergency squad.
Steve hadn't spoken with Lee
in a month
- and didn't know how she would
respond at the next trial.
If Lee changed her plea and pleaded
not guilty, he would have to withdraw.
Because he didn't have the resources
to continue.
I had given Steve 10,000 dollars -
- instead of the 25,000 dollars,
seemingly with Lee's consent.
Suddenly a guard came out
of the guardroom and stopped us.
We had broken the rules
by driving along the fence.
Do you have a pocketknife?
A pistol, a shotgun, rocket launchers?
Here's the contract.
The visit had gone well.
Lee Wuornos would still
not contest the charge
- and Steve and Arlene would get
2,500 dollars each.
Here I'm paying Arlene in advance
in exchange for a real interview.
Shall we say 1,000 dollars on Sun Up
in the fourth race at Belmont?
Then Steve became worried about his payment.
She wants to know when I'll
be paid. I said I trust you all.
- When will I be paid?
- We'd pay half in advance.
Will you pay everything at the end? All right.
I trust my fellow human beings.
A thousand dollars was to go
directly to Lee Wuornos in prison.
I thought the "Son of Sam law"
forbade it
- but Steve said
that the "Son of Sam" no longer applies.
- How did you hear about her?
- I read about her in the newspaper.
My father was in the hospital
- and my husband and I had nothing better
to do than read the newspapers.
As soon as we saw her eyes in the paper-
- I knew she could not
be a serial killer.
We prayed for two and a half weeks-
-and then we wrote her a letter.
I wrote that Jesus himself had told me
to write to her.
She wrote that she had said:
"God, if You exist, then send
a Christian woman into my life."
So she got my letter,
and it was like an explosion.
And here is this person.
That's how it began.
After many phone calls
and hundreds of letters-
-and phone bills running into thousands
of dollars... this is where we are today.
Arlene felt that Lee should
confess her sins to Jesus.
This is my favorite photo. It was taken
after she had cleared the table.
- What do you mean by "cleared the table"?
- She didn't contest the charges.
You can see it in her face...
It's one of the few pictures of her
that shows she is happy.
It's the first time that she...
I think she's relieved.
She's smiling with relief.
The pictures the newspapers publish
are always the least flattering.
Now that Lee had been paid for,
we went back to the prison.
We're here to try
to talk to Lee Wuornos.
I can't hear. Are you saying "Aileen"?
I want to see your driver's licenses, his
driver's license and her driver's license.
You want to see our driver's licenses?
Then we'll have to get them from the car.
You must be Mr. Broomfield. You were the
hostage at the back gate, weren't you?
You were held hostage at the back gate.
Unfortunately, we drove around
and filmed the facility.
I want to see photo ID or a driver's license.
We waited an hour to get an escort.
Then we were told
that Lee again refused to talk.
Since Tyria betrayed her,
Lee obviously just wanted to be left alone.
People wanted to see her executed,
and every county would do it.
- Why don't you want to be present?
- I'm tired of the reelection talk.
They're just trying to win votes
with this, and I'm tired of it.
I'll probably get three death sentences
and then two more in Pasco and Dixon.
How many times are they going to kill me? This is nonsense.
They're wasting taxpayers' money!
Several of the victims' families
will attend the execution.
Steve is even talking about selling
the film rights to the highest bidder.
The criminals can't imagine-
- the grief, the pain, and the agony
they have caused this family.
This was a man that I...
I hope
she ends up in the chair.
You know what that means:
As far as I'm concerned, the other woman
can hold her hand.
People were worried that
Tyria Moore hadn't come forward sooner:
The other girl could have prevented some
of it if she had come forward in time.
She knew about some of it,
but she said nothing.
Four men might have been
saved if she had done so.
Mrs. Prater's brother was the fourth victim.
Lee became more withdrawn and hostile.
- I don't want to be here.
- You don't have to be here, but...
I want to go back to prison.
I'm already on death row.
This is only for the purpose
of getting you reelected.
This is nonsense. I'm trying
to save the taxpayers money.
You'll keep going
to impress the public.
I'll just wait for the chair-
- and leave this planet,
which is full of evil and corruption.
Lee Wuornos claimed
that Richard Mallory raped her.
Many believed her,
but what about the other six victims?
We contacted the police-
- Lee's former appointed attorney,
the psychiatrist, and Tyria Moore-
-but they all refused to comment.
