Following the release of a new feature-length documentary re-examining the harrowing life and gruesome crimes of Aileen Wuornos, questions have been raised about her relationship with Tyria Moore.
Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers on Netflix uses archival footage and powerful first-person interviews to recount the lead up to the 'Damsel of Death's' seven brutal murders, which ultimately landed her on death row in 1992.
In the years prior, Wuornos had endured a bitterly troubled childhood. Growing up in 1970s Michigan, despite being raised by her grandparents, she endured both abuse - domestic and sexual, as well as a heavy reliance on drugs and alcohol - and neglect for several years.
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As a young runaway, she turned to sex work to support herself. Wuornos continued 'hooking' across Florida even after she met Moore at a lesbian bar called Zodiac in Daytona Beach in 1986.
How did Wuornos meet Moore?
The pair reportedly hit it off straight away, with Wuornos later telling the press that Moore, who was in her mid-20s at the time and worked as a motel maid whilst living with friends, was the 'love of my life'.
According to a 1991 South Florida Sun-Sentinel report, Moore had been born and raised by a middle-class family in Cadiz, Ohio.
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She said of her relationship with Wuornos, claiming: "We became lovers, and it later turned into a sister-like relationship."
After Moore quit her hotel job, the couple moved from town to town, crashing at motels while Wuornos worked as a prostitute.
The killer told police after her arrest: "The only reason I hustled so hard all those years was to support her. I did what I had to do to pay the bills, because I didn't have another choice: I'd got warrants out for my arrest."
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Wuornos added of Moore: "The problem was I wasn't supporting her as richly as she wanted. She always wanted a brand-new car or a rented one. She wanted clothes, she wanted an apartment with plush furniture.
'I've got to have my things,' she would say. I brought home about $300 every two weeks, but it wears you out, constantly talking to all those men, staying up."
Three years into their romance, Wuornos lured away and murdered her first victim, Richard Mallory.
She then went on to target David Spears, Charles Carskaddon, Troy Burress, Charles Richard 'Dick' Humphreys, Peter Siems and Walter Geno Antonio, stealing some of their cars and possessions as she went.
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Did Moore know about the murders?
Police later determined that Moore had no involvement in the murders, though Wuornos had claimed she'd confided in Moore after murdering Mallory, who responded, insisting she didn't wish to discuss the matter any further.
That said, however, Moore did confess she and Wuornos had gone on to pawn several precious items stolen from the victims.
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By 1991, their relationship had ended, and Moore had moved back home with her parents.
After catching wind, however, that police were drawing in on Wuornos following a media campaign that published a description of the killer, Moore encouraged her to turn herself in, recording a confession and handing it to the police.
How did Moore get Wuornos to confess?
In audio later played in court, Moore tells Wuornos: "I’m gonna have to because I’m not going to go to jail for something that you did. This isn’t fair. My family is in a nervous wreck up there. My mom has been calling me all the time. She doesn’t know what the hell’s going on."
Wuornos replied: "I’m not gonna let you go to jail. Ty, I love you. If I have to confess everything just to keep you from getting in trouble, I will."
Moore also testified in court, recounting the night she'd learned that her girlfriend had murdered Mallory.
According to United Press International, she claimed: "I didn't believe it. I know I didn't like to hear about her work. So I'm sure I didn't want to hear something like that."
When asked if she believed that Wournos had acted in self-defence, Moore replied: "She didn't appear to be hurt or upset in any way."
Despite only being tried for Mallory's murder during the initial proceedings, Wuornos was found guilty of all seven killings, after prosecutors referred to evidence related to her other alleged crimes - a legal tactic not usually permissible in court - to show a pattern of illegal activity.
As a result, the killer was handed the death penalty, remaining at the Florida Department of Corrections' Broward Correctional Institution for nine years.
Moore later went on to chat with former Dateline correspondent Michele Gillen, who asked why she felt compelled to turn Wuornos in.
"At the time, I didn’t do it for the police. I did it for myself," she replied. "I was just living with her for four and a half years. I know her better than anyone else does.
"I think she’s very intelligent - she knows how to work around things.
"She would lie her way out of anything, and that’s mainly why I wanted her to confess to the murders, because I knew she could lie her way out of it."
Where is Moore now?
In the years since, Moore has remained out of the spotlight and leads a private life.
She hasn't discussed her case in any further conversations with the press or participated in any related projects, including the 2003 movie recreation, Monster, in which she is played by Christina Ricci, and Wuronos, Charlize Theron.
Topics: Netflix, True Crime, Crime, Documentaries, US News
Rhianna Benson