Essay Sample on History and the Criminal Case of Aileen Wuornos

The history and the criminal case of Aileen Wuornos is a good example of the effects of social learning theory in someone in a manner representative like no other. Being referred to as "America's first female serial killer," Aileen was convicted and also executed for the murder of seven men between the year 1989 and 1990. The state prison officials in Florida executed Aileen for six of the seven killings, and she passed away by way of lethal injection of the state in 2002. She was referred to as a serial killer since she was an offender who had murdered more than three victims over a prolonged period with a cool between the murders off-period (2013). As defined, a serial killer is, therefore, someone who murders at least three people within a short period (Robinson 2015).

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Aileen Wuornos had been working as a highway prostitute for her living. This hence elicited a long criminal record composed of numerous crimes she had committed from her teenage until her arrest in 1991 for the murder. As reported, Aileen had been involved in smoking as well as shoplifting by her age of ten (Arrigo, 2004). From this, therefore, she got the reputation of a liar who showed the elements of rage and aggression in various incidences as well as outbursts. Among the many crimes she was arrested of included drug possession, car-jacking, theft, and robbery.

In her case, Aileen stated that in her murder crime, the men were killed in self-defense as she accused them of rape as well as attempted rape. Murder is considered punishable by death in the state Florida when committed under a give specific circumstances with respect to the Florida Penal Code which incorporates murder for hire, and murder which is intently committed under the statutory felony which is specified as well as the murder of two or more victims by the defendant.

The first case against Aileen was for the murder of Richard Mallory. This would be the only case against Wuornos that went for trial since most of the other cases mainly ended with pleas. She would plead guilty or even no contest for the other murder charges. The murder charge entailed armed robbery with a deadly weapon or firearm and a convicted felon's possession of a firearm. Therefore the prosecution made a case for execution arguing that Aileen qualified for the death penalty since the murder was reported to have been committed during robbery.

References

DellaSanton-Pery, C. (2005). Looking at the case of Aileen Wuornos from biosocial and social central theoretical perspectives. Law and Society, 21(2), Retrieved from http://mysite.cdellasanta.com/pdf/aileen_wuornos.pdf

Arrigo, B., Griffin, A., (2004). Serial Murder and the case of Aileen Wuornos: Attachment theory, psychopathy, and Predatory aggression. Behavioral Sciences and the Law

Behav. Sci. Law22: 375-393 Retrieved from: http://www.scribd.com/doc/61558860/Serial-Murder-and-the-Case-of-Aileen-Wuornos-