During the trial, Lee was
described as a wounded child-
- who sees the world as a place full
of evil spirits.
It was said that she had temper tantrums-
- and was too immature
to understand the finality of death.
Mike Reynolds has written a book
about Wuornos called "Dead Ends".
Lee's life... She was finished.
She never really made an effort
as a prostitute.
She also never really made an effort
with her previous crimes.
She didn't have much to offer.
She was overweight, drank beer... She never dressed like a prostitute.
She wore cut-off jeans, sneakers, a T-shirt, a cap and glasses.
She didn't make herself available.
She crept in, said "these are my kids" and showed the photos of the children.
Roy Groddy's children,
"I need money."
"I can do that. We can drive into the woods."
The options had started to run out.
It was the night before the trial in Passo.
Other lawyers accused Steve of hastening Lee's execution.
They distanced themselves from Steve.
I'm a court-appointed defense attorney
who pretends
that I'm doing something good
when the rich get to walk free and the poor are left behind,
so I wonder what I'm doing here.
Steve still claims that Lee will die.
Why was she so angry when she was sentenced?
Why did she have a fit of rage? Why did she give the judge the finger?
Why did she react the way she did toward you and Arlene?
You may be misunderstanding that.
Lee wasn't angry with me afterward.
I thought she hadn't written to any of you in a long time.
She changed her statement in court on March 31. The sentence was handed down on May 15.
Since May 15, only 30 days have passed.
During that time I've written to Lee twice and visited her.
Have you just visited her?
We got to see Lee Wuornos on her way to court.
She's become something of a star. Even before the arrest,
up to 15 film companies competed for her story.
Republic Pictures and CBS have produced the TV movie "Overkill",
with Jean Smart as Lee Wuornos, and two feature films are on the way.
And then there are the talk shows, the documentaries and the books.
For every copy of "On a Killing Day" sold, Arlene Pralle gets 33% of the profits.
These deals seemed to upset Lee more than anything else.
I want to say...
To the public
and the whole of humanity...
...and to the journalists-
- who have worked on these cases
for the past 16 months-
- and who have reported libel
and lies in 98.6% of the articles...
They were probably paid
by the police-
- to make me look
like a monster, which I'm not.
I will expose the criminal
officers to the whole world-
- not just to America or Florida,
before I die.
I also feel...
...that the film "Overkill",
which is completely made up...
...falsely portrayed me
as the first female serial killer-
-for the sake of that film.
Because I am no female serial killer-
-and my confessions prove it.
They took the confession
and went 200% against it-
-to get their lying film made.
The confession claimed self-defense,
which they hid from the jury-
-and have kept hidden from the public.
Lee claims she is not a serial killer
because the crimes were not planned.
Lee is also surrounded by experts who compete
to explain her behavior.
She is portrayed as everything from
an neglected child who hates her father
- to a sadist
who enjoys the victims' suffering
Heredity researchers have requested
tissue samples-
- and there are plans
to preserve Lee Wuornos' brain.
We chase Sheriff Don Moreland
across a parking lot.
Moreland has avoided questions
about three officers -
- who are said to have negotiated with
Hollywood a month before Lee's arrest.
We have also contacted the defense attorney,
the state attorney-
- and the prosecutor.
All have refused to speak with us.
We tried to get Moreland to talk,
but he just locked the door from inside.
The only one who would talk to us
was Chief Deputy Brian Jarvis-
-who led the investigation.
I asked whether the case had led
to him being demoted.
I was transferred
to patrol duty.
That happened after a month
of constant harassment -
- which began when Captain Binegar
realized that I knew about the plans-
- about working with Tyria Moore
to get the film rights.
And who was Tyria Moore?
During the investigation, she was suspected
of being one of the two killers.
Three of his colleagues:
Binegar, Munster and Henry
- took part in film discussions
with Tyria Moore.
After the arrest, Lee Wuornos
was charged with the murder.
Tyria Moore was never charged at all,
but she became the prosecution's witness
- and worked with my colleagues
to get the film rights.
Tyria was found in Ohio. She agreed to get
her partner to confess.
We were sitting watching TV when she said
she had something to tell us.
I asked what, and she said
she had shot and killed a man.
- She loved you, didn't she?
- Yes.
She said she would do
anything for you, didn't she?
And to get her to say what you wanted,
you lied to her.
- Many times, didn't you?
- Maybe.
- Do you remember giving a statement?
