AILEEN Carol “Lee” WUORNOS (d: 2002); born Aileen Carol Pittman on this date; Wuornos was an American serial killer and sex worker who murdered seven men in Florida in 1989 and 1990 by shooting them at point-blank range. Wuornos asserted that her victims had either raped or attempted to rape her while she was servicing them, and that all of the homicides were committed in self-defense. She was convicted and sentenced to death for six of the murders and was executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002.

The theatrical film Monster (2003), starred Charlize Theron as Wuornos. It chronicles Wuornos’ story from childhood until her first murder conviction. The film earned Theron an Academy Award for Best Actress.