Clarence Edward Hill was born on December 2, 1957, in Mobile, Alabama. Prior to the events that led to his conviction, Hill had a criminal history that included charges of armed robbery. On October 19, 1982, while out on bond for two armed robberies, Hill and his accomplice, 18-year-old Cliff Jackson, carjacked a vehicle in Mobile and drove to Pensacola, Florida. There, they decided to rob the Freedom Savings and Loan Association.

On the afternoon of October 19, 1982, Hill and Jackson entered the Freedom Savings and Loan Association in downtown Pensacola, Florida, armed and intent on robbery. During the heist, a silent alarm was triggered, alerting local law enforcement. Officers Stephen Taylor and Larry Bailly responded to the alarm. As Officer Bailly apprehended Jackson outside the bank, Hill approached from behind and opened fire, fatally shooting Officer Taylor and wounding Officer Bailly. Despite being shot in the neck, Officer Bailly managed to return fire, hitting Hill multiple times. Both Hill and Jackson were arrested shortly thereafter.

Hill was charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. His trial commenced in April 1983, and on May 27, 1983, he was convicted and sentenced to death. Hill's execution was initially scheduled for January 24, 2006, but was delayed due to legal challenges concerning the constitutionality of Florida's lethal injection protocol. The U.S. Supreme Court eventually ruled that Hill could pursue his claim under civil rights law, but subsequent courts denied his appeals. On September 20, 2006, after 24 years on death row, Hill was executed by lethal injection at the Florida State Prison in Raiford, Florida.