America's most notorious female serial killer shared a chilling statement before being executed for her crimes.
Dubbed the 'Damsel of Death', Aileen Wuornos goes down in the history books as one of the most disturbed characters to ever find themselves on death row.
She faced the consequences of her crimes on 9 October, 2002, and was put to death via lethal injection.
Advert
This came more than a decade after her killing spree that cost seven men their lives, which was retold in the 2003 film Monster starring Charlize Theron.
Wuornos was working as a sex worker in the US state of Florida when she robbed, shot and stole the vehicles of her victims, each of whom were motorists aged between 40 and 65.
Her reign of terror took place over a 12-month period, which began in 1989.
She ultimately confessed to the murders in January 1991, but claimed she had acted in self-defence, alleging that she only shot the men as they had raped her or attempted to.
Advert
In total, the infamous serial killer was given six death sentences but dodged a seventh, as this victim's body was never found.
"I am as guilty as can be," Wuornos later said in court. "I want the world to know I killed these men, as cold as ice. I've hated humans for a long time. I am a serial killer. I killed them in cold blood, real nasty."
She lived out the rest of her days at the Broward Correctional Institution in Florida and often spoke of how she detested being on death row.
Prior to her execution, she urged the state to put her out of her misery and described delaying her fate as a 'waste of taxpayers money'.
"There is no point in sparing me," Wuornos said in July 2001. "It's a waste of taxpayers' money. I killed those men, robbed them. And I'd do it again, too.
Advert
"There's no chance in keeping me alive or anything, because I'd kill again. I have hate crawling through my system."
A new documentary, titled Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers, is set to reexamine Wuornos chilling crimes nearly four decades on.
The show is set to debut on Netflix on Thursday (30 October) and 'features powerful audio interviews with those who knew her best', as well as footage of interviews Wuornos gave from behind bars.
The synopsis explains: "Through interviews, archival material, and Wuornos’ own words, the film explores the circumstances that shaped her life and crimes, and examines the broader questions surrounding her motivations and the judicial system’s response."
Advert
During her stint on death row, Wuornos had plenty of time to think of the last words she would utter before her execution.
And she ended up opting for quite something quite chilling, as when asked if she wanted to make a final statement, the 46-year-old responded: "I would just like to say I'm sailing with the rock, and I'll be back, like Independence Day, with Jesus. June 6, like the movie. Big mother ship and all, I'll be back, I'll be back."
Her cryptic reference to the 1996 sci-fi film left a lot of people confused, while some also believed it indicated that Wuornos was not of sound mind when she received the ultimate punishment.
One of her lawyer's, Raag Singhal, said he saw 'clear evidence of mental illness' when dealing with the killer, as per The Guardian.
Advert
Another member of her legal team, Billy Nolas, described Wuornos as the 'most disturbed individual' he had ever represented.
Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers is set to delve into the traumatic childhood that the serial killer endured - including how she was abandoned by her parents aged four and became pregnant at the age of 13.
Wuornos also claimed she had been both physically and sexually abused while growing up, and alleged she had been raped 'about 30 times, maybe more' as a teenager.
Her childhood friend, Dawn Botkins, features in the upcoming documentary and revealed what Wuornos said on the final occasion that they met before her execution.
"She said she was definitely a serial killer," Botkins said. "It was all the years of the abuse, and then she started drinking."
Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers premieres on Netflix on 30 October.
Topics: Crime, US News, Death Row, Netflix, Documentaries
Olivia Burke