Limited public information is available regarding Billy Edwin Reid's early life. Prior to his arrest, he was known to be a transient, frequently traveling between California and Colorado.

In 2005, advancements in DNA profiling linked Reid to the 1989 murders of Lannell Williams and Lisa Kelly in Denver, Colorado. Williams' body was discovered near Clear Creek on October 14, 1989, while Kelly's decomposed remains were found on a mountainside on March 24, 1989. Both victims were known sex workers.

Reid was arrested in 2006 and, following a jury trial in 2008, was convicted of both murders and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Authorities suspect Reid's involvement in additional murders, particularly those attributed to the unidentified "Denver Prostitute Killer," responsible for at least 17 murders between 1975 and 1995. The victims, primarily young women involved in prostitution, were often found beaten, strangled, and dumped along Interstate 70 in humiliating positions. However, due to the advanced decomposition of many bodies and lack of conclusive evidence, Reid has not been formally charged in these additional cases.

The Denver Prostitute Killer remains unidentified, with various suspects considered over the years, including Vincent Groves, a convicted serial killer linked posthumously to multiple murders in the Denver area.