Caril Ann Fugate was born on July 30, 1943, in Lincoln, Nebraska. She lived with her mother, Velda, and her stepfather, Marion Bartlett. Caril was a bright student and attended Whittier Junior High School in Lincoln. Her classmates liked her, and she was known to be intelligent.

When Caril was 13 years old, she started a relationship with Charles Starkweather. He was five years older and had dropped out of high school. They met through Caril's sister, Barbara, who was dating one of Starkweather's friends, Bob von Busch.

On January 21, 1958, Charles Starkweather shot and killed Caril Ann Fugate's stepfather, Marion Bartlett, and her mother, Velda. He then killed Fugate's two-year-old half-sister, Betty Jean. Fugate claimed that when she returned home, Starkweather was waiting for her with a gun. He told her her family was being held hostage and that if she did as he said, they would be safe. For the next six days, Starkweather kept Fugate in the house and refused to let anyone visit.

Later, Starkweather and Fugate fled, driving across Nebraska into Wyoming. During this time, they killed seven more people and two dogs before their arrest on January 29. Fugate admitted to holding a shotgun on a young couple, Robert Jensen and Carol King.

Starkweather was sentenced to death and executed on June 25, 1959. He claimed that Fugate had also killed several victims. Although Fugate maintained her innocence, she was tried and found guilty for her role in the crimes. The jury decided that her claims of being a hostage were not credible. She was sentenced to life imprisonment at the Nebraska Correctional Center for Women.

In 1973, her sentence was commuted to 30–50 years, making her eligible for parole. She was paroled on June 20, 1976, after serving 18 years. After her release, Fugate worked as a janitorial assistant and a nanny.

In 2007, she married Fredrick Clair. They lived in Michigan. On August 5, 2013, Fugate was in a vehicle accident that severely injured her, while her husband died at the scene. In February 2020, she applied for a pardon but was denied despite support from relatives of the victims. She continued to claim her innocence regarding the events of 1958.