Clifton Lee Ray Jr. was born on July 27, 1958, in the United States. He grew up in Kansas City in a neighborhood filled with working-class families. His father made a living as a used car salesman and also operated a gas station and several salvage yards. Ray Jr. worked at these salvage yards as a young man. He attended a Baptist church and participated in their little league baseball team. In school, he was an average student and played football. He graduated from Paseo High School in 1976.

After finishing high school, Ray attended MCC Penn-Valley for one semester. He then decided to join the U.S. Marines and served for three years at Camp Pendleton. After his time in the military, he returned to Kansas City and held various odd jobs. In 1979, Ray was arrested for rape, but the charges were later dropped. He went on to enroll in Langston University and faced another charge for snatching a woman's purse while there.

Ray then married a woman he had known since high school. Together, they had four children. In 1987, he faced a serious charge for the second-degree murder of a woman named Tonya Taylor, who was found dead. However, the charges were dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

Throughout the years, Ray had numerous encounters with the law, accumulating 21 recorded charges for various crimes, including disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, drugs, indecent exposure, and rape. Despite these issues, he consistently managed to avoid lengthy prison sentences. In 1992, he sought help for drug and alcohol abuse. After completing his treatment, he moved to the Royal Towers Apartments and began training in heating and air conditioning repair.

On December 11, 1987, Deborah D. Taylor was found strangled to death in a vacant field in Kansas. DNA found at the scene was matched to Clifton Ray in 2003. Taylor was a mother of two and had attended Pittsburg State University.

On May 24, 1990, Joycie Flowers, a 41-year-old woman, was discovered dead in a homeless camp in Kansas City. She was naked except for a sock, and her body had bite marks from rats. Semen found inside her body matched Ray's DNA. Flowers was a mother of four and worked as a Sunday school teacher.

Ray became a suspect in the deaths of several residents of the Royal Towers Apartments in Kansas City, where he had recently moved. On October 10, 1993, Ernest Taylor, 66, was found stabbed to death in his apartment. Ray was charged with his murder in 1994, but the charges were later dropped. Police found that Ray sold Taylor's television at a pawn shop.

On December 8, 1993, the body of Leroy Hightower, 54, was found. His cause of death could not be determined, and Ray was never charged in his case. Hightower was a Marine veteran and a retired police officer.

On March 30, 1994, Mia Smith, 29, was found strangled in the stairway of the same apartment building. Although police suspected Ray, no charges were filed against him for her murder.

On April 27, 1994, Bobby J. Robertson, 68, was found strangled in his apartment. Ray was charged with first-degree murder, with police claiming he forced his way into Robertson's home and stole his money.

In 1995, Ray was convicted of strangling Bobby J. Robertson. Shortly before he was due for parole, DNA evidence linked him to the murders of Deborah Taylor and Joycie Flowers. He was subsequently charged with these murders. On October 3, 2007, Ray was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of Joycie Flowers. He was later also convicted for the murder of Deborah Taylor.

As of September 2023, Clifton Ray is housed at the Jefferson City Correctional Center.