Darren Dee O'Neall was born on February 26, 1960, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Very little is publicly known about his early life, but by the 1980s, he had become a drifter and career criminal, using multiple aliases, including Herb Johnson, Jerry Zebulun Macranahan, Larry Sackett, Mike James Johnson, and John Mayeaux.

O'Neall frequently traveled across different states, committing various crimes, including theft, fraud, and sexual assault. He often used stolen identities to evade law enforcement.

On March 27, 1987, in Puyallup, Washington, O'Neall met 22-year-old Robin Smith at Baldy's Tavern. After inviting several patrons to an after-hours gathering at his apartment, O'Neall was later seen leaving with Smith. The next day, she was reported missing. Witnesses later saw a human leg in the trunk of O'Neall’s car, which led police to issue a warrant for his arrest. On May 25, 1987, hikers discovered Smith’s remains in a wooded area near Greenwater, Washington. She had been bludgeoned to death with a hammer.

On April 24, 1987, O'Neall, using the alias Mike James Johnson, went on a date with 29-year-old Wendy Aughe in Bellingham, Washington. The single mother of two vanished after leaving a restaurant with him. Later, her home was found in disarray with bloodstains covering the bedroom, indicating a violent struggle. O'Neall fled the state in her stolen car, which was later found abandoned in Eugene, Oregon. Despite an intensive search, Aughe’s body has never been found, but police believe she was murdered.

O'Neall is also suspected in the June 9, 1987, murder of 22-year-old Lia Elizabeth Szubert in La Grande, Oregon. Witnesses reported seeing a man resembling O'Neall in the area, but he was never formally charged. He was additionally considered a person of interest in the shooting deaths of three women in Salt Lake City, Utah, between 1985 and 1986. However, investigators later determined he had an alibi for those crimes.

Following his violent crime spree, O'Neall became one of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. On September 22, 1987, police attempted to stop him for a traffic violation in Lakeland, Florida. After a brief high-speed chase and crash, he was arrested. Fingerprint analysis confirmed his identity in February 1988, leading to his extradition to Washington state.

O'Neall was convicted of Robin Smith's murder and sentenced to life in prison. However, he was extradited from Oregon to Washington in early 2023 to face trial for Wendy Aughe's disappearance and presumed murder. On March 10, 2023, he pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in Whatcom County Superior Court and remains in custody on a $10 million bail.