Lewis Gratz Fell was the ex-husband of Aileen Wuornos, the infamous serial killer. Lewis Gratz Fell was an American businessman born June 28, 1907, and died on January 6, 2000, at 96 years of age.
Aileen Wuornos gained the public’s recognition after she was found guilty of the murder of seven men. However, this did not only thrust her into the limelight but also her husband of nine weeks. Though Lewis Gratz Fell died in 2002, he once again made headlines after the documentary Aileen Wuornos: American Boogeywoman was released on Netflix in 2022. Here is all there is to know about the American businessman and how he died.
Who Was Lewis Gratz Fell?
Lewis Gratz Fell was born on June 28, 1907, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States of America. He was born to Florence Biddle Addams and Robert Gratz Fell. Following his place of birth, the Philadelphia native was an American national and of Caucasian descent.
He was also raised in his birthplace until he came of age and moved to Florida for greener pastures. Though his position in his family is not known, he grew up with his three siblings, Henry Fell, Robert Fell Jr., and Florence Fell.
There are no details of his early and high school education, but it is believed that he was schooled somewhere in the United States. It is also assumed that he earned a college degree following his career.
Lewis Gratz Fell Became Ailen Wuornos’ Husband on May 1976
Lewis Gratz Fell was able to earn the public’s recognition after he got married to Aileen Wuornos. The duo reportedly met in 1976, somewhere in Florida. However, the exact place where they met was never revealed.
Though how long they dated was not revealed, they got married in May 1976. The businessman was 69 years old at the time of their marriage, while his wife, Aileen, was just 20 years old. This made many reveal that the reason she married him was because of his wealth, as he held a significant position in a yacht club. Many also stated that the businessman wanted a young and pretty woman by his side. Meanwhile, the couple’s marriage made the society pages of the local dailies.
Not long after they got married, Aileen started making headlines for the wrong reasons. She once made headlines after she beat up a customer and went to jail. Aileen was also involved in a series of assaults for which she was charged.
A few weeks after they were married, Aileen Wuornos used her husband’s cane to beat him up. Fortunately, he survived the beating and quickly got a restraining order against her. After this, Lewis Gratz Fell learned that his young wife had a history of being mean to people.
On July 21, 1976, nine weeks after their marriage, they divorced, which made the public realize that their marriage was for mutual benefit. It was not disclosed if the astute businessman later moved on to another partner or remained single till his death. Meanwhile, Aileen Wuornos moved on and started dating Tyria Moore years later.
Aileen Wuornos’ Ex-husband was a Wealthy Businessman and Socialite in his Lifetime
Lewis Gratz Fell had a successful life and career. He once worked for the Keystone Coal Mining Company, which was founded and once chaired by his father. The businessman was hardworking and attained significant positions in the company.
After some years of working with Keystone, Lewis Gratz Fell later became its president. In his old age, he was fully active in the social sector and was elected president of a yacht club based in Florida.
Lewis Gratz Fell First Marriage was to Katherine Reeves in 1928
Lewis Gratz Fell was unfortunate when it came to his personal life. He was previously married to three women in the past before he met Aileen Wuornos.
He was first married to Katherine Reeves in 1928. The ex-couple met when they were still in their teens and later eloped to Media town, where they eventually got married. The duo had been married for ten years and had welcomed a daughter before they started experiencing problems in their marriage.
They later divorced in 1932, a year after Reeves got her ex-husband arrested for not paying child support. Neither of them revealed the reason for their split. Lewis Gratz Fell later moved on and remarried, while Katherine maintained a relatively low profile.
He Got Married to His Second Wife in the 1930s
Lewis Gratz Fell met his second wife, Elizabeth Carpenter, a few months after his divorce from his first wife. Elizabeth Carpenter also eloped with Lewis to Elkton town, Maryland, where they eventually got married. Though they did not reveal when they got married, they divorced in 1938 without welcoming any children or stating the reason for their divorce.
Lewis Gratz Fell Was Married for The Third Time to Florence Bolger
Lewis Gratz Fell later moved on and got married for the third time to Florence Bolger. The Norristown native and the businessman reportedly met in the 1950s. How long they dated was not revealed, but they later got married around 1954. However, his third marriage seemed to be his longest marriage, as they were together till Florence died in 1975.
Meet Lewis Gratz Fell’s Fourth Wife, Aileen Wuornos
Lewis Gratz Fell later met Aileen Wuornos 38 years after he divorced his third wife. Aileen was born Aileen Carol Pittman on February 29, 1956, in Rochester, Michigan, United States. She was born to Diane Wuornos and Leo Dale Pittman, who got married at their teenage age.
Her mother divorced her father a few months before she was born. It was revealed that she couldn’t meet her father because he was jailed for kidnapping and raping a 7-year-old girl. Aileen Wuornos’ mother later took her and her older brother to their grandparents’ house, where she abandoned them.
Living with their grandparents was toxic for Aileen, as she revealed that they were alcoholics. She further disclosed that her grandfather sexually assaulted her and beat her. Aileen also started engaging in child sex in school for cigarettes, food, and drugs. At the age of 14, she was raped by her grandfather’s friend and later got pregnant.
She gave birth to a son and gave him up for adoption. Aileen was later driven away from home by her grandfather when she was 15 years old. In adulthood, she was later charged with numerous crimes, including theft and the murder of seven men.
Aileen Wuornos was later arrested, tried, and sentenced to death. She was put on the Florida Department of Corrections’ Broward Correctional Institution’s death row for women. She was later transferred to a Florida state prison, where she was interviewed by documentarian Nick Broomfield. She was later executed by lethal injection on October 9, 2002.
Lewis Gratz Fell Had One Child From His Previous Marriage
Lewis Gratz Fell had an only child from his first wife. His daughter, Katherine Royce Fell, was born in 1929 somewhere in the United States. Despite having a rich father, she has lived away from the spotlight, making much about her unknown. It is not known where the 95 year-old daughter of the late businessman is at the moment, but she might be living a successful life somewhere or might have joined her ancestors.
He Died in 2000 at the Age of 96
Having been in a marriage that ended in a fight with a serial killer, many thought that Lewis Gratz Fell would eventually become her victim one day. However, this was not the case, as she was already in prison at the time of his death. After he got divorced from Aileen Wuornos, he gave all his energy to his daughter and his club.
Though the cause of his death was not revealed, his ex-wife had nothing to do with it. It is believed that Lewis Gratz Fell died of natural causes on January 6, 2000, at the age of 96 years. His death and burial were kept out of the limelight because he had been associated with Aileen in the past.
