Cleo Joel Green III was born on September 7, 1957, in Jefferson County, Kentucky. By 1983, he was unemployed and residing with his mother in Louisville. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, Green experienced severe delusions, including beliefs of being pursued by a large bird and floating demons. His mental health issues significantly impacted his behavior, leading to violent criminal acts.

In the summer of 1983, Green committed a series of violent crimes in Louisville:
July 3, 1983: Green broke into the apartment of 76-year-old Ina Mae York at the Clarksdale Housing Complex and attacked her with a hatchet, resulting in her decapitation. Her son discovered her body the following morning.
July 19, 1983: He entered the home of 73-year-old Almira Watson, stealing a radio and stabbing her neck 22 times with scissors. Remarkably, Watson survived the attack.
August 13, 1983: Green assaulted 69-year-old Rosetta M. Smith, a double amputee on dialysis, in her apartment. He attempted to rape her, but Smith defended herself by grabbing his testicles until he lost consciousness. She then alerted neighbors, leading to Green's arrest while still unconscious on her floor.

Following his arrest, Green was deemed incompetent to stand trial multiple times due to his mental illness. In 1989, after his condition stabilized, he pleaded guilty to the murder of York and the attacks on Watson and Smith. He received a 40-year prison sentence, avoiding a potential death penalty. Green died of natural causes on May 12, 2006, in Louisville.