David Edward Maust was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania, in 1954 to George and Eva Maust. The Maust surname is of Amish origin. When David was seven, his parents divorced, and his father left the family. His father had been orphaned at the age of twelve and raised in foster homes. Records indicate that Maust's mother struggled with mental illness, having been diagnosed as psychotic.

At nine years old, Maust was placed in a mental institution at his mother's request. She claimed he had set fire to his younger brother's bed and attempted to drown him. However, social workers described her as "disturbed," "psychotic," "functioning marginally," "needy," and "narcissistic." She had previously spent a month in a mental hospital. Reports from the institution suggested that many children were there because their families were unable or unwilling to care for them, often due to mental health issues. The staff believed that Maust's mother had essentially abandoned him there.

The institution's staff did not observe the problematic behaviors his mother described and found her claims unsubstantiated. Despite this, Maust did have a history of violence, including choking two friends and killing a squirrel with a baseball bat.

Maust's brother recalled that David had been molested at a young age. While in the institution, Maust behaved well but was saddened by his mother's infrequent visits. After leaving the hospital, he moved to a children's home, where, at thirteen, he faced unwanted sexual advances from another boy.

As an adult, Maust worked in construction for his uncle in Wrightsville, Georgia. Although he was skilled, he was eventually fired after crashing a company truck. When he tried to return home, his mother rejected him and even threatened him with a knife. Eventually, she took him to an Army recruiter, and at eighteen, Maust enlisted in the Army in 1971.

He completed Basic Training at Fort Lewis and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Ord. In 1972, he was stationed in Frankfurt, Germany, serving as a cook. He was considered a capable serviceman and was an accomplished bowler, achieving high scores and winning numerous awards in his Army bowling league.

 

In 1974, while stationed in Germany, David Edward Maust killed a 13-year-old boy named James McClister, the child of American expatriates. He was court-martialed and convicted of involuntary manslaughter and larceny, claiming the boy's death was accidental during a moped theft. Maust was sentenced to four years at Fort Leavenworth but was released in 1977 despite his request not to be paroled. In 1979, Maust stabbed a sleeping friend in his Chicago apartment. Although tried for attempted murder, he claimed innocence on the stand and was acquitted.

In 1981, Maust sought to kill the man who had molested him in a children's home but ended up murdering 15-year-old Donald Jones instead, drowning him in an Elgin quarry. That same year in Texas, he stabbed a 14-year-old boy and received a five-year sentence for causing bodily injury to a child. Reflecting on his incarcerations, Maust wrote in his diary about his inability to function around people and his desire to remain imprisoned to prevent further harm.

In 1982, while serving time in Texas, Maust was extradited to Illinois for the murder of Donald Jones. Initially deemed unfit for trial, he spent time in mental health facilities and jail before pleading guilty in 1994. He was sentenced to 35 years but served 17 years due to time served and good behavior, being released in 1999 despite warnings from officials about his danger to society.

Maust's request to remain incarcerated was denied, as he did not meet the criteria for further confinement. In 2001, he attempted another murder by attacking an acquaintance with a metal pipe but was not prosecuted as the victim did not pursue charges.

On December 12, 2003, Maust was arrested for the murder of 16-year-old James Raganyi, whose body was found encased in concrete in Maust's basement in Hammond, Indiana. He was also charged with the murders of Michael Dennis, 13, and Nick James, 19, both found similarly encased in concrete. In November 2005, Maust pleaded guilty to these three murders and received three life sentences.

In January 2006, a month after his final sentencing, Maust committed suicide in his jail cell, leaving a note confessing to five murders and apologizing to the victims' families. He was 51 years old. The Maust case prompted Indiana to pursue legislation for a violent offender registry, aiming to reduce the chances of released offenders committing further crimes. Indiana Code Section 11-8-8, enacted in July 2006, established a registry for sex and violent offenders, including those convicted of murder or voluntary manslaughter, with terms of registration lasting either 10 years or life.