Christine Marie Paolilla was born on March 31, 1986, in Long Island, New York. Her mother, Lori, was a stay-at-home mom, while her father, Charles, worked as a construction worker. Christine had one older brother. When she was two years old, her father died in a construction accident. This tragic event had a significant impact on her family. After her husband's death, Lori began using drugs and lost custody of Christine and her brother. Their grandparents took care of them during this difficult time.

As a child, Christine faced challenges in school. When she was in kindergarten, she was diagnosed with alopecia, a condition that made her lose all her hair, including her eyebrows and eyelashes. Because of this, she had to wear wigs. Christine also had poor eyesight and wore thick glasses. Her classmates often teased and bullied her about her appearance. This bullying hurt her self-confidence and made her feel isolated.

Eventually, Christine was reunited with her mother. Lori had overcome her drug addiction and remarried. The family then moved to Clear Lake City, Texas, which is near Houston. Christine started attending Clear Lake High School. There, she became friends with two popular girls, Rachael Koloroutis and Tiffany Rowell. With their help, she began to improve her looks and fit in better with other students. In 2003, she was even voted "Miss Irresistible" by her classmates.

During her time in high school, Christine began dating Christopher Lee Snider, who was 21 years old. Her mother and stepfather, as well as her friends Rachael and Tiffany, did not approve of him due to his history of drug use and criminal activity. Despite their concerns, Christine became more involved in drugs during her relationship with him. Christine's mother later noted that Snider tried to isolate Christine from her friends and family. 

On July 18, 2003, Christine Marie Paolilla and her boyfriend, Christopher Snider, went to the home of Paolilla's friend Tiffany Rowell in Clear Lake City, Texas. Along with them were two other friends, Rachael Koloroutis, Rowell's boyfriend Marcus Precella, and Precella's cousin, Adelbert Sanchez. They intended to take drugs that were kept in the house. An argument erupted between Snider and Precella. This dispute escalated into violence.

All four victims were shot multiple times with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a .38-caliber revolver. Rachael Koloroutis tried to crawl to a phone for help after being shot. Paolilla attacked her with the butt of the revolver, causing severe injuries. The victims suffered multiple wounds. After the shootings, Paolilla and Snider left little evidence behind, which led police to believe the murders were drug-related.

Following the killings, they went about their day, with Paolilla going to work at Walgreens. In 2004, Paolilla and Snider's relationship ended when Snider was jailed for car theft. Paolilla then went to rehab, where she met Stanley Justin Rott. They married in March 2005. On the second anniversary of the murders, Paolilla saw news about the unsolved case and confessed to Rott that she and Snider were involved. After this confession, they went into hiding.

In July 2006, police received an anonymous tip from someone who claimed Paolilla admitted to the crimes while in rehab. On July 19, 2006, police found Paolilla in San Antonio and arrested her. Rott was also arrested after 70 vials of heroin were discovered in their motel room. After their arrest, Rott told police that Paolilla had confessed to being an active participant in the murders. At first, Paolilla denied killing anyone but later admitted to her involvement while blaming Snider for the violence.

On July 21, 2006, Paolilla and Snider were charged with capital murder. While Paolilla was arrested, Snider was found dead in August 2006 from an overdose.

Paolilla was convicted of four counts of capital murder on October 13, 2008. Because she was a juvenile at the time of the killings, she did not receive the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison. She has since filed several appeals, all of which have been denied. As of June 2023, Paolilla remains imprisoned and will be eligible for parole in 2046.