David Livingston Funchess was born on March 16, 1947, in the United States. He served in the U.S. military and fought in the Vietnam War, an experience that deeply affected him both physically and mentally. After returning home, Funchess reportedly suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a condition not widely understood at the time. He had difficulty adjusting back to civilian life and struggled with mental health issues, substance abuse, and unemployment. Despite being a war veteran, his life after service quickly unraveled. Friends and those close to him noted that he became increasingly unstable and withdrawn. Eventually, he became involved in criminal activity, leading to the tragic events that would define the rest of his life.

On December 16, 1974, Funchess entered his former workplace, the Avondale Liquor Store, and attacked three individuals: 52-year-old Anna Waldrop, 56-year-old Clayton Keaton Ragan, and 62-year-old Bertha McLeod. He stabbed all three victims and stole between $5,500 and $6,500 before fleeing the scene. Waldrop and Ragan died from their injuries, while McLeod was left in a coma and later died on July 10, 1977.

Funchess was arrested approximately two months later in Ocala, Florida. He was convicted on July 18, 1975, for the murders of Waldrop and Ragan and sentenced to death. In 1979, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated his death sentence due to procedural issues, leading to a resentencing in December 1979, where he was again sentenced to death.

Throughout his time on death row, Funchess was diagnosed with PTSD, a condition not officially recognized until 1980. Despite appeals and clemency requests highlighting his mental health struggles and military service, all were denied. He was executed by electrocution on April 22, 1986, becoming the first Vietnam War veteran diagnosed with PTSD to be executed in the United States.