Briley Wayne Piper was born on March 20, 1980, in Anchorage, Alaska. He grew up in a place known for its beautiful landscapes but faced many challenges during his childhood. By the time he was 13 years old, Piper had already been in trouble with the law. He was arrested for allegedly grabbing a woman and later for assaulting a classmate at knifepoint.

On the evening of March 12, 2000, Chester Poage met with Briley Piper, Elijah Page, and Darrell Hoadley at Poage's home. They gathered to play video games while Poage's family was away on vacation. Later, the group left the house and drove to the residence where Piper, Page, and Hoadley were staying. Inside, they planned to rob Poage's family home. To do so, Page pulled out a stolen .22 caliber pistol and ordered Poage to get on the floor. Piper kicked Poage repeatedly until he lost consciousness. They tied him up and forced him to drink beer mixed with crushed pills and hydrochloric acid.

After this, the group took Poage in his own vehicle and drove him to Higgins Gulch, a remote area in the Black Hills. They stripped him down, apart from his undershirt, shoes, and socks. While walking him to a small icy creek, they beat him. Once at the creek, they attacked him further and Page stabbed him in the neck. The three men discussed killing Poage because they did not want him to be a witness to their crime. Poage pleaded to be let into the vehicle to warm up but had to wash the blood off himself first.

While he did this, Piper changed his mind and helped drag Poage back into the creek as they attempted to drown him. Ultimately, Poage was killed by rocks thrown at his head. After beating him, the group left his body in the creek. They then returned to Poage's house to steal items before leaving South Dakota to evade capture.

On April 22, 2000, Poage's remains were discovered in Higgins Gulch. An investigation led to Hoadley confessing to his involvement and naming Piper and Page as his accomplices. The authorities tracked and arrested Page in Texas and Piper in Alaska. They were extradited back to South Dakota and later pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. Both received death sentences, while Hoadley was given life imprisonment.