- Yes.
Tyria Moore agreed
to try to get Lee to confess.
Tyria was taken to a motel
in Marion County.
From there she called
Lee several times
- who was in jail at the time, but had
not yet confessed to the murders.
The phone calls were wiretapped
by the police.
Hello? Yes. Yes.
Hi. I had to call early, because I
didn't know if you were going out today.
What the hell is going on, Lee?
They've been at my parents' place again.
They're asking my sister questions.
- Why are they asking her questions?
- I don't know.
- They're after me, Lee.
- No, they're not.
Then why are they asking so much?
Listen, honey... Just do
what you have to do.
I have to, because I won't go to prison
for something you did.
My mom keeps calling.
She doesn't understand what's happening.
Do what you have to do.
Ty... I won't let you end up
in prison.
Apparently you don't love me anymore.
You'd let me get in trouble
for something I didn't do.
- Don't cry and listen to me.
- I can't handle it. I'm scared.
I don't know whether to keep living or to...
- What if they don't believe me?
- I won't let you go to prison.
If I have to confess,
then I will.
- Why did you do it?
- I don't know.
Ty.
I'll probably never
see you again.
I love you.
If I have to confess so that you won't be in trouble, then I'll do it.
So don't worry.
I love you.
Do it now.
- Right now?
- Yes, just get it over with.
- Okay.
- You can call me later. Goodbye.
In her confession, Lee said that she confessed for Ty's sake.
She said the police had come to her home. She was in floods of tears.
"My family is devastated.
I haven't done anything."
"You dragged me into this because of the car that got smashed."
"You have to say you did it,
so I can be cleared."
I said yes.
That's why I'm doing this now.
Her family shouldn't have
to suffer for something I did.
Tyria came
from a typical family in a small town,
which is what Lee was drawn to.
I'm going to miss her
for the rest of my life.
She's a good person,
so sweet and kind.
As soon as anything happens in the Wuornos case,
we're affected by it.
On October 31st,
- just a few days after the interrogations,
I came home from work
- and found a note
on the back door.
It said that if I didn't keep my mouth shut,
my family would get hurt.
I didn't think much of it,
because I'd gotten threatening letters before.
But I handed it over to the police
in case anything happened.
Less than a month later,
my wife had gone to the post office...
It was midday.
When she got home, there had been
a break-in. She went up to my office
- and all the papers on the Wuornos case
had been destroyed. Everything else was untouched.
This is the note
that was on Brian Jarvis' door.
He suspects the break-in
has to do with the case,
- but has not been able to prove who the guilty party is
I reached out to many different departments
within the police-
-to get it cleared up.
Instead, the police accused the media
of breaking into my house.
They refused to acknowledge that something
was wrong and that they had to look into it.
Then they accused me
of having arranged the break-in.
Now Brian works as a private investigator.
He has quit the police.
That's when I understood that the prosecutor's office
would not do anything in Okala.
The police were not doing their job here.
I wrote to the FBI.
It took four months to get an answer.
In the meantime, we were literally
awake for weeks on end-
-because we were afraid of falling asleep.
It destroyed our whole way of life.
The evidence against Tyria Moore...
She was in possession of things from one
of the victims, but was never charged.
She was recognized
when we showed the composite sketches.
A clerk had seen two people
who fit the descriptions.
The time she gave matched
the time Mr. Humphreys had been there.
We had found
a receipt in his car.
She never saw the photos of the girls.
Her witness statement was never followed up.
There is no evidence that
Tyria Moore was involved in the murders.
The clerk remembered Tyria and Lee,
but refused to be interviewed.
None of the witnesses would talk to us.
This man met Tyria and Lee-
-when they smashed up a car belonging
to Peter Sims, one of the victims.
If you don't leave here,
I'm calling the police!
We just want to ask a few questions
about Lee Wuornos and Tyria Moore.
I have nothing to say.
Something happened in that car
before or after.
Because there was a guy named Ray
who owned it, right?
We tried to talk to him, but he
seemed scared. Why do you think that is?
Maybe he's afraid the girl
will run off and murder him.
Tyria was the one driving. Lee never
implicated Tyria in the murders.
In the enigmatic Tyria Moore...
Michael McCarthy is writing a book
with Brian Jarvis.
For the first time in her life, she found
a person she loved.
She was willing
to do anything-
- to provide for something she had never had, a traditional family.
