Prostitute who killed six executed after decade on Death Row

A female serial killer was executed in the United States yesterday morning after vowing in her final words that she would return.

Aileen Wuornos, 46, was convicted 10 years ago of killing six middle-aged men she picked up while working as a prostitute along interstate 75 in Florida.

She was initially charged with the murder of Richard Mallory, the owner of an electronics store whom she shot dead in 1989. Wuornos pleaded not guilty, arguing in court that she had killed Mr Mallory in self-defence. But after she was found guilty, she pleaded guilty to five further killings, telling the state's Supreme Court: "I'm one who seriously hates human life and would kill again."

The life and crimes of Wuornos, the 10th woman to be executed in the US since the resumption of the death penalty in 1976, inspired two films, a number of books and an opera, Wuornos, by the composer Carla Lucero, which opened last year in California.

Ms Lucero said: "On the one hand, it's a horrible story about a woman betrayed from infancy. But it's also one of the most beautiful love stories I've ever heard. Aileen loved another woman so much she sacrificed her own life.

"Of course, it's also totally dysfunctional, but most good love stories, in opera especially, are the most dysfunctional things you can imagine."

At her 1992 trial, the court was told that Wuornos, a lesbian, was repeatedly abused as a child. Wuornos claimed she was an "exit-to-exit" highway prostitute who earned $1,000 a week having sex with between 40 and 50 men. At the time of her arrest, she was living with her girlfriend, Tyria Moore, who testified against her.

Some of their income came from pawning goods stolen from the murdered men.

Having spent a decade on Death Row, Wuornos fired her lawyers and dropped her right to further appeals, actions that added to the debate over her sanity and competence to be executed. Jeb Bush, the Governor of Florida, halted any execution and ordered a mental examination but lifted the stay last week after three psychiatrists who interviewed her concluded that she understood why she was being executed.

As she lay strapped to the gurney awaiting the lethal injection, Wuornos said: "I'd just like to say I'm sailing with the Rock and I'll be back like Independence Day with Jesus, June 6, like the movie, big mothership and all. I'll be back."

The last member of the media to interview her, the British documentary-maker Nick Broomfield, spoke to her on Tuesday. He said: "My conclusion from the interview is, today we are executing someone who is mad. Here is someone who has totally lost her mind."

Wuornos was pronounced dead at 9.47 yesterday morning. Her execution was witnessed by Leta Prater whose brother, Troy Burress, was among Wuornos's victims.

"She had death on her face," she said afterwards. "She looked rough, but she always looked rough. I for one am glad she's gone."