Aileen Wuornos Victims List
Aileen Wuornos is one of the most discussed—and debated—figures in modern American criminal history. Between late 1989 and late 1990 she killed a series of motorists in Florida; the case raised fraught questions about violence, gender, trauma, the criminal justice system, and how media frames people who commit horrific crimes. This post compiles a clear, respectful, non-graphic victims list (names, ages, dates, locations, and brief context), explains how investigators connected the murders, and provides reliable sources and thoughtful context so readers understand what we know and why this case still matters.
A short overview Aileen Wuornos
- Aileen Carol Wuornos committed murders in Florida between November 1989 and November 1990.
- She was convicted of six counts of first-degree murder and was executed in Florida by lethal injection in October 2002.
- Authorities attributed seven killings to Wuornos during that period; some reporting distinguishes between six convictions and seven admitted or suspected victims.
Aileen Wuornos Victims Timeline (1989–1990)
This timeline follows the seven known or suspected victims of Aileen Wuornos, charting when and where each killing occurred, how investigators linked the crimes, and what evidence tied them together. All descriptions are factual and non-graphic.

November 30, 1989 – Richard Charles “Dick” Mallory (51)
- Location: Clearwater area, Pinellas County, Florida
- Discovery: Body found December 13, 1989, in a wooded area off a dirt road.
- Details: Mallory, an electronics store owner from Clearwater, disappeared after picking up Wuornos. His car was found later in Volusia County. Wuornos later claimed the incident began as self-defense. His death marked the start of what would become a year-long string of murders.
- Significance: Police initially had few leads, but this first case later became the foundation of the prosecution’s timeline once they connected it to later victims.
May 19, 1990 – David Andrew Spears (47)
- Location: Citrus County, Florida
- Discovery: Spears was reported missing by his family. His body was found on June 1, 1990, near U.S. Route 19.
- Details: Spears was a construction worker traveling across Florida for a job when he disappeared. Investigators noted similarities to the Mallory case — male victim, shot multiple times, vehicle later abandoned — beginning to suggest a pattern.
- Significance: The timing and circumstances strengthened suspicions that a serial offender was targeting lone male motorists.
May 31, 1990 – Charles Edmund Carskaddon (40)
- Location: Pasco County, Florida
- Discovery: Found June 6, 1990, near Interstate 75.
- Details: Carskaddon was a part-time rodeo worker driving to meet his fiancée. Police found his car abandoned several counties away, and pawn shop records later showed items belonging to him were sold under aliases used by Wuornos.
- Significance: The reuse of stolen items and vehicles was one of the key patterns that helped law enforcement connect separate homicide investigations.
June 1990 – Peter Abraham Siems (65)
- Location: Missing from Jupiter, Florida; car found in Orange Springs
- Discovery: Siems’s body was never recovered. His vehicle was discovered July 4, 1990.
- Details: Siems, a retired merchant seaman, was traveling to Arkansas when he vanished. Witnesses reported seeing two women abandoning his car after an accident. A latent palm print lifted from the interior matched Aileen Wuornos.
- Significance: This was a breakthrough in the case. Forensic evidence now directly tied Wuornos to one of the victims for the first time.
July 31, 1990 – Troy Eugene Burress (50)
- Location: Marion County, Florida
- Discovery: Burress was reported missing after failing to return from a delivery route; his body was found August 4, 1990.
- Details: Burress worked as a sausage salesman for a local food company. His truck was found abandoned along State Road 19, close to where his remains were located.
- Significance: The pattern of abandoned vehicles, similar weapon use, and stolen property all pointed toward a single perpetrator operating in central Florida.
September 11, 1990 – Charles Richard “Dick” Humphreys (56)
- Location: Marion County, Florida
- Discovery: His body was found September 12, 1990; his car later turned up in Suwannee County.
- Details: Humphreys was a retired Air Force major and former state child abuse investigator. He had been on his way to visit family when he disappeared.
- Significance: The high-profile background of this victim intensified media attention. Investigators from several counties began pooling evidence, recognizing a serial pattern across multiple jurisdictions.
November 19, 1990 – Walter Gino Antonio (61)
- Location: Dixie County, Florida
- Discovery: Body found near a logging road; car located later in Brevard County.
- Details: Antonio was a trucker and part-time reserve police officer from Merritt Island. His death occurred roughly two months after Humphreys’s, showing that Wuornos was still active despite increased police pressure.
- Significance: This was the final known killing attributed to Wuornos before her arrest two months later. His case provided the last crucial link in the series investigators had been piecing together.
January 9, 1991 – The Arrest
After identifying Wuornos’s fingerprints and pawn transactions tied to several victims, police launched a multi-county investigation. Wuornos was arrested at a biker bar in Volusia County after being under surveillance for several days. Tyria Moore, her partner, later cooperated with investigators, helping confirm the connections between cases.