They became a couple. She was the "husband" and Tyria Moore was the "wife".
Out of this came a life of bitterness, frustration and rage.
And who does she murder? She murders her father over and over and over again.
She kept murdering the same man.
We don't know what triggered it, but you don't need to be...
...a Sigmund Freud to see what kind of relationship she had with her father.
Those middle-aged white men must have stood for everything she hated in our culture.
Arlene had written to Lee-
- and said that she didn't trust my eyes.
Arlene hadn't visited Lee in over two months-
- and let it be known that she wished she had never heard of her.
I'm asking you to turn off the cameras...
- You've got half of the money.
- I haven't got anything.
You got 1,250 dollars from us!
This has nothing to do with money, but with you violating my privacy.
Turn off the cameras...
This is about you breaking an agreement and a contract.
Steven Glazer is supposed to be here. I can't see Mr. Glazer here.
It doesn't say we may only film you when Mr. Glazer is present.
No, but it also doesn't say that I have to talk to you today.
- We were supposed to meet on Sunday.
- With Mr. Glazer.
No, that was your arrangement with him, it has nothing to do with us.
We've been here for four weeks. We were supposed to meet Lee the first week.
I have the right to refuse you. I'll talk to you with my lawyer.
I think you're a very deceitful person. You've tricked us.
I think you're incredibly calculating, and I've had enough.
I'll talk to you together with Mr. Glazer. Period.
I don't like being filmed after a hard day's work.
- You've been paid, partly...
- I haven't got anything.
We gave you 1,250 dollars the last time we were here!
Steve Glazer put them in your hand. We filmed it.
For the fifth time, turn off the cameras.
- Did you get the money or not?
- I'm not saying any more.
Lee has agreed to meet us. Steve will make sure we get in.
"'1967, and the songs keep spinning on www!"
Sorry, I didn't hear you.
Good.
Can you tell me when she's ready?
- You don't have any hidden cameras, do you?
- No, just the big one here.
Hello, how are you doing?
Sorry it took so long, but there was
no chance after the trial.
After the interrogation, I mean.
- After the interrogation in court?
- Yes, in Pasco.
- It's been hard to get hold of you.
- I know.
Have you had problems with Arlene?
It's been a bit difficult.
- Did you know that?
- Yes, she told me.
I said some things to Arlene.
- I hope you got the money.
- Yes, I did.
As long as they get their share. I'm only thinking
of the corrupt police officers.
One thing
I wanted to ask you was...
...why the money was so important.
How much can you use here?
The money isn't important to me,
but it seems to be for you.
No, I was just wondering...
Most of it probably goes
to Arlene and Steve.
Arlene and Steve seem
to be the greedy ones, yes.
I have my doubts about Arlene and Steve,
and I think that's what they're after.
And I think that's why
they want to see me dead.
I told Arlene that I thought
she was manipulative.
- Did you give them more than ten thousand?
- No.
I don't trust them.
I have my doubts about Arlene
and Steve. I think that they...
I can't talk about it now,
especially not in front of the camera.
Arlene didn't adopt me to become
my mother, but to bury me.
She only adopted me
so she could visit me more easily.
Steve has been very
in the media, and Arlene too.
They make me furious, because I think
their only motive was to make money.
I can't go into that any further.
But I will later,
probably just before I die.
How much did they have to do with
your changing your defense strategy?
They persuaded me.
- They talked me into it.
- Into not contesting the charges.
Let me give you an example,
and this one makes me furious.
Steve and Arlene wanted me
not to contest the charges.
Arlene started it, I think,
and Steve went along with it.
Arlene said to me,
"Can't you just confess?"
"I can't take any more
of all these trials."
"You're killing your adoptive mother
with all these trials."
"Without trials,
the police have nothing for the movie."
But the same day
I didn't contest the charges-
- the paper said the police
would make the movie either way.
But it's too late now.
But why...?
They convinced me that the officers
wouldn't be able to make their film-
- because they'd have to
be part of the court proceedings.
Why do you think Arlene and Steve
wanted you to confess?
Both Arlene and Steve suggested
how I could take my own life.
That's not very motherly.
- Kill yourself while you're sitting here?
- Yes.
They both suggested it.
It's neither very motherly
nor appropriate for a lawyer.
They even gave me
some ideas, which is pretty sick.
They're not on my side,
but it's too late now.
