David Van Dyke was born on January 14, 1959, and was one of five children. His early years were marked by instability and hardship. He lived with his grandmother until she passed away when he was just six years old. After her death, he moved in with his mother, who struggled to care for him. Van Dyke had a difficult time adjusting and refused to go to school, eventually dropping out after seventh grade. His behavior was troubling; he broke windows, bullied weaker kids, and even threatened his niece with a knife. He also stole money from his mother's purse, using it to pay off stronger children to avoid being beaten up, and to buy a canary, which he cruelly strangled while laughing.

Van Dyke's difficult behavior was often fueled by the teasing he received about his weight. Other children mocked him for being obese, and in one instance, he punched a woman who called him a fat pig. Despite these challenges, he managed to lose 40 pounds through a weight reduction program, although his personal issues persisted. As he grew older, Van Dyke never held a steady job. Instead, he made about $600 a month by hustling at pool and committing burglaries. His lifestyle was unstable, frequently living in cars and abandoned buildings.

In April 1979, Van Dyke was paroled after serving time for a burglary conviction. His early life was a mix of neglect, violence, and crime, setting a troubled path for his future. His childhood and adolescence were marred by conflict and poor choices, leading him to a life on the fringes of society.

Between July 1979 and April 1980, David Van Dyke committed a series of brutal murders in northern Milwaukee. He killed four women and two men, gaining entry into their homes by pretending to need to use their phone or bathroom. Once inside, Van Dyke would bludgeon, beat, or stab his victims to death with objects found in their homes. After the murders, he stole items like money, radios, TVs, or jewelry, leaving behind the weapons he used, such as a tire jack, ice pick, claw hammer, knives, or scissors. His victims varied in age, race, and gender, making his crimes even more chilling.

Van Dyke's first victim was Della Mae Liggens, a 69-year-old woman, whom he stabbed to death on July 19, 1979. Less than a month later, on August 10, he attacked 78-year-old Florence Burkard in her North Side home, stabbing her 43 times with a pair of scissors. The fatal wound was to her heart, and her body was found at the bottom of her basement stairs by two volunteers delivering a hot meal. In another gruesome attack, Van Dyke beat 79-year-old Helen Wronski to death in her living room on November 8, 1979. Her body, discovered by her son the next day, was covered with a sheet, and the killer had left behind partial fingerprints that investigators couldn’t match to any suspects.

On January 25, 1980, Van Dyke used a claw hammer to bludgeon 63-year-old Charles Golston, who remained in a coma for over three months before dying in early May. His next victim, 49-year-old Bernard Fonder, was killed on March 3, 1980, after suffering several blows to the head. Van Dyke's attack on Fonder initially led police to suspect Fonder's former roommate, but the fingerprints at the scene did not match, and the roommate was released. On April 14, 1980, Van Dyke attacked a 28-year-old woman after tricking her into letting him into her home under the guise of buying her car. She managed to escape and get help, despite being severely beaten and cut. Finally, on April 25, 1980, Van Dyke sexually assaulted and beat 30-year-old Helen Louise Bellamy to death with a tire jack in her North Side home. Her 13-year-old son discovered her body partially covered with a sheet when he returned from school.

The police eventually connected the murders and linked them to Van Dyke through fingerprints found at the crime scenes. He was arrested on May 23, 1980, for an attempted burglary, and his fingerprints matched those found at the murder scenes. Van Dyke confessed to the murders during interrogation, sometimes breaking down in tears. He was charged with six counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder, and one count of armed robbery. At his trial in February 1981, Van Dyke took the stand in his defense, claiming he only committed burglaries and never harmed anyone. The jury, however, found him guilty on all charges, and he was sentenced to six life terms. He is currently serving his sentence at the Waupun Correctional Institution in Wisconsin, with eligibility for parole in 2048, when he will be 89 years old.