She Was Just a Small-Town Girl From Michigan — No One Could Have Predicted Her Future

Before her name became known around the world through court cases, documentaries, and newspaper headlines, Aileen Carol Wuornos was simply a child growing up in difficult circumstances. Her story remains one of the most discussed and controversial criminal cases in modern American history.

Aileen was born on February 29, 1956, in Rochester, Michigan. Long before she became the subject of intense media attention, she experienced a childhood marked by instability, hardship, and family problems that would shape much of her early life.