Danny Barber was born in 1955 in Houston, Texas. He grew up in a tough neighborhood and had a difficult childhood. His family struggled with poverty, and his father was often abusive. Danny found it hard to cope with his home life, and this led him to act out and get into trouble frequently.

As a young boy, Danny started skipping school and hanging out with the wrong crowd. By his teenage years, he was involved in petty crimes like stealing and vandalism. His behavior got him into trouble with the law several times, but it seemed like he couldn't turn his life around.

Despite his troubled youth, Danny had moments of kindness and potential. Some people who knew him remembered him as charming and intelligent. However, the chaos at home and the influence of his peers made it difficult for him to stay on the right path.

On October 8, 1979, in Balch Springs, Danny Barber went to the home of Janice Ingram, a 50-year-old woman. Barber had a piece of pipe that he found in her backyard. He planned to break a window and rob the house, but he found an open door instead. When he went inside, he surprised Janice Ingram, who started to scream. To stop her, Barber hit her on the head and face with the pipe and then stabbed her in the throat, killing her. Her body was not found until over two weeks later, on October 26, by her mother and brother. Barber knew both Janice and her mother because he had done some work for them before.

On May 4, 1980, Barber was arrested for breaking into a flea market. While he was in jail, he confessed to killing Janice Ingram and three other people in Dallas County. These victims included Mary Caperton, who was 39 years old and killed on April 21, 1980; Raymond Curly, who was killed on June 18, 1978; and Mercedes Mendez, a 48-year-old woman who was beaten, sexually molested, and shot three times on January 17, 1979. Barber said that he had sexual activity with two of the bodies.

In August 1980, Barber was sentenced to death for killing Janice Ingram and given life in prison for the other two murders. His execution was set for January 2, 1988, but it was stopped an hour before it was supposed to happen by a Supreme Court justice due to a technical issue raised by his lawyers. Another execution date was later scheduled.

Danny Barber was finally executed by lethal injection on February 11, 1999, at the Huntsville Unit. His last words showed regret for his actions and he spoke to the family of Janice Ingram, saying he had changed over the years. He also spoke to his friends and asked them to look after someone named Mary Lynn. Barber was buried at Captain Joe Byrd Cemetery.