Burton Wilbur Abbott was born on February 8, 1928, in Portland, Oregon. He was the younger of two sons in his family. His father, Harold Mark Abbott Sr., and his mother, Elsie Belle Moore, raised him and his brother in a supportive environment.

Growing up, Abbott was known to his family as Bud. He faced health challenges early in his life. After joining the U.S. Army, Abbott served for 14 months but became ill with tuberculosis. He underwent surgery that resulted in the removal of half of one of his lungs. Due to his health, he was honorably discharged from the army.

After his time in the military, Abbott pursued an education. He enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley, in 1953, where he studied accounting. At the time of significant events in his life, he was a student working toward his degree. His family lived on a property owned by his wife's father, which had a complex history involving its previous owners.

On April 28, 1955, 14-year-old Stephanie Bryan went missing after leaving her school in Berkeley, California. She was last seen walking towards a shortcut that led through a wooded area. A large search for her began but did not find her. A few days later, one of her textbooks was discovered on a nearby road, raising concerns about her disappearance.

In mid-July 1955, Georgia Abbott, the wife of Burton Abbott, found Stephanie's purse and ID card in their basement. This discovery happened while she was looking for a costume. The police later uncovered more personal items belonging to Stephanie, like her glasses and a brassiere, also in the basement. No one in the Abbott family could explain how these items ended up there.

Burton Abbott gave various accounts about where he was when Stephanie disappeared. He claimed he was far away at a cabin. However, several witnesses placed him near the area where Stephanie went missing around the same time. When Stephanie's body was found on July 20, 1955, it was buried not far from the cabin. She had suffered severe injuries.

Abbott was arrested and charged with murder and rape. His trial began in November 1955, attracting significant public attention. The prosecution argued that Abbott had tried to assault Stephanie and killed her when she resisted. Despite Abbott pleading not guilty, he was found guilty of first-degree murder.

On January 25, 1956, he was sentenced to death. Abbott spent time in San Quentin prison while his lawyers appealed the ruling. As the execution date of March 15, 1957, approached, efforts to delay it were made. On the day of the execution, a brief stay was granted, but it came too late to stop the execution from taking place. Abbott was executed in the gas chamber at 11:14 am.