If you're reading this, you've probably already watched Netflix's latest true crime documentary, Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers. The nearly two-hour-long documentary tells the story of Aileen Wuornos' life, from her troubled upbringing to her killing spree and eventually, her execution.
Although the documentary does answer a lot of questions about one of the world's most infamous serial killers, there are a few details left out—particularly when it comes to Wuornos' loved ones, like her girlfriend, Tyria Moore. With an update on Wuornos' friends and family noticeably missing from the documentary's end, here's what you need to know about Arlene Pralle, the killer's adoptive mother.
Who is Arlene Pralle?
Arlene Pralle is serial killer Aileen Wuornos' adoptive mother. In the early 1990s, Pralle and her husband adopted Wuornos after experiencing what they described as a call from God. At the time of the adoption, Pralle was just 11 years older than her adopted daughter, 35-year-old Wuornos.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times in 1991, Pralle—who became a born-again Christian in 1981—said she felt compelled to reach out to Wuornos after reading about her in the newspaper. While looking at the killer's photo in the paper, Pralle said she peered deep into her eyes and that "God prompted" her to "do something." With that, she sent Wuornos a letter. "I don't care if you’re guilty or innocent," she wrote, "but I want to be your friend."
Pralle began visiting Wuornos in jail once a week, and the pair spoke on the phone every night. "We don't talk about the case," Pralle said of their friendship. "But in my heart, I know that Lee [Aileen] is not a serial killer. She has a heart of gold, and she cares about other people more than herself. God has brought us together."
That friendship ultimately led to Pralle and her husband adopting Wuornos, legally becoming her parents. "I felt fulfilled, a sense of completeness and confirmation that what I was doing was correct," Pralle said of the decision. In comparison, Pralle's husband, Robert Pralle, wasn't keen initially and didn't understand his wife's obsession with Wuornos.
"I wouldn't think of doing something like this myself, and I was sceptical," he told the L.A. Times. "But I see her sincerity, the honesty, and love, and I can't fault it."
At the time, critics accused Pralle (and her husband) of using Wuornos and her story for financial gain. But Pralle denied this. "[Aileen] is very concerned about the finances here. We could use money to pay off the farm," Pralle told the L.A. Times of her financial situation at home.
"We've been called everything in the books over the last few months," she added. "What bothers me the most is when people say we're gay lovers or that I'm doing it for book and movie deals."
Pralle continued: "We just want Lee to have a family who cares about her and is not going to hurt her. She has a heart of gold, and even after all she's been through, she's given so much to me."
Where is Arlene Pralle now?
In Netflix's Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers, we don't see or hear from Pralle and her husband around the time of Wuornos' execution. The serial killer's friend, Dawn Botkins, is instead the one to visit Wuornos in the days leading up to her execution, and she talks of what she'll do with the ashes afterwards.
Since Wuornos' execution, Pralle has maintained a life outside of the public eye, although she has been featured in a few documentaries, including Netflix's latest release, as well as Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer and Channel 4's True Crime: Unravelled.
On a much smaller screen, Pralle regularly posts on Instagram about her current life. Per her recent posts, Pralle and her husband live in Florida, although they spent the last few years living in Alabama. "I miss Alabama SO much!" Pralle wrote in a post from September 2025, adding that they'd moved back on "doctor's orders" due to Robert having suffered a stroke.
Other posts on Pralle's Instagram suggest she now runs a cat boarding and breeding program, as there are several references to this across her feed. Beyond posting about her cats and her husband's health, it doesn't appear that Pralle has shared any posts about her adopted daughter, Wuornos.
Stream Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers on Netflix now.
