Daniel Oliver Jones was born on September 26, 1969, in Kansas City, Missouri. He attended Raytown South High School in Raytown, Missouri. While in school, he became known for causing disruptions in class and found himself in trouble frequently.

One significant event from his high school years occurred on May 20, 1987. On that day, Jones attacked a 32-year-old teacher in her classroom. He dragged her into the school's auditorium, where he raped and threatened to kill her. After about 15 minutes, the teacher managed to escape. Jones was arrested three days later after the teacher identified him from the school yearbook. At his arraignment, he pleaded innocent to the charge of forcible rape.

In 1988, Jones was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison for his crime. In 1989, he tried to appeal his sentence. He argued that prosecutors had wrongly included evidence of his inappropriate behavior at school. However, the appeal was denied. Jones was released on parole after serving eight years of his sentence. He was paroled on August 27, 1996, and was required to register as a Level 3 sex offender.

On December 2, 1998, Daniel Oliver Jones broke into the apartment of 19-year-old Jenai Douglas. He attacked her with a knife, stabbing her multiple times in her bedroom. After the murder, he left the apartment without taking anything. Later that day, Douglas was found dead by a roommate.

On March 10, 1999, Jones entered the home of 21-year-old Kaliquah Gilliam. He wielded a knife and stabbed her 36 times. Her body was discovered later that same day by a cousin who was visiting.

In August 2001, Jones broke into the apartment of 21-year-old Roxanne Colley after smashing her patio window. Jones had a knife and restrained her. He assaulted her and then stabbed her multiple times before cutting her throat.

On March 6, 2001, Jones entered the apartment of Candriea White. Armed with a knife, he restrained her in the kitchen, stabbed her 14 times, and slit her throat. He chose not to harm her two infant children. A neighbor later found White's body lying in her apartment.

Jones was arrested on March 8, 2001, after his palm print matched evidence from the crime scene. While in jail, DNA evidence linked him to the murders of Roxanne Colley and the other victims. He was found guilty of White's murder on August 21, 2002, and was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole.

In 2004, Jones confessed to the killings of Colley, Douglas, and Gilliam and offered to plead guilty to all charges. He is currently serving his sentence at Crossroads Correctional Center.