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Female Serial Killer Executed in Florida

Aired October 09, 2002 - 10:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


LEON HARRIS, ANCHOR: In Florida, the story this morning is a serial killer finally met her fate and been brought to justice.
Let's check in with our John Zarrella with the story for us.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. Well, she had been known as the Damsel of Death and the i-75 killer, and just about an hour ago, at 9:47 a.m. Eastern Time, she was pronounced dead, killed by lethal injection here at the prison, the Florida State Prison at Stark, Florida, what you can see behind me.

Aileen Wuornos had been convicted of killing six men that she met along the interstate highways in north central Florida. She posed as a stranded motorist, picked them up, met with them and then killed them and stole their belongings.

Wuornos had first said in her first trial all of this was in self-defense, that the men got rough with her, but later she recanted and admitted that said, in fact, she did just kill them, murder them in cold blood and stole their belongings.

Wuornos within the last six months decided she wanted to die. She dropped her appeals, and became what they call a volunteer, one of the witnesses.

A media witness who saw the execution this morning described Wuornos' last moments alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was strapped to a gurney. The only part of her body you could see was her right forearm and her face. When they opened the curtain, she took a brief look at the people sitting in the witness area behind the glass, and then she stared straight up. She was asked if she had anything to say, and she made a statement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is how we interpreted it. It was very softly spoken, so we didn't hear it very clearly, but this is what we interpreted her saying. She said, I'd just like to say, I'm sailing with the rock, and I'll be back like Independence Day with Jesus June 6th, like the movie on the big mother ship and all. I'll be back. I'll be back.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ZARRELLA: The state attorney who helped convict her was also a witness, and he said although it was an unusual statement, a strange statement, it wasn't that unusual for Aileen Wuornos. She was known to be that way, and to be a bit bizarre.

In fact, there were moves to try and have the execution halted because people thought that, in fact, she was -- did suffer from mental illness, but a panel of three psychiatrists appointed by the state reviewed her, deemed her competent to face execution by lethal injection, and the governor then, Governor Jeb Bush, signed the death warrant.

Now, one of the family members of one of the victims, she said after the execution that she felt that Wuornos' death was a bit too easy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY GRIFFITHS, VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: It was one breath. And as far as I'm concerned, I think she should have suffered a little bit more, but I'm glad it's over. And final justice has been served.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Wuornos read the bible before her execution, but did not see any members of the clergy.

This is John Zarrella, reporting live from Stark, Florida.

HARRIS: All right, thank you, John.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired October 9, 2002 - 10:48   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, ANCHOR: In Florida, the story this morning is a serial killer finally met her fate and been brought to justice.
Let's check in with our John Zarrella with the story for us.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Leon. Well, she had been known as the Damsel of Death and the i-75 killer, and just about an hour ago, at 9:47 a.m. Eastern Time, she was pronounced dead, killed by lethal injection here at the prison, the Florida State Prison at Stark, Florida, what you can see behind me.

Aileen Wuornos had been convicted of killing six men that she met along the interstate highways in north central Florida. She posed as a stranded motorist, picked them up, met with them and then killed them and stole their belongings.

Wuornos had first said in her first trial all of this was in self-defense, that the men got rough with her, but later she recanted and admitted that said, in fact, she did just kill them, murder them in cold blood and stole their belongings.

Wuornos within the last six months decided she wanted to die. She dropped her appeals, and became what they call a volunteer, one of the witnesses.

A media witness who saw the execution this morning described Wuornos' last moments alive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was strapped to a gurney. The only part of her body you could see was her right forearm and her face. When they opened the curtain, she took a brief look at the people sitting in the witness area behind the glass, and then she stared straight up. She was asked if she had anything to say, and she made a statement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is how we interpreted it. It was very softly spoken, so we didn't hear it very clearly, but this is what we interpreted her saying. She said, I'd just like to say, I'm sailing with the rock, and I'll be back like Independence Day with Jesus June 6th, like the movie on the big mother ship and all. I'll be back. I'll be back.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ZARRELLA: The state attorney who helped convict her was also a witness, and he said although it was an unusual statement, a strange statement, it wasn't that unusual for Aileen Wuornos. She was known to be that way, and to be a bit bizarre.

In fact, there were moves to try and have the execution halted because people thought that, in fact, she was -- did suffer from mental illness, but a panel of three psychiatrists appointed by the state reviewed her, deemed her competent to face execution by lethal injection, and the governor then, Governor Jeb Bush, signed the death warrant.

Now, one of the family members of one of the victims, she said after the execution that she felt that Wuornos' death was a bit too easy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERRY GRIFFITHS, VICTIM'S DAUGHTER: It was one breath. And as far as I'm concerned, I think she should have suffered a little bit more, but I'm glad it's over. And final justice has been served.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZARRELLA: Wuornos read the bible before her execution, but did not see any members of the clergy.

This is John Zarrella, reporting live from Stark, Florida.

HARRIS: All right, thank you, John.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com