Aileen Wuornos notoriously admitted to killing seven men during her time as a sex worker in Florida, but she only came forward with the confession after being convinced by her then-girlfriend, Tyria Moore.
Wuornos’ life and crimes have been explored in several documentaries and scripted projects. Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Unmasking a Monster: Aileen Wuornos is the latest docuseries to shed light on her backstory, reviewing evidence, testimonies and more.
Ahead of the docuseries’ premiere on September 30, 2026, Us breaks down everything to know about Moore, her relationship with Wuornos and where she is today.
Who Was Aileen Wuornos’ Partner Tyria Moore?
Moore was raised by a middle-class family in Cadiz, Ohio, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Not much is known about her life prior to meeting Wuornos, though she was living with friends at the time they met.
Moore was working as a motel maid in Florida when she met Wuornos in 1986, according to Joseph Reynolds’ book Dead Ends. Wuornos was 30 at the time, while Moore was in her mid-20s.
How Did Aileen Wuornos and Tyria Moore Meet?
The couple first met at the gay bar Zodiac in South Daytona, Florida, in 1986.
Wuornos had moved from Michigan to Florida when she married a man who was 50 years older than her, according to the Los Angeles Times. The killer’s marriage had been annulled one month after their wedding and she was working as a sex worker at the time she met Moore. The two quickly hit it off and they moved in together not long after they met.
Not much is known about their relationship, but Moore told police, “We became lovers, and it later turned into a sister-like relationship,” per South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
However, Wuornos called Moore the “love of her life,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
It’s been revealed that the couple struggled with finances during their relationship. After they met, Moore quit her job as a motel maid and Wuornos supported them with her earnings as a sex worker. As a result, they were forced to move from town to town while Wuornos struggled to provide for them both.
“The only reason I hustled so hard all those years was to support her,” Wuornos told police of Moore, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “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.”
She added that she “wasn’t supporting her as richly as [Moore] 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,” Wuornos said. “I brought home about $300 every two weeks, but it wears you out, constantly talking to all those men, staying up.”
What Crimes Did Aileen Wuornos Commit?
Wuornos and Moore were already in a relationship when she committed her first known murder in November 1989.
Shortly after Wuornos killed her first victim, Richard Mallory, she allegedly confided in Moore about the murder, according to the Los Angeles Times. Following the admission, Moore claimed she refused to discuss the topic.
Wuornos went on to kill six more of her alleged clients, including David Spears, Charles Carskaddon, Peter Siems, Troy Burress, Charles Richard “Dick” Humphreys and Walter Jeno Antonio. She claimed that she killed all of them in self-defense after they allegedly raped or attacked her.
Moore reportedly began to get suspicious as the killings continued, and she broke up with Wuornos.
Police Asked Tyria Moore to Get Aileen Wuornos to Confess
Authorities began to suspect Wuornos of the killings in late 1990, and they tracked down Moore to help convince her to confess.
Despite being romantically involved with Wuornos, Moore has denied having any involvement in the crimes and was never charged in connection to the murders.
Moore eventually became the key witness in Wuornos’ 1992 trial over the murder of Mallory. She testified about the night that Wuornos came home from her first murder and admitted to the crime.
“I didn’t believe it,” Moore said on the stand, according to United Press International. “I know I didn’t like to hear about her work (prostitution). So I’m sure I didn’t want to hear something like that.”
On January 31, 1992, Wuornos was sentenced to death after she was convicted for the first-degree murder of Mallory. The following year, she pleaded no contest and guilty to the other murders she committed. Wuornos received her sixth and final death sentence in February 1993.
While she admitted to killing Siems, Wuornos was not charged for his murder because his body was never found.
Wuornos was ultimately executed on October 9, 2022.
Where Is Tyria Moore Today?
Moore has largely stayed out of the public eye following Wuornos’ trial, and not much is known about where she is today.