Now I just have to get through the rest
of these ridiculous trials-
- find a good detective
and a good investigative journalist-
- who can find out that I'm telling
the truth and that they're lying -
- and find the evidence.
If I just have the evidence,
I can get a new trial.
And before all this happened?
Before the crimes, you mean?
It was going well until Tyria said:
"Meet strangers and make more money."
But you had worked as a prostitute
for a while before that, hadn't you?
Money was pretty good then.
I made a lot of money.
The problem came
when Saudi Arabia came into the picture.
My regular customers went
to bases and trained-
- before going to Kuwait,
so I lost many regular customers.
So Tyria suggested that I take
strangers again, like when I started.
I only made $100 to $150 a week from the regulars.
Do you feel that Tyria was also after money?
- Was Tyria after money too?
- The way I see it now, yes, absolutely.
She took advantage of me.
So did my first partner.
I bought a laundromat for her,
and she skipped town after two months.
- And now Steve and Arlene.
- Everyone!
People only think about money.
"Aileen Wuornos deserves to die.
So what? Now we get to make money."
But that doesn't matter.
The principle is self-defense.
They say it's about the number.
It has nothing to do
with the number of people killed.
They say it's about the number.
Self-defense is self-defense,
even if it happens a hundred times.
I never provoked the men.
Not in any way.
I was very friendly,
decent and clean.
I didn't swear. Many times
I talked about Jesus and politics.
We never argued.
So they had no reason to
reach for the nearest weapon-
- and try to rape me.
Two did it, five tried.
How long? Two, three minutes?
Two, three more minutes.
I won't break any more rules.
What are you going to do? Will you try
to look into any of this?
If you can look for the contract
with Republican Pictures...
If you can find it,
I'll get a new trial.
- Republic Pictures...
- They're making the film "Overkill".
If you find the contract,
they're finished.
So you mean...
This section is covered
by a speaker-
- because of the legal problems
that could arise.
The same goes for the censored names
that follow.
They had made up their minds.
"Even though she is innocent, we will get
people to believe she is a serial killer."
"You have to get people to believe
that she is a serial killer-
-and you have to get her convicted."
We're going to be in Okala for a few days-
- and we'll try to ask the police
about their involvement in this
- We'll be back here Tuesday.
- Fine.
We tried to contact the officers. Lee
spoke about it, but they wouldn't comment.
The prosecutor ruled that the police
hadn't received any money from Republic Pictures.
Thanks. Take care of yourself.
When we returned on Tuesday-
- we were no longer welcome. The reason
was that we had broken the rules.
Next time I'll look better.
I'll get some mascara and a hairbrush.
Right after that, it was discovered that
Richard Mallory, Lee's first victim-
- had spent ten years in an institution
for attempted rape.
If the sentence is appealed,
Steve Glazer will not take the case.
Several months later, the film
discussions drew the attention of the police.
Both Munster and Binegar have been
transferred from the criminal investigation division-
- and here Sheriff Maugham announces
Dan Henry's dismissal-
- following a wiretapped conversation
about the film deal.
Hello.
This is one of the most unpleasant things
I have ever had to do.
I'll read a statement.
On November 10, 1992-
- Dan Henry had to resign from his
position with the Marion County police-
- after being informed of an investigation
led by the Florida police.
The investigation was requested
by Don Moreland and Alec Kenurtle-
- after information had
come to the authorities-
- from attorney Bill Ducotis
on behalf of his client Bruce Munster.
The Florida police investigation is based
on recordings of phone calls-
- between Munster and Henry
regarding the Aileen Wuornos case.
Some claimed that if the officers
accepted money-
- the death sentences could be overturned.
- Sheriff's office.
- May I speak with Sheriff Moreland?
He's not here right now.
Can I take a message?
May I speak with Inspector Butler?
- May I speak with Butler, please?
- He's not here right now.
- Can I speak with Tricia Jenkins?
- One moment.
She's in court.
Shall I have her call you back?
Sheriff's office.
- I'm trying Sheriff Moreland again.
- Unfortunately, he can't take your call now.
Do you know when he'll be back?
Is he coming back today?
I don't know.
He's got your message.
- Butler's office
- Yes, I'm trying Butler again.
He's in a meeting right now.
It'll be at least two hours
Steve Glazer here. Do you need someone
to defend your rights?
Leave a message after the tone.
Are Thorsteinsson
Broadcast Text Copenhagen, 2004