Christopher Dwayne Peterson was born on January 20, 1969, in Gary, Indiana.

Between October 30, 1990, and December 18, 1990, seven people were murdered in northern Indiana. All the murders were committed with a shotgun. A witness at one crime provided a description of the killer. The description depicted him as a clean-shaven, slender, white man with long, stringy brown hair.

Christopher Dwayne Peterson and Antwion McGee were arrested on January 29, 1991, after a robbery and an attempted murder. McGee later led the police to Ronald J. Harris, who stated he was with Peterson during two of the murders. McGee also claimed that Peterson confessed to him regarding the killings.

Peterson had multiple trials for the murders. His first trial focused on the murders of Lawrence Mills and Rhonda Hammersley. The shotgun found in Peterson's apartment was allowed as evidence. Various evidentiary hearings determined that Peterson's confessions could be used in court. Witnesses identified Peterson as the shooter during different crime scenes. Despite the evidence, the jury acquitted him.

In his second trial, Peterson faced charges for the murders of Wildermuth and attempted murder of Kotso. The prosecution presented Peterson's previous confessions, eyewitness accounts, and ballistic evidence. The defense provided an alibi claiming Peterson was at a party. Jurors again acquitted him due to doubts about the police evidence.

The third trial involved the murders of Harchand Dhaliwal and another victim. The jury heard Peterson's confession, where he expressed a rage that led him to kill. The defense asserted he was at a party, but this time, Peterson was convicted.

In his final trial for the Balovsky murders, Peterson again faced evidence from his confessions and the testimonies of others. His defense claimed an alibi and questioned the credibility of the evidence. However, the jury convicted him, and the judge sentenced Peterson to death.

In 2004, Peterson's death sentence was commuted to 120 years in prison. He maintains his innocence and is scheduled for release in 2050.