Florida's highways stretched for miles, surrounded by thick pine forests and

palmetto scrub, long, empty stretches of road where headlights are often the only sign of life

for miles.

In the winter of 1989, on those dimly lit and winding roads, a darkness was beginning to

unfold. From late

1989 through the fall of 1990, the bodies of seven middle-aged men would be discovered, scattered

across several Florida counties. Each crime told a similar story. The victims had been shot multiple

times at close range. Their wallets were gone, and their cars were

missing. Investigators quickly determined whoever was responsible for these murders wasn't just

killing men. They were robbing them and then driving off with their cars. For months, law

enforcement across Central Florida chased what looked like a highway predator,

someone targeting men traveling alone.

But the identity of this killer didn't match what anyone was expecting.

She was a drifter, a sex worker, and would claim that every action was done out of self-defense. Often described as America's most

notorious female serial killer, she ultimately confessed to the murders of seven men along Florida's

highways, but one question would dominate her trial. A question that still sparks debate decades

later. Was she a cold-blooded serial killer or a woman who

believed she was fighting for her life? The prosecution says she is a calculating murderer who

targeted her victims. The defense says she was a traumatized woman who was pushed beyond

her breaking point. But it's the jurors who have the final say.

This is the 13th juror podcast where we break down real court cases and put you in the

juror's seat.

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