In all of the coverage of the execution of Danny Rolling, I keep reading that he was "Florida's most notorious serial killer since Ted Bundy." (link) Umm... Doesn't anybody remember Aileen Wuornos?


Four Replies to Rolling Revisionism

Denise Sawicki | October 26, 2006
Don't you know the bad stuff women do doesn't count, because they're sweet and innocent, and the bad stuff that happens to men doesn't count because they deserve it?

/sarcasm

I'm actually commenting on a larger societal trend, not just this.

Kris Weberg | October 26, 2006
That said, there's something of an argument that Wuornos's crimes aren't quite the same as the classic serial killer profile, in that they were at least partially profit-motivated.

It's not an argument that I necessarily buy; her murders also seem to have involved elements of repetition in their staging and were driven by a distinct pathology. Those are the marks of serial murder to my mind, at least.

Matthew Preston | October 26, 2006
Dude, she was played by Charlize Theron who won an Oscar for her role. Aileen's murders are soft and cuddly now.

Aaron Shurtleff | October 26, 2006
Well, having been nowhere near Florida at any time that any of murders happened, I can say that while I had never heard of Aileen Wuornos until the Monster movie came out (unless I'm losing my mind), I do recall reading about the Gainesville murders, even way up in the frozen North. To me, Rolling would be the most infamous Florida serial killer since Bundy.

Of course, I'm not a newscaster/writer, so I shouldn't be expected to know about this, while they should know better. I'm on the fence. :)


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