Bruce Alan Davis was born on September 3, 1948, in Toledo, Ohio. His family moved to a rural area in Fayette County, West Virginia, during the early 1950s. Davis's early life is not well documented, but a significant event occurred when he was 13 years old. In 1961, he became a victim of sexual abuse. This traumatic experience led him to develop a strong hatred towards pedophiles and homosexuals.

Davis had a passion for music and singing from a young age. He was so dedicated to this passion that his schoolwork began to suffer. As a result, he decided to drop out of school to pursue a career as a singer. He moved to New York City and settled in Manhattan. Although he graduated from Washington Irving High School, his aspirations for a successful music career did not materialize. Instead, Davis became a drifter, surviving by doing low-skilled labor, odd jobs, and sometimes engaging in petty thefts.

In February 1972, Bruce Alan Davis was arrested in Washington, D.C. for the murder of James Earl Hammer, a local businessman and his friend. During the trial, his attorneys argued that the killing was not planned. This led to a conviction for involuntary manslaughter, resulting in a 15-year prison sentence with the possibility of parole after five years.

While serving time, Davis faced new charges for the murder of Reverend Carlo Barlassina. The Reverend, age 44, was killed in a hotel on June 29, 1971, while traveling for church work. Prosecutors in Chicago brought these charges. Davis was extradited to Illinois on November 28, 1972, and he pleaded guilty to this murder on December 17, receiving a sentence of 25 to 45 years in prison.

Davis was moved to a federal prison and later to the Menard Correctional Center in Illinois. He was seen as a model inmate and earned sentence reductions. He even worked on the prison farm, which had low security. On October 24, 1982, he used an axe to kill Joseph Cushman, the warden, and escaped by stealing Cushman's truck.

After his escape, Davis fled to Smithers, West Virginia. He was arrested on October 31 while attempting to steal a car. During a two-week interrogation, he confessed to 33 murders committed between 1969 and 1971 across the United States. Many of his confessions took place in locations like the District of Columbia and New York City. He claimed to have killed 12 gay men, mostly in D.C. His stories included details that made some investigators think they were credible, while other accounts raised doubts.

Despite some inconsistencies, investigators confirmed his involvement in five murders in New York City. The only public murder linked to him was the May 1970 killing of Eric Tcherkezian, a 27-year-old vocal teacher who was found strangled in his hotel room.

Davis was initially tried for Cushman's murder. In July 1983, he pleaded insanity but was still found able to distinguish right from wrong. He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole. Davis was then moved to the Chester Mental Health Center. Despite access to treatment, his mental health worsened over time. He was found dead in his cell on December 12, 1988, having hanged himself.