Ep 9. No Means Yes

In season 1 episode 9 of Deadly Women, titled "No Means Yes," viewers are taken on a journey through the twisted minds of three different women who took "no" as a challenge instead of a rejection. These deadly women refused to take no for an answer, which led to tragic consequences for their victims.

The first woman we meet is Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who was convicted of murdering seven men in Florida in the late 1980s. Wuornos claimed that the men had assaulted her and that she had killed them in self-defense, but the evidence showed that the killings were premeditated. Wuornos targeted men who she felt had power over her, and she saw their rejection of her advances as a way to assert that power. She was eventually sentenced to death and executed by lethal injection in 2002.

Next, we are introduced to Tracey Richter, a mother of two who was convicted of killing her husband's ex-wife in 2001. Richter had always been obsessed with her husband's ex-wife and saw her as a threat to their marriage. When the ex-wife came to their house to pick up their son, Richter allegedly ambushed her and shot her multiple times. However, Richter claimed that she acted in self-defense because the ex-wife had come into the house with a gun. Despite her claims, Richter was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

The final woman we meet is Martha Ann Freeman, a single mother who was convicted of murdering her ex-boyfriend's wife in 1987. Freeman had been in love with her ex-boyfriend for years and had even given birth to a child with him. When he married someone else, Freeman couldn't bear the thought of him being with another woman. She saw his new wife as a threat and began stalking her. One day, Freeman broke into their home and murdered his wife in her sleep. She was eventually caught and sentenced to death, but her sentence was commuted to life in prison without parole.

Throughout the episode, experts weigh in on the psychology behind these women's actions. They discuss how rejection can be a powerful trigger for some individuals and how social norms around gender and power can contribute to violent behavior. The episode also explores the justice system's response to these crimes, including the death penalty and life in prison.

In the end, "No Means Yes" is a chilling reminder of the dangers of infatuation and the consequences of refusing to take no for an answer. Viewers are left to grapple with the question of how society can prevent these types of crimes from happening in the future.