Anthony Joseph Garcia was born on June 7, 1973, in Los Angeles, California. His parents were Fred, who worked for the postal service, and Estella, a nurse who had immigrated from Mexico. Garcia grew up in a household with two younger siblings.

He pursued a career in medicine, earning his medical degree from the University of Utah in 1999. After graduating, he began a residency at St. Elizabeth's Medical Center. However, he only stayed there for about six months before resigning due to what was described as "unprofessional and inappropriate conduct."

In July 2000, Garcia started another residency in the pathology department at Creighton University Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. His performance there was poor, leading to negative reviews from a professor. Dr. Chandra Bewtra described him as having an attitude problem and lacking the desire to learn. She noted that he appeared arrogant and mean. After receiving poor evaluations, Garcia threatened to sue Dr. Bewtra. Despite this, he was terminated for "erratic behavior" within a year.

Following his dismissal from Creighton, Garcia moved to the University of Illinois Chicago, where he worked from 2001 to 2003. He later claimed that he left this position because of poor health, as well as migraine headaches and depression. After leaving UIC, he enrolled in a residency program in psychiatry at LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. He stayed there until February 27, 2008. On that date, the State Board of Medical Examiners informed him that he might not qualify for a medical license because he had not reported the uncompleted pathology programs at Creighton and UIC. The day after being informed, Garcia left the program.

Garcia subsequently applied for and received a temporary medical license in Indiana. However, he later withdrew that application. In 2009, he was hired to work as a contract physician in Chicago. After his medical career, he faced various challenges, including his unpredictable behavior and difficulties in maintaining stable employment.

On March 13, 2008, Anthony Garcia was involved in the murders of Dr. William Hunter's 11-year-old son, Thomas, and housekeeper Shirlee Sherman. They were found stabbed to death in the Hunter home. The police found knives from the kitchen were used in the crimes. Witnesses reported seeing a heavy-set olive-skinned man near the scene, linked to a silver Honda CRV with an out-of-state license plate. Investigators created a sketch based on these descriptions.

Despite a thorough investigation, including inquiries into Thomas Hunter’s online gaming, the case went cold after a year. In May 2013, Roger Brumback and his wife, Mary, were discovered dead in their home. Roger was shot multiple times and also had a stab wound on his neck, while Mary had been stabbed as well. This crime shared similarities with the earlier murders, leading detectives to suspect a connection. Both Roger Brumback and Dr. Hunter were colleagues.

After the Brumbacks were killed, there was an attempted break-in at Dr. Chanda Bewtra’s home, which law enforcement believed was related to the Brumback murders. During the investigation, Detective Derek Mois connected Garcia to these crimes. He noted that Garcia had been dismissed from Creighton University, which could have created a motive against Dr. Hunter and the Brumbacks.

Detectives found Garcia had purchased a firearm matching evidence from the Brumback scene. They tracked his credit card usage to the area around the time of the Brumback murders and discovered he had searched for their address shortly after an alarm sounded at the Bewtra home. On July 15, 2013, Garcia was arrested in Illinois. Law enforcement found a .45 caliber handgun and other items in his vehicle linking him to the murders.

Garcia’s trial commenced on October 3, 2016. During the trial, evidence was presented, including a trash bag with his termination letter from Creighton and notes indicating potential preparation for the murders. DNA evidence matched Garcia to the attempted break-in at the Bewtra residence. Witness testimonies included claims made by a woman who said Garcia had bragged about killing a young boy and an old woman.

On October 26, 2016, Garcia was convicted of four counts of first-degree murder and was sentenced to death in September 2018. He remained on death row at Tecumseh State Correctional Institution. In November 2022, attempts were made to appeal his sentencing, but the Nebraska Supreme Court rejected his appeal in September 2023, affirming his convictions and sentences.