Daniel Owen Conahan Jr. was born on May 11, 1954, in Charlotte, North Carolina. He grew up in a middle-class family. Shortly after he was born, his parents moved to Punta Gorda, Florida. As a teenager, Conahan realized he was homosexual. This revelation did not sit well with his parents, who sent him to several psychiatrists for treatment. Conahan often told his friends that he believed his sexuality was not a disease. He felt angered by the way his parents treated him because of it. He described the situation of being gay in the 1970s, saying many people did not feel safe being open about their sexuality. He found a gay bar where he could go without being asked for identification.

Conahan graduated from Miami Norland High School in 1973. Classmates remembered him as a quiet loner who did not participate in many school activities. After high school, he joined the United States Navy in 1977 and was stationed at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois. In 1978, he almost faced a court-martial for taking other naval officers off base for sex. He was discharged a few months later after being involved in a fight with a man.

After leaving the Navy, Conahan lived in Chicago for thirteen years. In 1993, he returned to Punta Gorda to live with his elderly parents. In 1995, he graduated from Charlotte Vocational-Technical Center as a licensed practical nurse, finishing at the top of his class. He started working at Charlotte Regional Medical Center in Punta Gorda. During his free time, Conahan often visited gay bars. He mentioned to detectives that he noticed many hitchhikers on U.S. 41 who were looking to perform sexual acts for money.

Daniel Owen Conahan Jr. is linked to a series of murders known as the Hog Trail Murders. These occurred in Florida from 1993 to 1996. He is currently on death row for the murder of Richard Montgomery, one of the victims. Although Conahan has not been tried for the other murders, investigators consider him a suspect based on the evidence.

The investigation into Conahan began when the body of a man was found in Port Charlotte, Florida, on February 1, 1994. This victim was identified years later as Gerald Lombard, who had been missing since 1991. The condition of the body suggested severe mutilation.

On January 1, 1996, skeletal remains were discovered by a family dog in North Port. Further investigation revealed more bones scattered in the area, but the victim was never identified. Another body was found on March 7, 1996, in North Port. This victim was later identified as William Melaragno. He had been stabbed multiple times and showed signs of having been restrained before his death.

On April 17, 1996, police found bones belonging to two more victims in Charlotte County, one identified as Kenneth Smith and the other as Richard Montgomery. Montgomery had mentioned meeting someone named "Dan" before his murder. This information triggered media coverage that labeled the ongoing killings as the "Hog Trail Killings."

In 1997, more remains were uncovered in Port Charlotte, identified as William Patten, a man missing since 1993. Over the next few years, additional remains continued to surface, all potentially connected to Conahan. In March 2007, police discovered eight sets of skeletal remains in Fort Myers. This became known as the Fort Myers Eight. Among these victims identified were John Blevins, Erik Kohler, and Jonathan Tihay. The connection to Conahan was strong enough for law enforcement to suspect his involvement in these murders as well.

Conahan was arrested on July 3, 1996. Investigators found evidence that linked him to both Montgomery and other potential victims. During the trial for Montgomery's murder, the key witness was Stanley Burden, who had survived an attack by Conahan in 1994. Conahan was found guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping on August 17, 1999, and received a death sentence later that year.

He is currently held in Union Correctional Institution in Florida, where he awaits execution. Investigators continue to look into additional unsolved cases that may also be connected to him.