Stevens was born on March 19, 1969, in Oakland, California, as the younger of two children. During his childhood, his mother frequently faced legal issues related to alcohol, including charges for drunk driving and child abuse. Her struggle with alcohol addiction ultimately resulted in her death. At the age of 12, Stevens attempted suicide by hanging himself, but he survived the attempt. He went to Oakland Technical High School, where he was perceived as shy and reserved. Despite this, many of his classmates considered him attractive, which led to a relationship with a girl named Mia Chatman. They dated for around seven months before she ended the relationship. In his final year of high school, Stevens became friends with Richard James Clark, who was younger than him, and they quickly formed a close bond.

On April 3, 1989, Charles Stevens and his accomplice, Clark, targeted Leslie Noyer, a 29-year-old seated in a parked car. Stevens left a palm print on the passenger-side door as he opened it, and Clark fatally shot Noyer. Police later collected the palm print and shell casings from the scene. Three months later, Stevens attempted a solo ambush on Karen Anderson, missing her with at least six shots but shattering her car window. The following day, June 8, Stevens killed 16-year-old Laquann Sloan as she exited Interstate-580.

On July 6, Stevens acted alone again, shooting and killing 36-year-old Lori Rochon after pulling over behind her vehicle near the Grand Avenue exit in Oakland. Ten days later, Stevens, with Clark as his passenger, fired multiple shots at a van driven by Paul Fenn and Julia Peters, injuring Peters with glass fragments.

The spate of highway shootings led to heightened police vigilance. On July 27, Stevens narrowly missed 24-year-old Rodney Stokes. Stokes followed Stevens discreetly and witnessed him kill 28-year-old Raymond August. Stokes then reported Stevens' vehicle to the police, leading to Stevens' arrest hours later. The gun Stevens used, a .357 Magnum Desert Eagle, matched the ballistics from the crime scenes, resulting in charges for multiple murders and attempted murders. Stevens' confession implicated Clark, leading to Clark's arrest as well.

During the trial, Clark testified against Stevens, claiming he shot Noyer under Stevens' coercion. In January 1993, a jury found Stevens guilty on all counts after an hour of deliberation. Stevens was sentenced to death and sent to San Quentin State Prison. Clark received a 13-year sentence after pleading no contest to voluntary manslaughter in May 1993.

In 2004, Stevens appealed his conviction, arguing that his defense team failed to challenge the evidence effectively. His appeal was denied. Clark was released in 2006, while Stevens remains on death row. The moratorium on capital punishment in California has left Stevens' execution in limbo. On February 14, 2022, the Ninth Circuit upheld the denial of his habeas corpus petition, and his request for a rehearing was denied on April 22, 2022. Stevens filed a final appeal to the Supreme Court on September 9, 2022.