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American Morning

Female Serial Killer Faces Execution

Aired October 09, 2002 - 09:33   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.


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: On to another story that's getting a lot of attention, out of Florida. A female serial killer is about to be executed there this morning. Eileen Wuornos, convicted over 12 years ago for killing six men, is now about to get her wish.
Our own John Zarrella joins us now from Starke, Florida, with the very latest on this.

Good morning -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

If all has gone on schedule and we are still awaiting the official word, Eileen Wuornos, who became known as the nation's first female serial killer, she'd be dead. She would have died at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time by lethal injection here in Starke, Florida, at the Florida state prison. Wuornos has been on death row for the past 10 years.

Wuornos was convicted of killing six men that she picked up along Interstate 75. Police say she posed as a stranded motorist, picked up the men and then killed them and stole their belongings. She was an admitted prostitute. Wuornos had first said it was all in self- defense; but then after her first conviction, she recanted the story and said in fact that she did kill those men intentionally and robbed them for their belongings.

Wuornos last night refused to eat her last meal, which was barbecued chicken. Prison officials say that she got up this morning about 5:30 a.m., she did read the Bible, but that no clergy were present today. She did not want clergy.

If all has gone on schedule, she will have died in the electric chair.

She was evaluated by psychiatrists a week or so ago, at the request of psychiatrists here, who said that perhaps she was not competent to face the execution. And in fact, that had been the case all along, people saying she's not competent for this execution. But in fact, though the evaluation turned out that those three psychiatrists said yes, in fact, she can be executed by lethal injection and Florida's governor Jeb Bush signed the death warrant at that point.

And again, Eileen Wuornos at this point now, at 9:35 a.m. roughly, should be dead -- Paula. ZAHN: We've talked a lot about this case lately. It sorted of faded into the recesses. You talk about a couple of years ago. But how much interest is there in this case by the public at large around where you are?

ZARRELLA: In fact, it stayed in the public eye for a long time because of the fact that she was considered the first female serial killer. But we can look over to our left. There are death penalty supporters, some death penalty opponents. But we talked to an attorney a little while ago who represented Eileen Wuornos for a short period of time, and he said the public's opinion of the death sentence these days, it's apathetic. There doesn't seem to be that much attention anymore -- Paula.

ZAHN: John Zarrella. Appreciate the report. Thanks.

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 - 09:33   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: On to another story that's getting a lot of attention, out of Florida. A female serial killer is about to be executed there this morning. Eileen Wuornos, convicted over 12 years ago for killing six men, is now about to get her wish.
Our own John Zarrella joins us now from Starke, Florida, with the very latest on this.

Good morning -- John.

JOHN ZARRELLA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Paula.

If all has gone on schedule and we are still awaiting the official word, Eileen Wuornos, who became known as the nation's first female serial killer, she'd be dead. She would have died at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time by lethal injection here in Starke, Florida, at the Florida state prison. Wuornos has been on death row for the past 10 years.

Wuornos was convicted of killing six men that she picked up along Interstate 75. Police say she posed as a stranded motorist, picked up the men and then killed them and stole their belongings. She was an admitted prostitute. Wuornos had first said it was all in self- defense; but then after her first conviction, she recanted the story and said in fact that she did kill those men intentionally and robbed them for their belongings.

Wuornos last night refused to eat her last meal, which was barbecued chicken. Prison officials say that she got up this morning about 5:30 a.m., she did read the Bible, but that no clergy were present today. She did not want clergy.

If all has gone on schedule, she will have died in the electric chair.

She was evaluated by psychiatrists a week or so ago, at the request of psychiatrists here, who said that perhaps she was not competent to face the execution. And in fact, that had been the case all along, people saying she's not competent for this execution. But in fact, though the evaluation turned out that those three psychiatrists said yes, in fact, she can be executed by lethal injection and Florida's governor Jeb Bush signed the death warrant at that point.

And again, Eileen Wuornos at this point now, at 9:35 a.m. roughly, should be dead -- Paula. ZAHN: We've talked a lot about this case lately. It sorted of faded into the recesses. You talk about a couple of years ago. But how much interest is there in this case by the public at large around where you are?

ZARRELLA: In fact, it stayed in the public eye for a long time because of the fact that she was considered the first female serial killer. But we can look over to our left. There are death penalty supporters, some death penalty opponents. But we talked to an attorney a little while ago who represented Eileen Wuornos for a short period of time, and he said the public's opinion of the death sentence these days, it's apathetic. There doesn't seem to be that much attention anymore -- Paula.

ZAHN: John Zarrella. Appreciate the report. Thanks.

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