Charles Voyde Harrelson was born on July 23, 1938, in Lovelady, Texas. He was the son of Alma Lee Sparks and Voyde Harrelson. Charles grew up in a family setting that would shape his later life. His father worked hard to provide for the family, but their life was likely filled with struggles typical of many families at that time.

In his early years, Charles moved to Houston, Texas. It was there that he would later meet his first wife, Nancy Hillman. They would eventually have children together, including a son named Woody Harrelson, who would go on to become a well-known actor. Charles also had other marriages, including to Diane Lou Oswald, Jo Ann Harrelson, and Gina Adelle Foster.

Before his legal troubles began, Charles tried various jobs. He worked as an encyclopedia salesman and tried his hand at professional gambling. His life took a serious turn in 1960 when he was convicted of armed robbery and sentenced to five years in prison.

As Charles continued his life, he began admitting that he had been involved in numerous murders from the early 1960s. This admission would later come back to haunt him, and his relationship with his family, particularly with Woody, remained complicated. In a 1988 interview, Woody mentioned visiting his father in prison while expressing uncertainty about their relationship, noting that his father was both articulate and charming.

Charles Voyde Harrelson was involved in multiple murder cases. His first notable case was the murder of Alan Harry Berg. In 1968, Harrelson was tried for this murder but was acquitted by a jury in 1970.

Another significant case was the murder of Sam Degelia Jr., a grain dealer from Hearne, Texas. In this case, Harrelson was allegedly paid $2,000 to kill Degelia. His first trial for this murder had a deadlocked jury, but in a retrial in 1973, he was convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was released early for good behavior in 1978 after serving five years.

Shortly after being paroled, Harrelson was implicated in the murder of Judge John H. Wood Jr. This occurred on May 29, 1979. Harrelson was hired by drug dealer Jamiel Chagra to carry out the assassination. Judge Wood was shot outside his townhouse in San Antonio. Harrelson was caught after he was seen firing a gun at imaginary FBI agents while under the influence of drugs. His conviction was largely based on a conversation between Joe Chagra and his brother Jamiel Chagra recorded in prison. Harrelson received two life sentences for this murder.

In September 1980, Harrelson had a standoff with police, during which he claimed to have killed both Judge Wood and President John F. Kennedy. However, the FBI did not take his claims seriously, and Joseph Chagra later stated he did not believe Harrelson's assertion about the Kennedy assassination.

Harrelson attempted to escape from Atlanta Federal Penitentiary on July 4, 1995. The attempt failed, and he was subsequently transferred to ADX Florence in Colorado.

Charles Harrelson died in his prison cell on March 15, 2007, from a heart attack at the age of 68.