Timeline Summary Aileen Wuornos Victims List
| Date (Year) | Victim Name | Age | Location Found | Key Evidence / Connection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 1989 | Richard Mallory | 51 | Pinellas County | Abandoned car, early pattern |
| May 1990 | David Spears | 47 | Citrus County | Ballistic and circumstantial |
| May 1990 | Charles Carskaddon | 40 | Pasco County | Pawned items, vehicle trail |
| Jun 1990 | Peter Siems | 65 | Orange Springs (car only) | Palm print in vehicle |
| Jul 1990 | Troy Burress | 50 | Marion County | Vehicle and witness reports |
| Sep 1990 | Charles Humphreys | 56 | Marion County | Multi-county case link |
| Nov 1990 | Walter Antonio | 61 | Dixie County | Final linked homicide |
How Investigators Connected the Murders
- Forensic Links: Fingerprints, palm prints, and ballistic evidence tied multiple cases.
- Pawn Records: Items belonging to victims were sold using Wuornos’s name or aliases.
- Witness Testimony: Reports of two women seen abandoning cars strengthened leads.
- Shared Modus Operandi: Victims were all middle-aged men, killed in or near their vehicles, often along highways.
- Partner Cooperation: Tyria Moore’s cooperation with law enforcement was decisive; she recorded conversations where Wuornos referenced the crimes.
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Aftermath and Legal Outcome
- Arrest: January 1991 in Volusia County
- Convictions: Six counts of first-degree murder
- Sentence: Death
- Execution: October 9, 2002, Florida State Prison
Wuornos’s case remains one of the most studied examples of serial homicide by a woman in U.S. history. Scholars and criminologists still analyze her background—marked by abandonment, childhood abuse, and years of street-level sex work—to understand how trauma and social marginalization intersected with violent behavior.
How investigators connected the crimes — a factual summary
Investigators tied multiple killings together through a combination of:
- vehicle locations and abandoned cars reported by witnesses and found at scenes;
- forensic evidence such as fingerprints and a palm print left in one victim’s car;
- pawnshop records that placed property belonging to victims in the possession of Wuornos or associates; and
- witness statements that ultimately led police to question and surveil suspects.
Wuornos was arrested on January 9, 1991. The arrest followed a pattern of investigative leads and witness tips, including reports from people who had contact with two women (Wuornos and Tyria Moore) seen abandoning a damaged vehicle tied to a victim. Moore later cooperated with prosecutors and helped record conversations that were used during the investigation and at trial.
Legal outcome and sentence
- Arrest: January 9, 1991.
- Convictions: Wuornos was convicted in 1992 on six counts of first-degree murder (some cases involved pleas or separate convictions). She was sentenced to death for the murders for which she was convicted.
- Execution: Wuornos was executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002.
Motive, claims, and controversies — clear, evidence-based context
Wuornos’s stated explanations varied. In parts of her interviews and in court she sometimes claimed self-defense, saying she had been assaulted by some clients. Prosecutors portrayed the killings not as defensive acts but as robberies followed by shootings. Her statements and the evidence (including testimony, forensic material, and the pattern of events) produced divergent interpretations that fueled debate during trial and among commentators since.
The case is controversial for multiple reasons: the role of her partner Tyria Moore in cooperating with police, the media portrayal (including the film Monster and many documentaries), questions about Wuornos’s mental health and childhood trauma, and the broader conversation about whether the death penalty was appropriate in this case. Many reliable retrospective pieces explore these angles while emphasizing the need to keep focus on the victims and facts.
Ethical note on reporting about victims
When writing about homicides, especially serial killings, the ethical approach is to center victims as people, avoid sensational or graphic detail, and rely only on verified public records and reputable reporting. This post follows that standard: names, basic identifying details, and dates are included because they are public record; graphic descriptions have been intentionally omitted.
What we still don’t know (or remains debated)
- Whether Wuornos was responsible for every suspicious motorist death in that period or whether other cases remain unresolved or misattributed; some researchers have suggested the possibility of additional victims but reliable, corroborated evidence has not expanded the confirmed list beyond the core set used in prosecutions.
- The degree to which mental health, trauma, and social systems failed Wuornos or shaped her path—matters that remain subjects of clinical, sociological, and legal discussion.
FAQs Aileen Wuornos Victims List
Q1: How many victims did Aileen Wuornos have?
A: Investigators attributed seven deaths to Aileen Wuornos between late 1989 and late 1990; she was convicted of six counts of first-degree murder. Sources differ slightly in counting based on convictions versus investigative attribution.
Q2: What are the names of Aileen Wuornos’s victims?
A: Public records and reporting list: Richard Mallory; David Spears; Charles Carskaddon; Peter Siems; Troy Burress; Charles Humphreys; and Walter Antonio. Each case is described above with dates and locations.
Q3: Was anyone else charged in these crimes?
A: No one else was convicted for the murders. Tyria Moore, Wuornos’s partner at the time, cooperated with police and testified, but she was not charged with the murders.
Q4: Did Wuornos confess?
A: Wuornos made statements and admissions over time; recordings and testimony from conversations with Tyria Moore were part of the evidence used by prosecutors. However, the legal process relied on forensic, testimonial, and documentary evidence as well.
Q5: Are there non-graphic resources to learn more?
A: Yes—reputable sources include Britannica, Biography (A&E/History family sites), major newspapers, the court records (e.g., Wuornos v. State), and documentary reporting. Links used in this post are drawn from those reputable outlets.
