David Leonard Wood was born on June 20, 1957, in San Angelo, Texas. He was the second of four children in his family. In the 1960s, his father, Leo, was promoted to an executive position at the El Paso Electric Company. The family moved to a wealthy neighborhood in El Paso. Although they had money, their home life was troubled. Betty, David's mother, began to show signs of mental illness. This led to constant arguments between his parents. When David misbehaved, his father would punish him with a paddle.

In the mid-1960s, David's mother was hospitalized for six months and received electroconvulsive therapy. After returning home, she started abusing prescribed drugs, which worsened her mental health. Due to the ongoing issues in the family, David and his siblings were often neglected. They were sent to live with relatives in Chaparral, New Mexico, and also spent time in foster homes.

From a young age, David was described as nervous and hyperactive. This behavior led him to be hospitalized and treated for his condition, which caused him to repeat the first grade in school. His interest in school faded over time, and he struggled academically. He had to repeat both third and ninth grades. He also claimed that he began feeling attracted to girls early in life and lost his virginity at the age of 12.

During the early 1970s, David started to spend most of his free time outdoors. During this period, he developed a problem with alcohol and drugs. At age 17, in 1974, he dropped out of Parkland High School after finishing ninth grade. He tried to enlist in the Army but was rejected. Following this, he worked various manual labor jobs to earn a living.

In August 1987, several young women and girls went missing in El Paso, Texas. The first to disappear was 14-year-old Marjorie Knox, who was last seen on February 14 while attending a Valentine's Day party. This was followed by 13-year-old Melissa Alaniz, who vanished on March 7. Over the following months, more girls, including 15-year-old Desiree Wheatley, 20-year-old Karen Baker, and 19-year-old Cheryl Lynn Vasquez-Dismukes, also went missing.

On September 4, 1987, workers found the remains of Rosa Maria Casio in a shallow grave in the desert. Soon after, investigators discovered the body of Karen Baker about 100 meters away. Both victims were identified through their clothing. The authorities tentatively ruled Casio’s cause of death as strangulation, while Baker’s cause could not be determined due to decomposition.

As the investigation continued, a woman named Judith Kelling Brown came forward. She described being lured into a truck by a man who later assaulted her. She identified David Leonard Wood as her attacker from a lineup. On October 20, hikers found the remains of Desiree Wheatley and Dawn Marie Smith, buried close to each other and near the locations where Casio and Baker were discovered.

As witnesses continued to emerge, it became clear that Wood had been seen with several of the missing girls shortly before their disappearances. Due to mounting evidence, Wood was arrested on October 23, 1987, on charges of kidnapping and raping Kelling.

In March 1988, authorities retrieving aluminum cans in the desert found the remains of Ivy Susanna Williams, buried near other victims. As investigators gathered evidence, they found fibers that matched the clothing of some of the victims in a vacuum cleaner belonging to Wood, strengthening the case against him.

After a lengthy investigation, Wood was put on trial in 1992. He was found guilty of the murders of Ivy Williams, Desiree Wheatley, Karen Baker, Angelica Frausto, Rosa Maria Casio, and Dawn Marie Smith. He was sentenced to death on January 14, 1993.

Even after his conviction, Wood maintained his innocence and filed multiple appeals over the years. His execution date was postponed several times, and he remains on death row, awaiting execution in Texas as of 2024.