This film was about a woman who killed and killed again and claims it was self defense (she sure kept getting herself in a bad situation then).
There were 2 documentaries about her life (one in 1992 and one 2002). Both were nominated for awards (one at Sundance, the other an Amnesty International award). That she was executed in Florida with Jeb Bush as governor made this a high profile case for libs (especially since women rarely are executed anyway). Someone else pointed out that Lifetime did their own biopic.
This movie won because it was anti-death penalty. Just like the hobbled actor (sick, injured, or deformed) was a winning ingredient in years past. It's an "important" film. That means it tastes like pickled prunes but it's "good for you".
I don't know if Wournos was the first lesbian serial killer, because 1. there are few female serial killers & 2. There's little information about them. I do know, because of Court TV and TV news, there's plenty of tape on the real Wournos during her trials, sentencing, and, of course, taped police interviews. That's something that's only been available in recent years.