Who was Aileen Wuornos adoptive mother and where is she now? Arlene Pralle adopted “Queen of serial killer” in prison

Arlene Pralle and her husband, Robert “Bob” Pralle, were a ray of hope in Aileen Wuornos' otherwise chilling story. Wuornos, the subject of Netflix’s new documentary,  Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers, was adopted by the couple after they said they encountered divine revelation asking them to help her.

Arlene Pralle was a breeder of Tennessee walking horses who was originally from Long Island, New York. Back when Wuornos was facing a trial for the murder of several men, Pralle and her field engineer husband were settled in Florida, according to The Washington Post. Now, Pralle and her husband are back in the state after spending a few years in Alabama, as per Moviedelic.

The news outlet reports that the Pralles came to know of Wuornos in 1991 through a newspaper. Arlene Pralle immediately felt a connection with Wuornos and upon receiving divine guidance to become parents to her, the couple initiated adoption procedures and legally adopted Wuornos on November 11, 1991.

Arlene Pralle once opened up about what led her to become Aileen Wuornos’ adoptive mother

Aileen Wuornos had led a deeply troubled life before she was convicted of killing seven men. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Wuornos was abandoned by her mother and adopted by her grandparents. The news outlet also notes that she became pregnant at age 13, and the baby was given up for adoption.

Wuornos, a dr*g user, quit school and resorted to pr*stitution to support herself, noted Tampa Bay Times.

Director of Aileen: Queen of the Serial Killers, Emily Turner, highlighted the difficulty in thinking of Wuornos as simply a cold-blooded perpetrator, and, as per Netflix, said,

“She is so confusing and so complex, which runs so in the face of how we like women to be…It’s so much easier to write off someone who’s done such heinous acts as a cold-blooded murderer [rather than] a deeply damaged human.”

Wuornos was eventually arrested in January 1991 on charges of murder. It was then that Bob and Arlene Pralle encountered news about Wuornos. While recalling why she took the step of legally adopting Wuornos, Pralle said to The Washington Post at the time,

“God prompted me to do something… She's had a horrible, horrible life.”

As per the publication, Pralle emphasized that she was not concerned about Wuornos’ guilt. In a letter written to the convicted murderer, Pralle wrote,

“I don't care if you're guilty or innocent. But I want to be your friend.”

Recalling how she felt about her decision to adopt Wuornos, Pralle, as per The Washington Post, said,

“I felt fulfilled, a sense of completeness and confirmation that what I was doing was correct. And I knew that others didn't know her like I do.”

Adopting and supporting a person accused of several murders was not easy for the Pralles. Moviedelic notes that their decision to adopt Wuornos encountered extensive criticism, but the couple remained adamant about their faith, which led them to support Wuornos. The news outlet notes that their faith inspired Wuornos, who was encouraged to look for redemption. In fact, Wuornos’ decision to confess to the murders was attributed to a desire to “get right with God.”

The Pralles remained committed to their faith after Wuornos was put to death in 2002. At present, the couple is dealing with the health problems brought about by Bob's stroke, as per Moviedelic.