Transient Woman Accused in Florida Serial Killings

A transient woman was charged with murder in connection with the serial killings of seven middle-aged men whose bodies were found along rural roadways in Florida.

Aileen Carol Wuornos, 34, was charged with one of the murders, with more charges expected from counties where other victims were found, Marion County Sheriff’s Capt. Steve Binegar said Thursday.

Wuornos, a former convict and prostitute, was traced to a bar in the Daytona Beach area a week ago and arrested Jan. 9 on a concealed weapons charge, said Marion County Sheriff Don Moreland, whose office led the investigation.

She was charged with the murder Wednesday and was ordered held without bond in Daytona Beach after a Thursday court appearance. A former companion will testify against her, authorities said.

Property belonging to the slain men was found in a storage unit rented by Wuornos, whom police described Thursday as “a killer who robs--not a robber who kills.”

“The victims’ property which was recovered ties her to all seven” cases, Binegar said.

Investigators hope to solve more cases in several states as a result of Wuornos’ arrest, Binegar said. He would not identify the states involved.

“We want to clear up as many homicides as possible. . . . We believe she pretty much meets the guidelines of a serial killer,” he said.

Two women had been sought since November, when composite drawings were distributed and police publicly called for help in solving the series of mysterious murders.

Wuornos’ companion, Tyria J. Moore, 28, was tracked down in another state and implicated her as the sole killer, officials said. Moore was not arrested.

The middle-aged victims’ bodies, some stripped nude, were usually found along rural roadways in different areas of the state. They were robbed of their possessions, and their cars were found abandoned elsewhere.

Most if not all had been shot, but authorities did not disclose details.

Authorities believed that some of the men were killed after picking up, or stopping to help, their assailant on the highway. A common clue was condom packages left behind in several of the cars, police said.